` Look , ' he said , ` at the water which lies far out yonder , and the plains which stretch beyond . That is the Land of Souls , but no man enters it without leaving his body behind him . So , lay down your body here ; your bow and arrows , your skin and your dog . They shall be kept for you safely . ' Then he turned away , and the young chief , light as air , seemed hardly to touch the ground ; and as he flew along the scents grew sweeter and the flowers more beautiful , while the animals rubbed their noses against him , instead of hiding as he approached , and birds circled round him , and fishes lifted up their heads and looked as he went by . Very soon he noticed with wonder , that neither rocks nor trees barred his path . He passed through them without knowing it , for indeed , they were not rocks and trees at all , but only the souls of them ; for this was the Land of Shadows . So he went on with winged feet till he came to the shores of a great lake , with a lovely island in the middle of it ; while on the bank of the lake was a canoe of glittering stone , and in the canoe were two shining paddles . The chief jumped straight into the canoe , and seizing the paddles pushed off from the shore , when to his joy and wonder he saw following him in another canoe exactly like his own the maiden for whose sake he had made this long journey . But they could not touch each other , for between them rolled great waves , which looked as if they would sink the boats , yet never did . And the young man and the maiden shrank with fear , for down in the depths of the water they saw the bones of those who had died before , and in the waves themselves men and women were struggling , and but few passed over . Only the children had no fear , and reached the other side in safety . Still , though the chief and the young girl quailed in terror at these horrible sights and sounds , no harm came to them , for their lives had been free from evil , and the Master of Life had said that no evil should happen unto them . So they reached unhurt the shore of the Happy Island , and wandered through the flowery fields and by the banks of rushing streams , and they knew not hunger nor thirst ; neither cold nor heat . The air fed them and the sun warmed them , and they forgot the dead , for they saw no graves , and the young man 's thoughts turned not to wars , neither to the hunting of animals . And gladly would these two have walked thus for ever , but in the murmur of the wind he heard the Master of Life saying to him , ` Return whither you came , for I have work for you to do , and your people need you , and for many years you shall rule over them . At the gate my messenger awaits you , and you shall take again your body which you left behind , and he will show you what you are to do . Listen to him , and have patience , and in time to come you shall rejoin her whom you must now leave , for she is accepted , and will remain ever young and beautiful , as when I called her hence from the Land of Snows . ' THE WHITE DUCK Once upon a time a great and powerful King married a lovely Princess . No couple were ever so happy ; but before their honeymoon was over they were forced to part , for the King had to go on a warlike expedition to a far country , and leave his young wife alone at home .
Bitter were the tears she shed , XXXXX her husband sought in vain to soothe her with words of comfort and counsel , warning her , above all things , never to leave the castle , to hold no intercourse with strangers , to beware of evil counsellors , and especially to be on her guard against strange women .
as from into of over that through while with without