Just at this time, as Buccoleon, the Aleppo dragon, was flying toward Flanders, the goldsmiths of Ghent were almost savagely envious of both Taff, the florist, and Nyken, the potter. When they heard of the coming flight of Buccoleon, they posted archers on the high towers, and these shot to death the good water dragon of Aleppo.
The greedy goldsmiths expected, with hammers and chisels, to pry off its scales and sell them! They wanted to get rich quickly, like Taff and Nyken.
These bad men were awfully disappointed. For when the people heard of what they had done, they rushed into the belfry of the tower. Some of them climbed up the three hundred and [[177]]seventy-six steps, and rang the great bell, making a terrific clangor.
Forthwith, all the citizens assembled, in the great square, to hear Taff and Nyken tell what this good dragon had done, and how its tears, over the dead Crusaders, had been turned into tulips.
It was voted unanimously that the highest honors should be paid to Buccoleon, the dragon. So, with ropes and pullies, and a strong scaffold, they raised a mighty tackle on the tower, while the blacksmiths made the iron weather vane. On its pivot, they set the Aleppo dragon, which was ten feet long. Now, when it came to dragons, Ghent could glory over Brussels, and the Boringue.
Flashing golden in the sun, high in air, near the clouds, while far below, in the rich fields and gardens, the tulip spreads beauty on earth and wealth to the Netherlands, Buccoleon, the dragon, on top of the great belfry, turns to all the winds that blow. [[178]]
XIX
UP AND DOWN AND UP AGAIN
Look on the cover of this book and see the bridge at Tournai, with its twin towers. In the bright moonlight, the waters of the Scheldt River are flowing through the arches. Here we have, from the low down to the high up, a true picture of the Land of Towers, Spires, and of those collections of bells, which make music in the air, and are called carillons.