. The violet fairy book . or like him who be-holds something so strange that it seems as if ... Be-fore Petru lay a wood made of copper, with copper treesand copper leaves, with bushes- and flowers of copperalso. Petru stood and stared as a man does when he seessomething that he has never seen, and of which he has o never heard. Then he rode right into the wood. On each side ofthe way the rows of flowers began to praise Petru, andto try and persuade him to pick some of them and makehimself a wreath. Take me, for I am lovely, and can give strength towhoever plucks me, said one. No, take me, for
. The violet fairy book . or like him who be-holds something so strange that it seems as if ... Be-fore Petru lay a wood made of copper, with copper treesand copper leaves, with bushes- and flowers of copperalso. Petru stood and stared as a man does when he seessomething that he has never seen, and of which he has o never heard. Then he rode right into the wood. On each side ofthe way the rows of flowers began to praise Petru, andto try and persuade him to pick some of them and makehimself a wreath. Take me, for I am lovely, and can give strength towhoever plucks me, said one. No, take me, for whoever wears me in his hat willbe loved by the most beautiful woman in the world,pleaded the second: and then one after another bestirreditself, each more charming than the last, all promising,in soft sweet voices, wonderful things to Petru, if only hewould pick them. Petru was not deaf to their persuasion, and was juststooping to pick one when the horse sprang to one side. THE BATTLE WITH THE WELWA IN THE COPPER. WOOD. THE FAIRY OF THE DAWN 111 Why dont you stay still? asked Petru roughly. Do not pick the flowers ; it will bring you bad luck,answered the horse. Why should it do that? These flowers are under a curse. Whoever plucksthem must fight the Welwa 1 of the woods. What kind of a goblin is the Welwa? 4 Oh, do leave me in peace ! But listen. Look at theflowers as much as you like, but pick none, and the horsewalked on slowly. Petru knew by experience that he would do well toattend to the horses advice, so he made a great effortand tore his mind away from the flowers. But in vain! If a man is fated to be unlucky,unlucky he will be, whatever he may do! The flowers went on beseeching him, and his heartgrew ever weaker and weaker. What must come will come, said Petru at length; at any rate I shall see the Welwa of the woods, whatshe is like, and which way I had best fight her. If sheis ordained to be the cause of my death, well, then it willbe so; but if not I shall conquer
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear190
