of twisted vines starred all over with pale sweet-scented buds, he stood
looking at the castle which was set on the very topmost crag, and looked
out over the mountain's edge at the sea and the sky and the spreading
plains, below.

The sky was dark blue now and lit by a myriad stars, and all was so
still that the world seemed thousands of miles away, and ugliness and
squalor and people who quarreled seemed things which were not true. A
sweet cool wind blew about them as the Ancient One took King Amor from
the folds of his gray robe and laid him on the carpet of scented moss.

"The stars are very near," he said. "Waken, young King, and see how near
they are and know they are your brothers. Your brother the wind is
bringing to you the breath of your brothers the trees. You are at home."

Then King Amor opened his eyes, and when he saw the stars in the dark
blueness above him he smiled, and though he was not yet a whole day old
he threw up his small hand and it touched his forehead.

"Like a King and a soldier he salutes them," said the Ancient One;
"though he does not know he did it."

The castle was huge and splendid though it had been deserted for a
hundred years. For three generations the royal owners had not cared to
look out on the world from high places. They knew nothing of the wind
and the trees and the stars; they lived on the plains in their cities,
and hunted and rioted and levied heavy taxes on their wretched people.
And the castle had lived through its summers and winters alone. It had
battlements and towers which stood out clear against the sky, and there
was a great banquet hall and chambers for hundreds of guests, and rooms