y; and blew out great breaths to get the foul watery
smell of the monster out of his nostrils.

Suddenly he began to feel weary; he did not know what time of day it
was in this strange country, where all was fresh like a dewy morning;
he had not seen the sun, though the sky was clear, and he fell to
wondering where the light came from; as he wondered, he came to a
stone bench by the side of the road where he thought he would sit a
little; he would be all the fresher for a timely rest; he sate down,
and as though to fill the place with a heavenly peace, he heard at
once doves hallooing in the thicket close at hand; while he sate
drinking in the charm of the sound, there was a flutter of wings, and
a dove alighted close to his feet; it walked about crooning softly,
with its nodding neck flashing with delicate colours, and its pink
feet running swiftly on the grass. He felt in his pocket and found
there a piece of bread which he had taken with him in the morning and
had never thought of tasting; he crumbled it for the bird, who fell to
picking it eagerly and gratefully, bowing its head as though in
courteous acknowledgment. Ralph leant forwards to watch it, and the
ground swam before his weary eyes. He sate back for a moment, and then
he would have slept, when he saw a small bright thing dart from a
crevice of the stone seat on to his knee. He bent forward to look at
it, and saw that it was a thing like a lizard, but without legs, of a
powdered green, strangely bright. It nestled on his knee in a little
coil and watched him with keen eyes. The trustfulness of these wild
creatures pleased him wonderfully. Suddenly, very far away and yet
near him, he heard the sound of a voice, like a man in prayer; it
reminded him, he knew not why, of the Wise Man's voice, and he rose to
his feet ashamed of his drowsiness. The little lizard darted from his
leg and on to the ground, as though vexed to be disturbed, and he saw
it close to his feet. The dove saw it too, and went to it as though
inquiringly; the lizard showed no fear, but coiled itself up, and as
the dove came close, made a little dart at its breast, and the dove
drew back. Ralph was amused at the fearlessness of the little thing,
but in a moment saw that something ailed the dove; it moved as though
dizzy, and then spread its wings as if for flight, but dropped them
again and nestled down on the ground. In a moment its pretty head fell
forwards and it lay motionless. Then with