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THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]


 THE KING OF THE
 GOLDEN RIVER

 OR THE
 BLACK BROTHERS


 A Legend of Stiria.

 BY JOHN RUSKIN, M.A.

 ILLUSTRATED BY RICHARD DOYLE.

 BOSTON:
 PUBLISHED BY GINN & COMPANY.
 1885.




[Illustration]

 ADVERTISEMENT.


The Publishers think it due to the Author of this Fairy Tale, to state
the circumstances under which it appears.

THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER was written in 1841, at the request of a
very young lady, and solely for her amusement, without any idea of
publication. It has since remained in the possession of a friend, to
whose suggestion, and the passive assent of the Author, the Publishers
are indebted for the opportunity of printing it.

The Illustrations, by Mr. Richard Doyle, will, it is hoped, be found to
embody the Author's ideas with characteristic spirit.

        *       *       *       *       *

 J. S. CUSHING & CO., PRINTERS, BOSTON.




 CONTENTS.


 CHAPTER I.

 HOW THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM OF THE BLACK BROTHERS
 WAS INTERFERED WITH BY SOUTH-WEST WIND, ESQUIRE                9

 CHAPTER II.

 OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE THREE BROTHERS AFTER THE
 VISIT OF SOUTH-WEST WIND, ESQUIRE; AND HOW LITTLE
 GLUCK HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF THE GOLDEN
 RIVER                                                         28

 CHAPTER III.

 HOW MR. HANS SET OFF ON AN EXPEDITION TO THE GOLDEN
 RIVER, AND HOW HE PROSPERED THEREIN                           40

 CHAPTER IV.

 HOW MR. SCHWARTZ SET OFF ON AN EXPEDITION TO THE
 GOLDEN RIVER, AND HOW HE PROSPERED THEREIN                    51

 CHAPTER V.

 HOW LITTLE GLUCK SET OFF ON AN EXPEDITION TO THE
 GOLDEN RIVER, AND HOW HE PROSPERED THEREIN; WITH
 OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST                                     56




 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

 DESIGNED AND DRAWN ON WOOD BY RICHARD DOYLE


 SUBJECTS.                               ENGRAVERS.                PAGE

 South-West Wind, Esq., knocking                                Frontis-
 at the Black Brothers' door            _C. Thurston Thompson_    piece.

 The Treasure Valley                    _C. Thurston Thompson_    Title.

 Initial Letter, and Mountain Range     _G. and E. Dalziel_        9

 South-West Wind, Esq., seated on
 the hob                                _G. and E. Dalziel_       18

 South-West Wind, Esq., bowing to
 the Black Brothers                     _H. Orrin Smith_          21

 Storm Scene                            _G. and E. Dalziel_       25

 Card of South-West Wind, Esq.          _H. Orrin Smith_          27

 Initial Letter, and Cottage in the
 Treasure Valley                        _Isabel Thompson_         28

 The Black Brothers drinking and
 Gluck working                          _C. S. Cheltnam_          30

 Gluck looking out at the Golden River  _H. D. Linton_            32

 The Golden Dwarf appearing to Gluck    _G. and E. Dalziel_       36

 Gluck looking up the Chimney           _H. Orrin Smith_          39

 The Black Brothers beating Gluck       _C. S. Cheltnam_          40

 Hans and Schwartz fighting             _H. Orrin Smith_          41

 Schwartz before the Magistrate         _C. S. Cheltnam_          42

 Hans and the Dog                       _H. Orrin Smith_          47

 The Black Stone                        _G. and E. Dalziel_       50

 Initial Letter--Gluck
 releasing Schwartz                     _G. and E. Dalziel_       51

 Schwartz ascending the Mountain        _H. Orrin Smith_          53

 Initial Letter--Gluck ascending the
 Mountain                               _H. Orrin Smith_          56

 Priest giving Gluck Holy Water         _G. and E. Dalziel_       57

 Gluck and the Child                    _C. S. Cheltnam_          59




 THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER;

 OR,

 THE BLACK BROTHERS.




 CHAPTER I.

HOW THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM OF THE BLACK BROTHERS WAS INTERFERED WITH BY
SOUTH-WEST WIND, ESQUIRE.


[Illustration]

In a secluded and mountainous part of Stiria there was, in old time, a
valley of the most surprising and luxuriant fertility. It was
surrounded, on all sides, by steep and rocky mountains, rising into
peaks, which were always covered with snow, and from which a number of
torrents descended in constant cataracts. One of these fell westward,
over the face of a crag so high, that, when the sun had set to
everything else, and all below was darkness, his beams still shone full
upon this waterfall, so that it looked like a shower of gold. It was,
therefore, called by the people of the neighbourhood, the Golden River.
It was strange that none of these streams fell into the valley itself.
They all descended on the other side of the mountains, and wound away
through broad plains and by populous cities. But the clouds were drawn
so constantly to the snowy hills, and rested so softly in the circular
hollow, that in time of drought and heat, when all the country round was
burnt up, there was still rain in the little valley; and its crops were
so heavy, and its hay so high, and its apples so red, and its grapes so
blue, and its wine so rich, and its honey so sweet, that it was a marvel
to every one who beheld it, and was commonly called the Treasure Valley.

The whole of this little valley belonged to three brothers, called
Schwartz, Hans, and Gluck. Schwartz and Hans, the two elder brothers,
were very ugly men, with over-hanging eyebrows and small dull eyes,
which were always half shut, so that you couldn't see into _them_, and
always fancied they saw very far into _you_. They lived by farming the
Treasure Valley, and very good farmers they were. They killed everything
that did not pay for its eating. They shot the blackbirds, because they
pecked the fruit; and killed the hedgehogs, lest they should suck the
cows; they poisoned the crickets for eating the crumbs in the kitchen;
and smothered the cicadas, which used to sing all summer in the lime
trees. They worked their servants without any wages, till they would not
work any more, and then quarrelled with them, and turned them out of
doors without paying them. It would have been very odd, if with such a
farm, and such a system of farming, they hadn't got very rich; and very
rich they _did_ get. They generally contrived to keep their corn by them
till it was very dear, and then sell it for twice its value; they had
heaps of gold lying about on their floors, yet it was never known that
they had given so much as a penny or a crust in charity; they never went
to mass; grumbled perpetually at paying tithes; and were, in a word, of
so cruel and grinding a temper, as to receive from all those with whom
they had any dealings, the nickname of the "Black Brothers."

The youngest brother, Gluck, was as completely opposed, in both
appearance and character, to his seniors as could possibly be imagined
or desired. He was not above twelve years old, fair, blue-eyed, and kind
in temper to every living thing. He did not, of course, agree
particularly well with his brothers, or rather, they did not agree with
_him_. He was usually appointed to the honourable office of turnspit,
when there was anything to roast, which was not often; for, to do the
brothers justice, they were hardly less sparing upon themselves than
upon other people. At other times he used to clean the shoes, floors,
and sometimes the plates, occasionally getting what was left on them, by
way of encouragement, and a wholesome quantity of dry blows, by way of
education.

Things went on in this manner for a long time. At last came a very wet
summer, and everything went wrong in the country around. The hay had
hardly been got in, when the haystacks were floated bodily down to the
sea by an inundation; the vines were cut to pieces with the hail; the
corn was all killed by a black blight; only in the Treasure Valley, as
usual, all was safe. As it had rain when there was rain no where else,
so it had sun when there was sun no where else. Every body came to buy
corn at the farm, and went away pouring maledictions on the Black
Brothers. They asked what they liked, and got it, except from the poor
people, who could only beg, and several of whom were starved at their
very door, without the slightest regard or notice.

It was drawing towards winter, and very cold weather, when one day the
two elder brothers had gone out, with their usual warning to little
Gluck, who was left to mind the roast, that he was to let nobody in, and
give nothing out. Gluck sat down quite close to the fire, for it was
raining very hard, and the kitchen walls were by no means dry or
comfortable looking. He turned and turned, and the roast got nice and
brown. "What a pity," thought Gluck, "my brothers never ask any body to
dinner.