Atondido Stories
blind creatures into a noisome dungeon whence they could not
escape, set off once more for the hovel in the ravine, bearing
with him his horrible offering. But the white hind only laughed
cruelly when she saw the fourteen eyes, and threading them as a
necklace, flung it round her mother's neck, saying, "Wear that,
little mother, as a keepsake, whilst I am away in the King's pal-
ace."
Then she went back with the bewitched monarch, as his
bride, and he gave her the seven Queens' rich clothes and jewels
to wear, the seven Queens' palace to live in, and the seven
Queens' slaves to wait upon her; so that she really had every-
thing even a witch could desire.
Now, very soon after the seven wretched hapless Queens
had their eyes torn out, and were cast into prison, a baby was
born to the youngest of the Queens. It was a handsome boy, but
the other Queens were very jealous that the youngest amongst
them should be so fortunate. But though at first they disliked the
handsome little boy, he soon proved so useful to them, that ere
long they all looked on him as their son. Almost as soon as he
could walk about he began scraping at the mud wall of their
dungeon, and in an incredibly short space of time had made a
hole big enough for him to crawl through. Through this he dis-
appeared, returning in an hour or so laden with sweet-meats,
which he divided equally amongst the seven blind Queens.
As he grew older he enlarged the hole, and slipped out two or
three times every day to play with the little nobles in the town.
No one knew who the tiny boy was, but everybody liked him,
and he was so full of funny tricks and antics, so merry and
bright, that he was sure to be rewarded by some girdle-cakes, a
handful of parched grain, or some sweetmeats. All these things
he brought home to his seven mothers, as he loved to call the
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