V. Different Forms the King Assumes:
1. To Hans:
a. A small dog, dying of thirst; tongue hanging out, jaws dry;
almost lifeless; ants crawling about its lips and throat.
b. A fair child, nearly lifeless; breast heaving with thirst; eyes
closed; lips parched and burning.
c. An old man; sunken features; deadly pale and expressing despair.
2. To Schwartz:
a. The fair child as it appeared to Hans.
b. The old man who appeared to Hans.
c. Brother Hans exhausted and begging for water.
3. To Gluck:
a. An old man leaning on a staff.
b. A little child panting by the roadside.
c. A little dog gasping for breath, which changes into the king.
There are a great many things besides vivid descriptions that make The King of the Golden River a fine story. But it is not a good idea to study any selection in literature too long or too hard, for in so doing we are likely to lose our interest in the selection or even to take a dislike to it. You know if we look too long at a beautiful sunset our eyes grow weary and we seem to lose our power to admire it, but when the next evening comes, with another glorious sunset, we are just as much interested in it as ever. So it is with reading. If a thing is really brilliant, we may look at it so long that our minds become tired; but we can leave it for a while and come back to it with renewed interest.
Accordingly, when we have studied the descriptions of The King of the Golden River we have probably done enough for one day or one time, at least. Some other time we shall enjoy returning to it and finding new things. For instance, we might like to see how many beautiful sentences, or what great thoughts we can find well expressed.
Of the fine quotations here are two:
"And there were bright tongues of fiery cloud burning and quivering about them; and the river, brighter than all, fell, in a waving column of pure gold."
"A flash of blue lightning rose out of the east, shaped like a sword; it shook thrice over the whole heaven, and left it dark with one heavy, impenetrable shade."