d man had listened
attentively to him, he said, warningly:

'My son, do not follow after empty knowledge, which will not bring you
happiness, but rather evil. Much is hidden from the eyes of men, because
did they know everything their hearts would no longer be at peace.
Knowledge kills joy, therefore think well what you are doing, or some
day you will repent. But if you will not take my advice, then truly I
can show you the secrets of the night. Only you will need more than a
man's courage to bear the sight.'

He stopped and looked at the young man, who nodded his head, and then
the wizard continued, 'To-morrow night you must go to the place where,
once in seven years, the serpent-king gives a great feast to his whole
court. In front of him stands a golden bowl filled with goats' milk,
and if you can manage to dip a piece of bread in this milk, and eat it
before you are obliged to fly, you will understand all the secrets of
the night that are hidden from other men. It is lucky for you that the
serpent-king's feast happens to fall this year, otherwise you would have
had long to wait for it. But take care to be quick and bold, or it will
be the worse for you.'

The young man thanked the wizard for his counsel, and went his way
firmly resolved to carry out his purpose, even if he paid for it with
his life; and when night came he set out for a wide, lonely moor, where
the serpent-king held his feast. With sharpened eyes, he looked eagerly
all round him, but could see nothing but a multitude of small hillocks,
that lay motionless under the moonlight. He crouched behind a bush
for some time, till he felt that midnight could not be far off, when
suddenly there arose in the middle of the moor a brilliant glow, as if
a star was shining over one of the hillocks. At the same moment all the
hillocks began to writhe and to crawl, and from each one came hundreds
of serpents and made straight for the glow, where they knew they should
find their king. When they reached the hillock where he dwelt, which was
higher and broader than the rest, and had a bright light hanging over
the top, they coiled themselves up and waited. The whirr and confusion
from all the serpent-houses were so great that the youth did not dare to
advance one step, but remained where he was, watching intently all that
went on; but at last he began to take courage, and moved on softly step
by step.

What he saw was creepier than creepy, and surpassed all he had ev