Argosy, September 1955 — page 90: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

88 JOAN AIKEN the forest maiden’s form again, and the luckless man was obliged to marry her. She became more and more exacting, asking for a coat made from rose petals, or cherries in midwinter, until her husband had to go up to the Castle and ask them to supply one of these difficult requirements. ‘Then, of course, he was in their power. “Indeed, why didn’t we try the snake trick before,” said the Countess. ‘‘’’T'would have fetched him better than any old bit of a bunch of keys.” Accordingly, when next Mr. Bond went into the forest, looking for green glass-snails and the salmon-spotted hellebore, he found this beautiful coloured snake lying temptingly displayed in a wriggle of black, scarlet, white, and lemon-yellow across his path. “Bless my soul,” said Mr. Bond, “that is something most unusual. Can it be T. vulgaris peristalsis? I must certainly take it home.” He picked up the snake, which dangled unresistingly in his hands, and rushed home with it. All the forest maidens and the ravens leaned out of the high branches, and the leprechauns pried between the stems of the bushes to watch him go by. He ran up the garden path, shoved open the front door with his shoulder, and dropped the snake into a jar of brine which was standing ready for specimens on the kitchen table. He was unable to find a picture or description of the snake in any work of reference, and to his annoyance and disappointment, the beautiful colours faded after a couple of hours. The Wicked Countess was also very annoyed. One of her forest maidens had been demolished, and she had been foiled again, which was galling to her pride. ‘‘ Maybe we could give him a potion?’’ suggested one of the maidens. ‘““ He’s teetotal, the creature,’ said the Wicked Countess in disgust. ‘‘ Will you be after telling me how you can administer . a potion to a man that will touch neither drop nor dram? ”’ “Well, but doesn’t he take in each day the grandest bottle of milk you ever laid eyes on that would make any cow in Kerry sigh with envy at the cream there is on it?” ‘“ Very well, you can try putting the potion in the milk, but ’tis a poor way of instilling a magic draught into a man, I’m thinking, and little good will it do him.” Two enthusiastic maidens went to Mr. Bond’s house at cock- crow the following morning and lay in wait for the milkman. As soon as he had left the bottle, they removed the cardboard top, tipped in the potion (which was a powder in a little envelope, like a shampoo) put back the cap, and then hurried to the Castle to report. . comicioooks, comn