The Queen of Lantern Land

0:00When you're ready to slow down, especially before bed, listen to soul good sounds. We create calming audio, ambient soundscapes, and peaceful listening experiences designed to help you relax, unwind, and fall asleep. Search soul good sounds wherever you listen to podcasts. That's S-O-L-G-O-O-D sounds. Soul good sounds rest well. Once upon a time, the youngest son of a king became filled with the desire to go abroad and see the world. He got his father's permission to depart, kissed his parents goodbye, mounted as a black horse, and galloped away down the high road. Soon, the great towers of the old castle in which he was born hid themselves behind him. The Prince journeyed on, spending the days and travelling, and the nights in little wayside ends, till one day he found himself in the heart of the adamant mountains.

1:00The great red granite crags of the surrounding peaks rose out of the gleaming snow like ugly fingers, and the slopes of giant glaciers sparkled in the sun like torrents of diamonds. The Prince sat down by some stunted trees, whose tops had long before been broken off by an avalanche, and began to eat the bit of bread and cheese which he had stored in his pocket. His black horse, meanwhile, ate the grass which grew here and there along the mountain path. And as the Prince sat there in the bright sun and the silence of the mountains, he became aware of a low, continuous roaring. There must be a waterfall nearby, said the Prince to himself. I'll go and see it. So, casting another look at his seat, who was contentedly browsing, the Prince claimed up the mountainside in the direction of the sound. The Prince claimed and claimed he went in this direction and in that, yet the sound never

2:01grew any louder or fainter. Suddenly, he realised that he was hopelessly lost. The little path up which he had ridden had vanished completely, and he had not the slightest idea in which direction it lay. He called aloud, but only the mountain echoes answered mockingly. The night came, and the Prince took shelter behind a great rock. All the next day he laboured to find the path, but in vain. He grew very hungry and cold, every once in a while he would hear the roaring of the waterfall which seemed to have grown louder. Another day dawned, and another day again. The Prince was getting very weak. He knew that he was approaching the mysterious cataract, for the noise of the water was now tremendous, and heaven and earth were full of its roar. The third night came, and the film moon rose solemnly over the snow-clad summits of the lonely and mysterious mountains. Suddenly, the Prince, walking blindly on, staggered through a narrow passageway between

3:04two splintered crags and found himself face-to-face with the mystery. He stood on the snowy floor of a vast amphitheater whose walls were the steep sides of the giant mountains, farthest away from him and opposite the moon. The wall of the bowl appeared as a giant black precipice, whose tops seemed to reach almost to the moon dim stars. And over this precipice, a broad river was endlessly pouring, shining in the night like the overflow of an ocean of mountain silver. Though now very weak from lack of food, and dizzy with the roaring of the cataract, the Prince made his way to the shore of the foaming and eddying lake into which the water was falling. Great was his surprise to discover that the overflow of this lake disappeared into the earth through a long, low opening in the cliff behind the fall. Greater still was his surprise to see a strange, many-colored light burning within the cave.

4:08The Prince made his way toward the light, along a narrow beach of white sand lying between the wall of the cavern and the racing waters of the mysterious river. And found that the glow came from a magnificent lantern studied with emeralds, topazes, amethysts and rubies, which hung by a chain from the roof of the grotto. Directly under this lantern, drawn up on the sand lay a little boat with a lantern fastened to the boat. The Prince pushed the boat into the river and got into it, and the swift current seized him and hurried him away. At first the cavern grew higher and wider, then it shrank again, and the boat, born along with incredible speed, shot down a rocky passageway into the very heart of the earth. The passageway broadened once more, and the boat rode gently through monstrous caves whose roofs were upheld by twisted columns taller than the tallest tree. There were times when all was so still that the Prince could easily have imagined himself

5:13back in the solitude of the mountains. There were times when the foaming and roaring of the underground river grew so deafening that the Prince feared lest he might be approaching the brink of a subterranean cataract. Many hours passed. The Prince did not know whether it was night or day. At length, while the boat was gliding through a vast hall, he fell asleep. When he awoke, he found that the boat was floating on the black, glassy surface of an immense underground ocean. All signs of the cavern had disappeared. Far away, over the edge of this ocean, a strange, beautiful glow mounted into the starless sky of the underworld. And while the Prince was gazing at the glow, the boat swung into a new current, and was born swiftly toward the light. In a short time, the light grew so wide and bright that one would have believed that a strange golden sun had risen. The boat passed between two giant marble pillars, supporting enormous crystal globes, filled

6:17with a golden fire, and the Prince found himself in the harbor of Lanternland. A city lay before him, a strange golden city, etching the shore of a vast, semi-circular bay. Because in the centre of the earth, there is neither sun nor moon, the people have to be continually burning lights, and so many, and so great were the lanterns of Lanternland that the town was as bright as day. The edge of the harbor was marked with a row of golden lanterns. There were immense lanterns at every six paces along the streets, a lantern hung from every house, and the church towers, instead of having bells in them, had great golden lamps which illuminated everything for some distance about. Moreover, every inhabitant of Lanternland carried a lantern with him wherever he went. The rich carrying golden lanterns set with transparent, precious stones, the poor carrying lights

7:17of ordinary glass. When the Prince saw a magnificent ship coming out to meet him, the prow was carved in the shape of a dragon's head, and a beautiful lantern hung from his jaws. Overcome by hunger and fatigue, the poor Prince fell insensible to the floor of his little boat. When he came to his senses again, he was lying between sheets of the whitest, most delicate linen in a great four-poster bed, in a room in the royal palace. Thanks to his kind hosts, the Prince soon recovered his strength. When he was completely himself again, he was summoned to an audience with the Queen of Lanternland. The Queen, a very beautiful young woman, wearing a wonderful lantern crown sat on an ebony throne. On each side of the throne stood a tall soldier, clad in scarlet, and holding a long ebony staff, surmounted by a round lantern, let by a golden flame. The Prince dropped on his knee, and thanked the Queen for her kindness and hospitality.

8:23You are the first stranger to come to Lanternland for a thousand years, said the young Queen. If it is not asking too much from a guest, pray how did you happen to find the river of the underworld? So the Prince told her that he was a king's son, and described his adventures in the mountains. You may be sure that the Queen was glad to hear of his royal birth, for she had fallen in love with him at first sight. A month passed, the Prince remained a guest in the palace. All kinds of festivities were given in his honour. There were wonderful dances, masquerades, picnics, and theatricals going on all the time. One day, the Prince and the Queen, accompanied by a little group of courtiers, rode to the frontier of Lanternland. The lovers galloped ahead of the party, and reached a little hill beyond which there were no more lanterns. Ahead of them, the rolling land sweeping farther and farther away from the light, grew darker

9:24and darker till it finally plunged into the eternal night of the underworld. The Prince looked at the Queen, and saw that she was weeping. Dear Love, why do you weep, asked the Prince, who felt sad to see tears in his lady's lovely eyes? I weep to think that in spite of our love, we must soon part forever, said the Queen. Part forever? Dear Lady, what can you mean, said the anxious Prince. A cruel fate hangs over us, replied the Lady. No dear Prince, that I am promised in marriage to the Enchanter Dragondale, and that in exactly eight days he will come here to claim my hand. The Enchanter Dragondale, who is he, said the Prince. A lass, said the Queen. The Enchanter Dragondale is the most powerful magician of all the underworld. He is about eight feet tall, has cruel sunken eyes that burn like dull fires, and dress

10:24he's entirely in black. We met at a ball given by the King of the Goblins. Dragondale pursued me with compliments. A few days afterwards, an iron boat arrived in the port of Lanternland, having onboard a giant blue dog who is Dragondale's younger brother. This terrible animal, from whose sight the people of Lanternland fled screaming, made his way to the palace, and dropped at my feet a jeweled casket, which he carried between his jaws. The casket contained Dragondale's request from my hand, and added that, where I to refuse them, he would let loose a legion of ghosts and other windspirits against the lanterns of Lanternland. I had a vision of Lanternland in darkness, of my poor subjects dying of fear and starvation. Rather than let this vision come true, I accepted the Enchanter. Soon I shall never see you again, for Dragondale will come and take me to his awful castle, which lies on an island in the dark ocean, nor will you ever be able to save me.

11:30For Dragondale has so bewitched the waves that a terrible whirlpool forms on the sea when a boat approaches the enchanted castle and engulfs it. But I can fight Dragondale, said the prince, like the brave youth that he was. That would be of little use, replied the queen, for you would be changed into a stone at the instant you crossed sort with him. Tomorrow, the blue dog arrives to remind me of my obligation, and to carry back to the island, some of the palace servants who are to make Dragondale's castle ready for my coming. The other members of the party now rode up, and the queen dabbed her eyes with her hand chief, and pretended not to have been crying. The prince and the queen felt very unhappy as they rode home. On the next day, sure enough, the iron boat arrived, and the blue dog, who was as large as a lion, went to the queen's palace, and bait her make ready for the coming wedding. A dozen of the queen's servants were then ordered to go with the blue dog to Dragondale's

12:30castle. Among these servants, the skies as a kitchen lad was the prince, for he had determined to see if there was not some way in which the young queen could be rescued from the wicked magician. The boat neared the island, but no terrible whirlpool formed in the enchanted sea. At last, the boat reached Dragondale's castle. It stood on the top of a high, lonely rock, against whose steep sides the waves of the underground ocean were forever foaming and breaking, and it was half in rooms, and was very poorly lighted. The prince took his place in the kitchen, and sought for an opportunity to prevent the marriage of Dragondale and the queen. For four days of the precious week, however, the purer prince was kept so busy baking and making pastries for the coming of the bride that he did not have an instant to ask questions or do anything else. In the morning hours of the fifth day, there was a terrible morning and roaring outside,

13:30and the cooks rushed the kitchen windows. An unhappy fishing boat had been swept by the wind, too near Dragondale's castle. The enchanted whirlpool had forums and caught the boat in its awful circle. Now it went slowly round the outer edge, now going faster and faster, it slid down the side of the awful funnel, and finally it vanished. An instant later, the whirlpool had disappeared, leaving the sea roaring and foaming. The prince shuddered. "'Well, you may shudder,' said the chief cook, for such would have been your fate if our master's brother had not carried with him the talisman, which rules the whirlpool.' "'Talisman?' "'What talisman,' said the prince, affecting stupidity. "'Why, the little golden hand you fill,' said the chief cook. "'My! It must be a great big hand to be able to quiet that whirlpool,' said the prince. "'Begin did, you nanny,' growled the cook. "'Why, the magic hand is only as big as a baby's hand,' I've seen it many times.

14:35The master carries it in his pocket and puts it under his pillow while he sleeps. So later on, when his work was done and everybody had gone to bed, the prince and the hope of stealing talisman tried to make his way to Dracondale's bed chamber. But when he reached the foot of the stairs which led to the enchantress room, he found it guarded by two black panthers which stared at him with insolent yellow eyes and switched their long tails. The prince went outdoors to see if there was any hope of climbing to the room along the outer wall and found that the windows of Dracondale's chamber overlooked a cliff falling thousands of feet sheer to the dark sea. Far, far away, the prince saw the glow of Lanternland, only a short time remained to him in which to save his beloved lady off the lanterns. As he wandered about, very sick at heart, he saw a little black cat running madly, back and forth along the edge of a steep cliff from one of whose crevices came a persistent

15:37unhappy muring. The poor cat was a mother cat and was trying to rescue a kitten of hers that had fallen down between the rocks. At the great risk of being dashed to pieces himself, the brave prince climbed down the precipice, rescued the kitten and gave it back to its anxious mother. Thank you, brave youth, said the old cat, mate someday be within my power to help you as you have helped me. You can help me this very moment, said the prince, and he told the cat who he was, why he had come to the castle, and of his desires to get possession of the talisman. I will help you get the talisman, said the cat. The panthers will let me pass, for they are cousins of mine, but you must make another little golden hand to take the place of the one I shall steal. For of Dracondale misses the golden hand, he will summon his demons to find it, and we shall both lose our lives. Go now to the kitchen, carve a small hand with the fingers closed together and the thumb

16:38line close to the fingers. Gilded over with the gold dust you have had given you for the pastry icing, and bring it to me tomorrow night at this very hour. So the prince worked the rest of the night, carving and gilding the little golden hand, and on the next night he gave it to the cat. The cat took it in her mouth, as she would have a mouse, walked coolly by the panthers and entered Dracondale's room. She had just succeeded in getting the true hand out from under the magician's pillow, when Dracondale woke up. The cat was clever enough to pretend to be engaged in a mouse hunt, so the entcher paid no attention to her and fell asleep once more. When the cat, however, got under Dracondale's couch again, the two hands lay side by side, and she could not remember just which one was the talisman and which one the false hand. So, because she had to act quickly, she put one of the hands under the pillow, brought to the other to the prince, and told him her story.

17:39But so well matched with the little hands, that even the prince was far from certain that he had not got his own hand back again. And now came the seventh day, the day on which Dracondale, the blue dog, and all the wicked enchantress friends were to sail to Lanternland for the marriage ceremony. The iron ship, made gay with a thousand small scarlet lanterns, stood ready to carry them over. The enchantor and his company got in, and the vessel left the island. The prince stood watching the ship from the top of the cliffs. What anxiety was in his heart? If Dracondale still possessed the true talisman, he would cross the world pool safely and marry the beautiful queen of Lanternland. The vessels sped on. It was now at some distance from the island. All is lost, thought the prince with a sinking heart. Dracondale has the true talisman, and in his bitterness he was about to throw the little golden hand which lay in his pocket down into the sea.

18:41Suddenly, the air became filled with a terrible moaning. The sea became troubled. The whirlpool awoke. And the prince saw the red lights of the enchantorship, world round and round, faster and faster, till they disappeared forever, in the waters of the sunless sea. As for the prince, he soon found another boat, and taking with him the talisman, his fellow servants, and the black cat and her kittens, he returned to Lanternland, married the queen and lived happily ever after. End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston End of the Queen of Lanternland by Henry Beston