“Look on: as you love your life, when that arrow leaves the string, plunge beneath the water till you hear me call.”
“He shoots!” exclaimed the knight as he dived beneath the water.
“Come out; look again at the mirror; what seest thou?”
“An arrow is sticking in the wall, by the side of the figure. The sorcerer seems angry; he draws out the arrow, and prepares to shoot again from a nearer place.”
“As you value your life, do as before.”
Again the good knight plunged, and at the old man’s call resumed his inspection of the mirror.
“What seest thou now?” asked the old man.
“Maleficus has again missed the image; he makes great lamentations; he says to my wife: ‘If I miss the third time, I die’; he goes nearer to the image, and prepares to shoot.”
“Plunge!” cried the old man; and then, after a time: “Raise thyself, and look again; why laughest thou?”
“To see the reward of the wicked; the arrow has missed, rebounded from the wall, and pierced the sorcerer; he faints, he dies, my wife stands over his body, and weeps; she digs a hole under the bed, and buries the body.”