Page 1 (1/2)

The ht decays, the watchrave is burst, the spices shed, the linen wrapped up;

The bones of death, the cov’ring clay, the sinews shrunk dry’d

Reviving shake, inspiringlike redeemed captives when their bonds bars are burst

Let the slave grinding at the mill run out into the field,

Let hiht air;

Let the inchained soul, shut up in darkness and in sighing,

Whose face has never seen a smile in thirty weary years,

Rise and look out; his chains are loose, his dungeon doors are open;

And let his wife and children return froe

They look behind at every step believe it is a drea: "The Sun has left his blackness has found a fresher ,

And the fair Moon rejoices in the clear cloudless night;

For Empire is no more, and now the Lion Wolf shall cease"

from "America: A Prophecy" by William Blake

O stars,

isn’t it from you that the lover’s desire for the face of his beloved arises? Doesn’t his secret insight into her pure features come froy" by Rainer Maria Rilke

Fine vapors escape froht is cold and delicate and full of angels

Pounding down the living The factories are all lit up,

The chih far apart

from "The Ecclesiast" by John Ashbery

Chapter 1 The Enchanted Sleeper

In a valley shaded with rhododendrons, close to the snow line, where a stream milky withthe i above and the stiff heavy leaves that clustered below

The woods were full of sound: the strea the needles of the pine branches, the chitter of insects and the cries of s; and froust of ould ainst another and groan like a cello

It was a place of brilliant sunlight, never undappled Shafts of leold brilliance lanced down to the forest floor between bars and pools of brown-green shade; and the light was never still, never constant, because driftingall the sunlight to a pearly sheen and brushing every pine cone with listened when the mist lifted Sometimes the wetness in the clouds condensed into tiny drops half mist and half rain, which floated doard rather than fell,the millions of needles

There was a narrow path beside the streae - little s - at the foot of the valley to a half-ruined shrine near the glacier at its head, a place where faded silken flags streah s of barley cakes and dried tea were placed by pious villagers An odd effect of the light, the ice, and the vapor enveloped the head of the valley in perpetual rainbows

The cave lay some way above the path Many years before, a holy , and the place was venerated for the sake of his memory It was thirty feet or so deep, with a dry floor: an ideal den for a bear or a wolf, but the only creatures living in it for years had been birds and bats

But the for inside the entrance, his black eyes watching this way and that, his sharp ears pricked, was neither bird nor bat The sunlight lay heavy and rich on his lustrous golden fur, and hisoff the scales with sharp fingers and scratching out the sweet nuts

Behind hiht reached, Mrs Coulter was heating some water in a sthe forest path was a young village girl Mrs Coulter kneho she was: A her food for some days now Mrs Coulter had let it be knohen she first arrived that she was a holy woed in meditation and prayer, and under a vow never to speak to a man Ama was the only person whose visits she accepted

This tiirl wasn’t alone Her father ith her, and while Ama climbed up to the cave, he waited a little way off

Ama came to the cave entrance and bowed

"My father sends oodwill," she said

"Greetings, child," said Mrs Coulter

The girl was carrying a bundle wrapped in faded cotton, which she laid at Mrs Coulter’s feet Then she held out a little hunch of flowers, a dozen or so anean to speak in a rapid, nervous voice Mrs Coulter understood soe of these mountain people, but it would never do to let theirl to close her lips and to watch their two dae out his little black hand, and A closer and closer until he settled on a horny forefinger

The ht him slowly to his ear, and Mrs Coulter felt a tiny streairl’s words The villagers were happy for a holy woe in the cave, but it was rumored that she had a coerous and powerful

It was that whichMrs Coulter’s master, or her servant? Did she oing to stay long? As

A novel answer occurred to Mrs Coulter as the dae filtered into hers She could tell the truth Not all of it, naturally, but sohter at the idea, but kept it out of her voice as she explained:

"Yes, there is so to be afraid of She is hter, and she is under a spell that made her fall asleep We have come here to hide from the enchanter who put the spell on her, while I try to cure her and keep her from harm Come and see her, if you like"

Ama was half-soothed by Mrs Coulter’s soft voice, and half-afraid still; and the talk of enchanters and spells added to the awe she felt But the golden ently, and she was curious, besides, so she followed Mrs Coulter into the cave

Her father, on the path below, took a step forward, and his crow daes once or twice, but he stayed where he was

Mrs Coulter lit a candle, because the light was fading rapidly, and led Alittered widely in the glooesture of finger on thu the evil spirits

"You see?" said Mrs Coulter "She can do no har to be afraid of"