“What ails thee, beloved of my heart?” said he; “dark presentiments torment my soul. Say, what is the meaning of these tears?”
The Elf sighed, leant her sorrowful head against his shoulder, and thus spoke: “Dear husband, during thy absence I have read in the book of fate, that an unfortunate destiny awaits the tree of my life: I must part from thee for ever. Follow me into the palace, that I may bless my little ones, for we shall meet no more.”
“O, beloved one!” exclaimed Krokus; “banish these sorrowful thoughts! What misfortune can menace your tree? Is it not strong and sound in stem and root? Look at its fresh branches, how they spread, laden with leaves and fruit, and its top towers towards heaven. As long as this arm can move, I will protect it against any offender who may dare to damage its trunk.”
“A powerless protection that of a mortal arm,” she replied. “An ant may oppose an ant; a fly may oppose a fly; and an earthworm can only oppose an earthworm. But what can even the most powerful among you do against the workings of Nature, or the inevitable decrees of Fate? Terrestrial kings may overturn comparative mole-hills, which they call castles and forts; but the smallest breath of air defies their power, and, in spite of their
