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forest, and from this Remembering the had got his treasure, so
height, he saw, not very counsel of his friend the that, if there happened to
far away, a black turret dwarf, however, the be any left, they could go
rising over the ocean of hunter did not go up the and get it. Then of course,
bright leaves. At high stairs, but hurried home they could kill the hunter
noon, he arrived at the with his treasure. and take his treasure too.
castle. It was ruinous and When the hunter Thus it came to pass
quite deserted; grass grew returned to his country, that by a royal order the
in the courtyard and the wonderful treasures hunter was thrown into a
between the bricks of the which he had taken from horrible prison, and told
terrace, and the oaken the castle in the wood that his only hope of
door was as soft and made him a very rich release lay in revealing
rotten as a log that has man, and in a short time the origin of his riches.
long been buried in mire. the news of his prosperity So, after he had been
Entering the castle, the came to the ears of the slowly starved and cruelly
hunter soon discovered King. This King was the beaten, he told of the
the round room. A table wickedest of rogues, and treasure castle in the
laden with wonderful his two best friends, the wood.
treasures stood in the Chamberlain and the On the following
centre of the chamber, Chancellor, were every bit morning, the King, the
directly under a shower of as unscrupulous as he. Chamberlain, and the
sunlight pouring through They oppressed the Chancellor, taking with
a half-ruined window in people with taxes, they them some strong linen
the mildewed wall. How stole from the poor, they bags and some pack
the diamonds and robbed the churches; mules, rode forth in quest
precious stones sparkled indeed there was no of the treasure. Great was
and gleamed! injustice which they were their joy when they found
Now, while the hunter not ready to commit. So, the treasure castle and
was filling his pockets, when the Chamberlain the treasure room just as
the flash of a jewel lying heard of the hunter’s the hunter had described.
on the floor happened to wealth, he–being a direct, The Chancellor poured
catch his eye, and looking straightforward rascal– the shining gems through
down, he saw that a kind declared that the simplest his claw-like fingers, and
of trail of jewels lay along thing to do would be to the King and the
the floor leading out of kill the hunter and take Chamberlain threw their
the room. Following the his money. arms around each others’
scattered gems,–which The Chancellor, who shoulders and danced a
had the appearance of was somewhat more jig as well as their age
having been spilled from cunning and worldly, and dignity would permit.
some treasure-casket declared that it would be The first fine careless
heaped too high,–the better to throw the hunter rapture over, they began
hunter came to a low into a foul, dark dungeon pouring the treasure into
door, and opening this till he was ready to buy the linen sacks they had
door, he discovered a his freedom with all his brought with them, and
flight of stone steps wealth. these, filled to the brim,
leading to the turret. The The King, who was the they carried to the castle
steps were strewn wickedest and wisest of door.
carelessly with the finest the precious three, Soon not the tiniest
emeralds, topazes, beryls, declared that the best gem was left on the table.
moonstones, rubies, and thing to do was to find Suddenly the Chamber-
crystal diamonds. out whence the hunter lain happened to catch
70 | Extensive Listening & Reading
