MASTER OASTER.
even Panurge, who, by this time had plucked up heart, on hearing what James Brayer had said — ran here and there, picking up the sugar-plums. Pantagruel was sure that he had never seen, in all his travels, anything quite so odd as these sugar-plums; for many of them melted almost before he could throw them down, leaving his hand all wet with water; while his ears were stunned from below by the awful shouts and groans of men, the whistling of bullets, the heavy boom of cannon, and the wild, shrill neighing of war-horses, which all came out as those queer sugar-plums melted on deck.
The next day Pantagruel went ashore on a rugged, craggy, barren island, where cocks are never heard to crow, and where lived Gaster, the first Master of Arts in the world. Being himself a scholar, he wanted to make the acquaintance of the First Master of Arts. He found him a most wonderful and despotic old king, who talked with every one by signs, for he could not hear, having been born without ears. Gaster never bothered himself for anybody's comfort or convenience but his own, and Pautagruel soon noticed that no one ever tried to reason with him. At his smallest sign, all present, whether courtiers or foreigners, anxiously inquired what was his will, and hurried off, running themselves out of breath, and knocking each other over in their hurry to do what he wanted. Pantagruel watched Master Gaster very closely, in order to see if he deserved his great name for learning. He was not long in finding out that the old o-lutton, being a great lover of corn, had invented machines for cultivating it, and many mills for grinding it fine and white ; also recipes for baking it into delicious loaves and cakes, for Master Gaster made signs that nothing put him into a greater passion than heavy bread. He also had a knowledge of many curious arts that he had studied out for the preservation of his beloved corn, — such as keeping the rain up in the air, and how to coax it down just at the time it was wanted ; also a way to destroy the hail, and prevent the winds from blowing, and to crush the storms, and a thousand other wonderful things.
Master Epistemon was greatly interested in all these fine inventions, and prevailed upon Pantagruel to stay much longer than he wished, for this First Master of Arts, with all his wisdom, had very rude manners. Pantagruel, not being very skilful, as we already know, in talking by signs, got so tired after a while that he couldn't put up with it any longer ; so he turned his broad back upon the greedy old man, and gave the order to go on board.
Not long after they were under way the wind fell, so that there was not a capful in all the sails of the fleet. Pantagruel's ship could
THE ISLE OF GAUABIM.
hardly get along, although James Brayer kept tacking all the time. Everybody was put out of sorts by this accident, and moped about,
SHARP ISLAND
John marched might be doing.
scarcely speaking a word to each other. Pantagruel nodded over his book on the quarter-deck; Panurge idly played with a piece of rope, pulling it about with his teeth ; while Friar off to the pantry, to see what the cook After two or three hours in the galley, John, puffing and blowing, to Pantagruel, here came Friar upstairs. Finding him awake, he asked : —
"Will Your Highness be so kind as to tell us how a man can kill time and raise a good wind at sea ?"
Pantagruel gave a yawn, and said, half-laughing, " A good dinner will kill time quicker than anything else, as you, my good Friar John, better than most men, know. Have dinner served ! Maybe the wind will come with the dinner."
Friar John needed no second hint. It was the good Friar's boast that he knew and loved the ceremonies of the kitchen much better than he did those of the court. So, at these words, he hurried downstairs, and soon marched in at the head of the stewards, cup-bearers, and carvers, who bore four stately meat-pasties. At the sight of these fine viands all the mouths began to water, and they were soon deep in feasting and drinking.
While they were thus passing their time merrily, and making up riddles for Pantagruel to guess, the dull weather also passed away ; and, the breeze having freshened, with full sails set, they were soon making up for the time they had lost. Not long after, they came in sight of a high land, which Pantagruel, first discovering, pointed out to Xeno-manes, and asked him : —
"What is that high rock yonder, with two tops ? " ' That, Your Highness, is the Island of Ganabim. The people who live there are all thieves. Yet there is on the top of that very mountain a fountain worth seeing, since it is the finest fountain in the world. Does Your Highness wish to go on shore ? "
"Ho! not I," replied Pantagruel; "but, for the honor of the finest fountain in the world, we ought to give a salute as we pass."
As the flag-ship came just in front of the rock the gunner fired. At once, the gunners of the other ships gave, every one, a gun to the island, which made so mighty a noise that it seemed as if the sky was about tumbling down in thunder.
The next day they sighted Sharp Island, an unhealthy country, with rocks shooting up in an ugly way everywhere through the barren soil. The pilot pointed out two cube-shaped rocks that were so white they might have been taken for alabaster. He said they were filled with demons and caused more wrecks, both of men and goods, than the famous Scylla and Charybdis. Of course, the flag-ship and all the fleet steered far out to sea in passing Sharp Island.
THE QUEEN OF LANTERNS.
Sailing four days, towards nightfall of the last day, they came near the fairy-like shores of Lanternland. For leagues around the sea seemed twinkling with fires, that gave a tremulous sparkle, or, darting up into bright light, hovered a while over the water, and then would be lost, O) ly to be found again shining nearer and brighter than before. James Brayer said that the whole coast was planted with light-houses. Xenomanes confirmed this, adding, that " there was no port in the world equal to those of Lanternland, and no coast where the piloting was so safe."
TRE SHORES OF LANTERNLAND.
Here they stopped for a day, and were received with great friendship by the Queen of that country. Pantagruel was greatly vexed that he could not speak the Lantern language, so as to talk with Her Majesty; but, Panurge, who understood it just as well as he did his maternal French, acted as his interpreter. After supping with Her Majesty in the royal banquet hall, Pantagruel asked whether he had reached the island too late to be in time for their great Annual Fair. He was told that the Fair was already over; and he then acquainted the Queen with the purpose of his voyage, and prayed her to grant him a guide to the Kingdom of India. Of course the Queen was greatly interested when she heard that it was love for the bright little Princess of India which had brought a Giant so great a distance. She promised all he asked, and assured him that he should have her own particular guide — the best in all Lanternlaud — to go with them the next morning.
Pantagruel, after saluting Her Majesty with such majestic grace as became so stately a prince, withdrew, followed by his friends, to take some rest. The next day, having first seen that their guide was on board, they took their leave, amid the glad cheers and huzzas of the good Lanternists, who vowed that, if they had only stopped one more night, they would have made such a blaze along the coast as would have lighted them half-way to India.
Every story must have its ending.
And the ending of this story is that the good Prince Pantagruel, led by his guide from Lanternland, first passed over the Caspian mountains in search of his charming Princess ; then defied the Cannibals ; conquered the Island of Pearls; and, at last, after reaching India, married the lovely daughter of King Prestham of that land.