Short Stories for English Courses

away by the storms and the cold. But to-night these tattered remnants of glory were red again: ancient blood-stains against the dark-blue sky. For an immense fire had be

re. Not a beam of it sifted downward through the branches of the oak. It stood like a pil

red around it in a half-circle, their backs to the open glade, their faces towards the oak. Seen agai

oment at the edge of the thic

one of the villages. All who swear by the old gods have been summoned. They will sacrifice a steed to the god of war, and drink blood, and eat hor

its power. There is more to be done here to-night than the slaying of a steed, and a greater evil to be stayed than t

it, and the rest of the company moved forward across the open ground. They approached unn

sons of the forest! A stranger claims th

upon the speaker. The semicircle opened silently in the middle;

ittering byrnies of the warriors standing in close ranks; white, the fur mantles of the aged men who held the central place in the circle; white, with the shimmer of silver ornaments and the purity of lamb's-wool, the raiment of a little

s long, spectral robe, flowing hair and beard, and dead- pale face, who s

what seek you here?" His voice was

nd from England, beyond the sea, have I come to bring you a greeting

is too high to wait, and must be done before the moon crosses the middle heaven, un

ried's voice sank lower and a cloud of disappointment passed over his face as he replied: "Nay, miracles have I never wro

is sacred, is grieved for the death of Baldur, and angry with this people because they have forsaken his worship. Long is it since an offering has been laid upon his altar, long since the roots of his holy tree have been fed with blood. Therefore its leaves have withered before the time, and its boughs are heavy with death. Therefore the Slavs and the Wends have beaten u

oices of the men and women blended, like the shrill wind in the pine-trees

, the T

and mer

s from

ot thy

again

not thy

om our

t of r

we se

and j

est ga

r poss

ss, we

ll we sl

ill we s

od shall b

of Th

ds shall

wood of

, have

us n

s and s

s, Thor

g of the fire was heard distinctly. The old priest stood silent for a moment. His shaggy br

hall cleanse your sin, more precious the crimson dew that shall send new life

, and did not notice now that he approached them, so eager were they to see which fiery snake would go highest among the oak branches. Foremost among them, and most intent on the pret

rom her moorings, "here is the chosen one, the eldest son of the Chief, the darling of the people. Heark

wered, swif

e. Is it far away? Shall I run quickly? Mus

r that the wood cracked. And his wife, Irma, bending forward from the ranks of women, pushed the golden hair from her forehead with one hand. The o

he murmur of the forest before the stor

s long, and thou art a brave huntsman. But in darkness thou must j

s, nor the great bear, nor the were-wolf. For I

hining head of steel. He bound the child's eyes with a white cloth, and bade him kneel beside the stone with his face to the east. Unconsciously the wide arc of spect

r of the god Thor. Summoning all the strength of his withered arms, he swung it high

rom where the women stood:

d was swift as the falcon's swoop. But sw

altar's edge, split in twain. A shout of awe and joy rolled along the living circle. The branches of the oak shivered. The flames leaped higher. As the shout died