Page:Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (Volume 3).djvu/51

This page has been validated.
Elfin-Land.
39

had risen, and deposited them in safety on the ground.

They then entered the palace, where, in a spacious circular hall of the richest and most fanciful architecture, they found a number of beautiful females of various ages, who were regaling upon the most delicious fruits, while notes of the most ravishing melody formed a fitting concert to this fairy banquet. The dome of the apartment was o’ercanopied with foliage and festoons arranged in the most tasteful manner; and between these were represented the figures of little genii or children, in every variety of attitude. These figures moved symphoniously, as it were, with the music, and the colours too, became more or less bright as the tones increased or died away. At one time, the green hues of the foliage would sparkle with all the clear vivid brilliancy of the emerald, then again they would nearly fade away so as almost to disappear. Suddenly would the flowers glow with the dye of the ruby; and azure and purple, and gold, commingle in intense lustre; the naked children would disport in wanton mo-