houlder-blades with it; and as Gebhart, squatting upon
the ridge-pole, looked, he saw two little lumps bud out upon the smooth
skin, and then grow and grow and grow until they became two great wings
as white as snow.

"Now then," said the master, "take me by the belt and grip fast, for
there is a long, long journey before us, and if you should lose your
head and let go your hold you will fall and be dashed to pieces."

Then he spread the two great wings, and away he flew as fast as the
wind, with Gebhart hanging to his belt.

Over hills, over dales, over mountains, over moors he flew, with the
brown earth lying so far below that horses and cows looked like pismires
and men like fleas.

Then, by-and-by, it was over the ocean they were crossing, with the
great ships that pitched and tossed below looking like chips in a puddle
in rainy weather.

At last they came to a strange land, far, far away, and there the master
lit upon a sea-shore where the sand was as white as silver. As soon as
his feet touched the hard ground the great wings were gone like a puff
of smoke, and the wise man walked like any other body.

At the edge of the sandy beach was a great, high, naked cliff; and the
only way of reaching the top was by a flight of stone steps, as slippery
as glass, cut in the solid rock.

The wise man led the way, and the student followed close at his heels,
every now and then slipping and stumbling so that, had it not been for
the help that the master gave him, he would have fallen more than once
and have been dashed to pieces upon the rocks below.

At last they reached the top, and there found themselves in a desert,
without stick of wood or blade of grass, but only gray stones and skulls
and bones bleaching in the sun.

In the middle of the plain was a castle such as the eyes of man never
saw before, for it was built all of crystal from roof to cellar.
Around it was a high wall of steel, and in the wall were seven gates of
polished brass.

The wise man led the way straight to the middle gate of the seven, where
there hung a horn of pure silver, which he set to his lips. He blew
a blast so loud and shrill that it made Gebhart's ears tingle. In an
instant there sounded a great rumble and grumble like the noise of
loud thunder, and the gates of brass swung slowly back, as though of
themselves.

But when Gebhart saw what he saw within the gates his heart crumbled
away for fear, and his knees knocked together; for