And at his braying the animals came running , numerous as the stars in the sky , so that scarce was I able to stand among them . Serpents were there also , and dragons , and beasts of strange shapes , with horns in places where never saw I horns before . And the black man only looked at them and bade them go and feed . And they bowed themselves before him , as vassals before their lord . ' `` Now , little man , I have answered thy question and showed thee my power , '' said he . `` Is there anything else thou wouldest know ? '' Then I inquired of him my way , but he grew angry , and , as I perceived , would fain have hindered me ; but at the last , after I had told him who I was , his anger passed from him . ' `` Take that path , '' said he , `` that leads to the head of this grassy glade , and go up the wood till thou reachest the top . There thou wilt find an open space , and in the midst of it a tall tree . Under the tree is a fountain , and by the fountain a marble slab , and on the slab a bowl of silver , with a silver chain . Dip the bowl in the fountain , and throw the water on the slab , and thou wilt hear a might peal of thunder , till heaven and earth seem trembling with the noise . After the thunder will come hail , so fierce that scarcely canst thou endure it and live , for the hailstones are both large and thick . Then the sun will shine again , but every leaf of the tree will by lying on the ground . Next a flight of birds will come and alight on the tree , and never didst thou hear a strain so sweet as that which they will sing . And at the moment in which their song sounds sweetest thou wilt hear a murmuring and complaining coming towards thee along the valley , and thou wilt see a knight in black velvet bestriding a black horse , bearing a lance with a black pennon , and he will spur his steed so as to fight thee . If thou turnest to flee , he will overtake thee . And if thou abidest were thou art , he will unhorse thee . And if thou dost not find trouble in that adventure , thou needest not to seek it during the rest of thy life . '' ` So I bade the black man farewell , and took my way to the top of the wood , and there I found everything just as I had been told . I went up to the tree beneath which stood the fountain , and filling the silver bowl with water , emptied it on the marble slab .
Thereupon the thunder came , louder by far than I had expected to hear it , and after the thunder came the shower , but heavier by far than I had expected XXXXX feel it , for , of a truth I tell thee , Kai , not one of those hailstones would be stopped by skin or by flesh till it had reached the bone .
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