Page 614 - Child's own book

the Emperor Barbarossa, who has been waiting an hour for
us." Peter, expecting some such adventure as before, made no
objection ; and the monk led the way to a spot surrounded by
walls, where he drew a large circle with his crooked stick, and
wrote curious signs in the sand.
They now heard a noise like distant thunder, the earth
trembled beneath their feet, and the ground within the magic
circlc sank gently down with Peter and the monk, and after
depositing them in the vault below, slowly rose to its former
level.
The monk thco led Peter through a number of passages, till
they came to a kind of cloister, where a lamp was burning
eternally, and here he lighted a couple of torches for himself
and his companion. They then went onwards till they reached
a large iron door, which the monk touchcd with his staff,
saying, u Open ! " And, behold ! the bolts were withdrawn,
and the locks opened of themselves, and discovered a ronnd
chapel. The floor was as smooth as ice, and the walls and
ceiling, that were richly fretted with gold and diamonds, shone
like flames by the light of the torches. In one corner stood an
altar of massive gold, and in another a golden font on a silver
pedestal.
The monk told his companion to follow him, and then bade
him stand in the middle of the chapel, while he advanced to­
wards a silver door, at which he knocked three times, when it
flew open. Opposite the door sat the Emperor Barbarossa on
a golden throne, just as he lived and breathed, with his crown
on his head, which he kept nodding every now and then,
while he knit his bushy eyebrows. His long red beard had
grown through the stone table before him, and reached to
his feet.
The monk now returned, and drew the astonished Peter away.