wife said nothing but one thing. She did not argue; she did not lose her
temper; she only said to everything that he said, "My advice to you is
that you go."

At last the fisherman's anger boiled over. "Very well," said he,
spitting his words at her; "if you will drive me out into the night, I
suppose I will have to go." And then he spoke the words that so many men
say: "Many a man has come to trouble by following his wife's advice."

Then down he took his fur cap and up he took his nets, and off he and
the old man marched through the moonlight, their shadows bobbing along
like black spiders behind them.

Well, on they went, out from the town and across the fields and through
the woods, until at last they came to a dreary, lonesome desert, where
nothing was to be seen but gray rocks and weeds and thistles.

"Well," said the fisherman, "I have fished, man and boy, for forty-seven
years, but never did I see as unlikely a place to catch anything as
this."

But the old man said never a word. First of all he drew a great circle
with strange figures, marking it with his finger upon the ground. Then
out from under his red gown he brought a tinder-box and steel, and a
little silver casket covered all over with strange figures of serpents
and dragons and what not. He brought some sticks of spice-wood from his
pouch, and then he struck a light and made a fire. Out of the box he
took a gray powder, which he flung upon the little blaze.

Puff! flash! A vivid flame went up into the moonlight, and then a dense
smoke as black as ink, which spread out wider and wider, far and near,
till all below was darker than the darkest midnight. Then the old
man began to utter strange spells and words. Presently there began a
rumbling that sounded louder and louder and nearer and nearer, until it
roared and bellowed like thunder. The earth rocked and swayed, and the
poor fisherman shook and trembled with fear till his teeth clattered in
his head.

Then suddenly the roaring and bellowing ceased, and all was as still as
death, though the darkness was as thick and black as ever.

"Now," said the old magician--for such he was--"now we are about to take
a journey such as no one ever travelled before. Heed well what I tell
you. Speak not a single word, for if you do, misfortune will be sure to
happen."

"Ain't I to say anything?" said the fisherman.

"No."

"Not even boo' to a goose?"

"No."

"Well, that is pretty hard upon a man who li