Sir Tristram

IT must be very queer living in a country where everything happens in a topsy-turvy kind of way. For one thing, there would be no time to get dull. You cannot help feeling a little bit excited if you never know from one minute to another what o'clock it is, where you are, whether you are going to have your dinner or not, and, if you go out for a walk, what strange people you are likely to meet.

George thought about all these things when he woke up. It must have been morning, for it was quite light, and the sun was shining away as it always seemed to shine in this country. Did it ever rain here? If it did, it must have been quite a nice, gentle kind of rain—baby showers, not the kind that pours and pours and keeps you waiting with your nose flattened to the window-pane, wishing that it would clear up. It never does—until bed-time.

The night-time is the proper time for the rain, only what would the people do then who sell umbrellas? Fancy a world without umbrellas!

If it ever did rain here, what on earth would the giant do? He would probably catch a dreadful cold, and then, if he began to sneeze, he would blow the roof off one's house! It would be much worse than the worst thunder-storm.

Of course, nobody ever heard of a giant with an umbrella. If it were open, it would darken the whole sky worse than a fog, and fogs are bad enough.

George had now been quite a long time in this country; one, two—well, it was no use counting, for perhaps even numbers weren't the same. It would be very difficult to remember things if the twice-times-two table were turned upside down. Try it and see for yourself!

Still, though many wonderful things had happened, he had not found his fortune; at least—well, there again, those leaves in the sack which Alexander had told him not to throw away must be worth something, or what was the use of keeping them?

There was no postman either. How was he to write to Mother?—though, after all, George wasn't quite sure if he could write a long letter without any mistakes in spelling. Perhaps there wasn't any spelling in this country. If that were true it would be more delightful than ever.

Suddenly, "Wuff! Wuff!" he heard Alexander's bark! "I'm coming!" he cried, and jumped out of bed. He never could remember whether he had undressed or not when he went to bed. Anyway, his clothes were on—but were they his clothes? Of course they were not!

He was dressed in a suit of brown and green, brown the colour of the sweet-smelling earth and green the colour of the soft grass. A little cloak of the same colours lay neatly folded on the chair beside his bed, and a cap with a long golden feather hung from a peg on the wall.

How pleased George did feel with himself when he looked in the glass! "I can go and visit the king in this suit," he thought to himself. "I suppose there is a king in this country. Oh, there's sure to be one somewhere about in a castle, and perhaps there will be a little prince as well."

He went downstairs, two steps at a time. Breakfast was laid as usual, and through the window he could see Alexander lying at full length licking his lips, so he had eaten his bone or whatever else it may have been.

Breakfast was soon over, and George was ready once more for all sorts of adventures. He went out into the garden, but lo and behold, Alexander had disappeared!

He whistled and called for some time, but it was all of no use. Alexander had gone off to look for adventures himself, and would be sure to return by and by.

The little golden cock was turning round in the breeze, but although George waited for some time, hoping that he would fly down to earth again, it was all in vain.

"I suppose I must go out by myself this morning," thought George. "I'll just go straight on as usual until I find a road to somewhere. It's sure to be all right."

He went off toward the wood and turned down the first path he saw. It went straight ahead, for a wonder, and after some time he saw, sure enough, a little sign-post.

Written on it in large letters, so that it was easy enough even for small boys to read, was:

TO THE CASTLE OF THE THOUSAND TOWERS

"I say!" said George. "A thousand towers! Why, that's ten times one hundred! Whoever lives in a castle like that, I wonder."

He lost no time in running on, until he found himself on a broad white road which seemed to stretch for miles and miles ahead as far as he could see. He stood still for a moment, thinking of the best plan for travelling such a long distance. Suddenly he heard a Jingle, jingle! Trot, trot! and there, coming toward him out of another part of the wood, was a knight on horseback.

George knew he was a knight, because he had often seen pictures of knights in the olden days, clad in armour, with long plumes flowing from their helmets.

This knight might have stepped out of a picture-book. He wore a great sword at his side, and carried a long spear with a sharp point. When he saw George he pulled up his horse and spoke in a kindly voice: "Well, my young squire, and whither are you bound?"

George took off his cap. "If you please, I am going to the Castle of a Thousand Towers. Can you tell me if it is very far away?"

The knight looked down at him and smiled. "How many miles to Babylon?" he asked.

"Why, that's in the nursery-rhyme book!" cried George.

"Ah!" replied the knight. "It's sure to be true, then. Nothing like a good rhyme, is there? I'm bound in the same direction, so you had better get up behind me and we can travel together."

He bent down and lifted George into the saddle, and off they went.

"I suppose this is a real war-horse—what the books call a charger, isn't it?" asked George, holding on tight.

"Yes, of course," replied the knight. "He's the finest horse in the land. He can carry me for days and days and never tire."

"Do you really ride for days and days on horseback, seeking adventure?" George felt quite excited at the thought.

"Yes. You can't be a knight, you know, unless you seek adventures. I'm looking for dragons at present. You haven't seen one hereabouts, have you?"

George was silent for a moment. What was he to say? If he told the knight about his friend the dragon something horrid was sure to happen, and he was such a friendly dragon too!

At last he said: "I don't expect there are any dragons near here; not any dangerous dragons, I mean. Some dragons are quite friendly, you know."

The knight laughed. "Dragons are meant to be killed. They're always doing wicked things—carrying off beautiful princesses or breathing fire and burning up whole villages. I don't call that very friendly, do you?"

After this they rode on for some time in silence. At last George asked: "Have you ever been to the castle?"

"No. I have never been in this part of the country before. I never stay in the same place for long. When I do I shall hang up my sword, spear, and shield and turn my good horse out to rest. My work will be finished then."

They rode on again, jingle, jingle, trot, trot, along the road and across an open plain, with not a house or a human being in sight. The knight began to sing, first in a very low voice as if to himself, and then louder, so that George could hear the words:

The horse seemed to trot in time with the melody, and George nodded his head as he had seen Father doing when he was listening to Mother playing the piano after dinner. Nid, nod, nid, nod—he kept on nid-nodding until he woke up with a jerk and found that he must have been half asleep.

"Look, there's the castle!" said the knight, pointing straight in front of him.

There it was, sure enough! It stood all by itself on a hill, round whose grassy sides a road wound and curved up to the great gates. These gates were made of some bright metal, and on the top of each was carved a great crown. Whether there were really one thousand towers or not it is impossible to say, but there were towers everywhere, all shining like burnished gold in the bright sunshine.

As they drew nearer they could hear the blare of trumpets. Presently the gates swung open without a sound, and the trumpeters, mounted on white horses, came riding through, playing such stirring music that George felt as if he wanted to wave his cap and cheer.

They formed up in two lines, one on each side of the road; the knight rode through the gates into the courtyard. Here he dismounted and lifted George down from the saddle.

"Here we are at last!" he said.

A long flight of marble steps led up to the entrance. The knight took George by the hand, and up they went, ever so high, together. At the top stood two soldiers in armour. They saluted, and the door of the castle opened as if by magic.