August 16, 2025 • 9 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter twenty four. Some few things concerning the dear little
Princess Schneebulet, how she and I became fast friends, and
how one day she conducted Bulgar and me into her
favorite grotto to see the little man with the frozen
smile something about him. What came of my having looked
upon him quite fully described. At the time of Bulger's
(00:22):
and my arrival in the land of the Culti Corps,
the Princess Schnebulet was about fifteen years of age, and
I must say that rarely had it been my good
fortune to make the acquaintance of such a sweet, tempered,
lovable little creature. She flitted about the ice palace like
a beam of sunlight, and there was nothing of the
spoiled child about her. Although a bit mischievous at times,
(00:44):
her voice was as full of music as a skylark's.
And it was not many days before she and I
had become the best of friends in the world. Now
you must know, dear friends, that according to the law
of the Coulti Corps, a princess is left absolutely free
to choose her own husband. And his frigid Majesty was
very anxious that Schneebule should pick hers out as soon
(01:06):
as possible. Moreover, the law of the land gave her
perfect freedom to choose a husband of high or low degree,
provided he was young enough. The way in which a
Culti court princess was required to make known her preference
was to press a kiss upon the cheek of the
young man whom she might settle. Upon This ennobled him
at once, and he became the heir apparent to the
(01:26):
throne of Ice, and entitled to sit on its steps
until he should be crowned king. Now his frigid majesty
was delighted to see this friendship spring up between Schneebulay
and me, for he had hoped to make use of
my influence to bring her to set the necessary kiss
on some youth's cheek. Before I took my departure from
the cold kingdom of the Cultiqourts, I gave him the
(01:48):
word of a nobleman that I would do my best
to carry out his wishes. With Schnebuley for a guide,
Bulgar and I often went for walks through the splendid
ice grottos of her father's kingdom, selecting days when the
sunlight of the outer world poured strongest through the mighty
lens set in the side of the mountain. Then these
grottos took on a splendor that my poor tongue is
(02:10):
powerless to describe. Their crystal mazes glittered as if their
walls were set with massive jewels, most wonderfully cut and polished,
and as if their ceilings were fretted with gems so
peerless that all the gold of the upper world would
fall far short of pain for them. Here there and everywhere,
the skill of the Colti corpse had carved and chiseled
(02:32):
graceful flights of steps, broad landings with majestic columns, and
winding corridors, lined with long rows of statues, single and
group wise, and ever and anon, the visitor came upon
a terrace, where, seated upon a fur covered divan, he
might look out upon the bewildering beauty of King Giladus's
icy domains, arch touching arch, and domes springing from dome.
(02:56):
While over and above all, through the gigantic lens in
its granite a mile above our heads, streamed a flood
of glorious sunlight, lighting up this world within a world
with a radiance so grand and so complete as to
seem to be a sun of a far greater splendor
than the one that warmed the upper world and bathed
(03:16):
it in so many gorgeous hues at morn and eve.
Hardly a day went by now that the Princess of
the Colti Corpse did not surprise either Bulgar or me
with some gift or other. To tell the truth, dear friends,
although my Russian coat was fur trimmed, yet I began
to feel the need of warmer garments after a weak
sojourn in the icy domain of King Gelidas, and I
(03:39):
think Schneebuie must have hurt my teeth chattering. For one morning,
upon entering the Palace of Ice, I was delighted to
be presented with a full suit of fur, precisely similar
to the one worn by King Gelidas himself. Nor was
Bulgar forgotten by the loving little Princess, for with her
own hands she had knitted him a blanket of the
softest wool, which she belted so snugly around his body
(04:03):
and tied so tightly round his neck, And henceforth he
felt perfectly comfortable in the chill air of the home
of the Colt Corpse. One day, the Princess Snebule said
to me, Oh, come, little Baron, cut to my favorite grotto.
Now that the sun's rays are bright within it, there
shalt thou see a wonder, a wonder, Princess Schnebuley, it's
(04:23):
little Baron in wonder, She repeated, the little man with
a frozen smile, Little man with the frozen smile, I echoed,
Come and see, Come and see, little Baron, cried sneebu Ley,
hurrying on ahead. In a few moments we had reached
the grotto and bounded into it, with the princess leading
the way. Suddenly she halted in front of a magnificent
(04:44):
block of crystal ice, clear as polished glass, and cried out, there, look,
there is the little man with a frozen smile. Even now,
as the thought of that moment comes over me, I
feel something of the thrill of half fear, half joy,
as my eyes fell upon the little creature shut in
that superb block of ice himself, a part of it himself,
(05:06):
its heart, its contents, its mystery, there in its center,
in easy posture, with wide open eyes, and with what
might be called a smile upon his face, that is
a glint of kindliness and affection. In its strange eyes,
with their overhanging brows, sat a small animal of the
chimpanzee race. He had possibly been asleep when the icy
(05:27):
flood struck him, dreaming of beautiful trees bending beneath purple fruit,
of cloudless skies above, and a coral beach below. And
death had come to him so quickly that he had
become a brother to this block of ice while the
happy dream was still in his thoughts. It was wonderful,
it was more than wonderful. Spell Bound by the strange spectacle,
(05:50):
I stood there, I know not how long, with my
eyes looking into his. At last, Schneeblet's voice aroused me.
Ha ha, she laughed, Look, little Baron Bulgars, trying to
his poor dead brother. In truth, Vulgar did have his
nose pressed firmly against the block of ice in his
effort to scent the strange animal imprisoned in that crystal cell,
(06:10):
so near and yet so far beyond the reach of
his kenscent well, little Baron cried, Schneebu leay, did I
not speak truly? Have I not shown thee the little
man with the frozen smile? Indeed, thou hast fair princess,
was my reply, And I cannot tell THEE how grateful
I am to THEE for having done so. Then, as
she plucked me by the sleeve, I pleaded, nay, gentle Schneebuley,
(06:35):
not yet, not yet, let me bide a little longer.
The little man, with a frozen smile, seems to beg
me not to go. I can almost imagine that I
hear him whisper, Oh, little baron, break open the crystal
cell of my prison, and take me with THEE back
to the world of sunshine, back to the land of
the orange tree, where the soft, warm winds used to
rock me to sleep in the cradle of the swaying boughs,
(06:58):
while the wise and watchful patriarch of our flock stood
guard over us all. Schnebuley's big, round gray eyes filled
with DearS at these words, would that he were alive,
little baron, she murmured, and that I could give him
some of my happiness to pay him back for all
the long years he has been spending in his icy prison.
(07:18):
In a few moments, Schneberley took me by the hand
and led me away from the great block of ice
with its silent prisoner. My heart was very heavy, and
both Schneberley and Bulgar did their utmost to divert me,
but al to no purpose. Leaving the princess at the
portal of the palace, I went to my dwelling, which
was ablaze with the soft glow of its alabaster lamps,
(07:40):
and there I found a beautiful new pelt spread over
my divan, a new gift from King Gelidus. But I
could take no pleasure in it. My thoughts were all
with a little man with a frozen smile, locked in
the icy embrace of that crystal mold, which, in its
cold irony, let him seem to be so free and unfettered,
and yet held him in such vice like grip. After
(08:03):
a while I dismissed my serving people and laid me
down for the night with my dear Bulgar nestled against
my breast. But I could not sleep. All night long,
those strange eyes, with their uncanny glint followed me about,
pleading strong but silent, for me to come again, for
me to soften my heart like a child of the sunshine,
that I was to shatter his crystal dungeon and set
(08:25):
him loose, to bear him away from the icy domain
of the colti corpse, out into the warm air of
the upper world. What was I dreaming about? Was he
not dead? Had not his spirit left his body thousands
and thousands of years ago? Why should I let such
wild thoughts vex my mind? What good would come of it? None? None, whatsoever?
(08:48):
I was a reasonable creature. I must not give lodgment
within my brain to such silly ideas. The little man
with a frozen smile had been through all most playful fate,
laid away in a beautiful tomb. I must not disturb it.
No doubt in his lifetime he had been the pet
of a noble manner. But to the Northland from some
(09:09):
sunny clime by master of powerful argacy. Let him rest
in peace. I must not dare to mar the beauty
of his crystal tomb, so gloriously transparent. I was even
sorry that Schneeberly had led me into her beautiful grotto,
and resolved to go thither no more. What poor, weak
creatures we are, so fertile in good resolutions, and yet
(09:32):
so unfruitful of results, planting whole acres with fair promises.
But when the tender shoots pierced the ground, turning our
back upon the crop as if it didn't belong to us.
End of Chapter twenty four
Chapter twenty four. Some few things concerning the dear little
Princess Schneebulet, how she and I became fast friends, and
how one day she conducted Bulgar and me into her
favorite grotto to see the little man with the frozen
smile something about him. What came of my having looked
upon him quite fully described. At the time of Bulger's
(00:22):
and my arrival in the land of the Culti Corps,
the Princess Schnebulet was about fifteen years of age, and
I must say that rarely had it been my good
fortune to make the acquaintance of such a sweet, tempered,
lovable little creature. She flitted about the ice palace like
a beam of sunlight, and there was nothing of the
spoiled child about her. Although a bit mischievous at times,
(00:44):
her voice was as full of music as a skylark's.
And it was not many days before she and I
had become the best of friends in the world. Now
you must know, dear friends, that according to the law
of the Coulti Corps, a princess is left absolutely free
to choose her own husband. And his frigid Majesty was
very anxious that Schneebule should pick hers out as soon
(01:06):
as possible. Moreover, the law of the land gave her
perfect freedom to choose a husband of high or low degree,
provided he was young enough. The way in which a
Culti court princess was required to make known her preference
was to press a kiss upon the cheek of the
young man whom she might settle. Upon This ennobled him
at once, and he became the heir apparent to the
(01:26):
throne of Ice, and entitled to sit on its steps
until he should be crowned king. Now his frigid majesty
was delighted to see this friendship spring up between Schneebulay
and me, for he had hoped to make use of
my influence to bring her to set the necessary kiss
on some youth's cheek. Before I took my departure from
the cold kingdom of the Cultiqourts, I gave him the
(01:48):
word of a nobleman that I would do my best
to carry out his wishes. With Schnebuley for a guide,
Bulgar and I often went for walks through the splendid
ice grottos of her father's kingdom, selecting days when the
sunlight of the outer world poured strongest through the mighty
lens set in the side of the mountain. Then these
grottos took on a splendor that my poor tongue is
(02:10):
powerless to describe. Their crystal mazes glittered as if their
walls were set with massive jewels, most wonderfully cut and polished,
and as if their ceilings were fretted with gems so
peerless that all the gold of the upper world would
fall far short of pain for them. Here there and everywhere,
the skill of the Colti corpse had carved and chiseled
(02:32):
graceful flights of steps, broad landings with majestic columns, and
winding corridors, lined with long rows of statues, single and
group wise, and ever and anon, the visitor came upon
a terrace, where, seated upon a fur covered divan, he
might look out upon the bewildering beauty of King Giladus's
icy domains, arch touching arch, and domes springing from dome.
(02:56):
While over and above all, through the gigantic lens in
its granite a mile above our heads, streamed a flood
of glorious sunlight, lighting up this world within a world
with a radiance so grand and so complete as to
seem to be a sun of a far greater splendor
than the one that warmed the upper world and bathed
(03:16):
it in so many gorgeous hues at morn and eve.
Hardly a day went by now that the Princess of
the Colti Corpse did not surprise either Bulgar or me
with some gift or other. To tell the truth, dear friends,
although my Russian coat was fur trimmed, yet I began
to feel the need of warmer garments after a weak
sojourn in the icy domain of King Gelidas, and I
(03:39):
think Schneebuie must have hurt my teeth chattering. For one morning,
upon entering the Palace of Ice, I was delighted to
be presented with a full suit of fur, precisely similar
to the one worn by King Gelidas himself. Nor was
Bulgar forgotten by the loving little Princess, for with her
own hands she had knitted him a blanket of the
softest wool, which she belted so snugly around his body
(04:03):
and tied so tightly round his neck, And henceforth he
felt perfectly comfortable in the chill air of the home
of the Colt Corpse. One day, the Princess Snebule said
to me, Oh, come, little Baron, cut to my favorite grotto.
Now that the sun's rays are bright within it, there
shalt thou see a wonder, a wonder, Princess Schnebuley, it's
(04:23):
little Baron in wonder, She repeated, the little man with
a frozen smile, Little man with the frozen smile, I echoed,
Come and see, Come and see, little Baron, cried sneebu Ley,
hurrying on ahead. In a few moments we had reached
the grotto and bounded into it, with the princess leading
the way. Suddenly she halted in front of a magnificent
(04:44):
block of crystal ice, clear as polished glass, and cried out, there, look,
there is the little man with a frozen smile. Even now,
as the thought of that moment comes over me, I
feel something of the thrill of half fear, half joy,
as my eyes fell upon the little creature shut in
that superb block of ice himself, a part of it himself,
(05:06):
its heart, its contents, its mystery, there in its center,
in easy posture, with wide open eyes, and with what
might be called a smile upon his face, that is
a glint of kindliness and affection. In its strange eyes,
with their overhanging brows, sat a small animal of the
chimpanzee race. He had possibly been asleep when the icy
(05:27):
flood struck him, dreaming of beautiful trees bending beneath purple fruit,
of cloudless skies above, and a coral beach below. And
death had come to him so quickly that he had
become a brother to this block of ice while the
happy dream was still in his thoughts. It was wonderful,
it was more than wonderful. Spell Bound by the strange spectacle,
(05:50):
I stood there, I know not how long, with my
eyes looking into his. At last, Schneeblet's voice aroused me.
Ha ha, she laughed, Look, little Baron Bulgars, trying to
his poor dead brother. In truth, Vulgar did have his
nose pressed firmly against the block of ice in his
effort to scent the strange animal imprisoned in that crystal cell,
(06:10):
so near and yet so far beyond the reach of
his kenscent well, little Baron cried, Schneebu leay, did I
not speak truly? Have I not shown thee the little
man with the frozen smile? Indeed, thou hast fair princess,
was my reply, And I cannot tell THEE how grateful
I am to THEE for having done so. Then, as
she plucked me by the sleeve, I pleaded, nay, gentle Schneebuley,
(06:35):
not yet, not yet, let me bide a little longer.
The little man, with a frozen smile, seems to beg
me not to go. I can almost imagine that I
hear him whisper, Oh, little baron, break open the crystal
cell of my prison, and take me with THEE back
to the world of sunshine, back to the land of
the orange tree, where the soft, warm winds used to
rock me to sleep in the cradle of the swaying boughs,
(06:58):
while the wise and watchful patriarch of our flock stood
guard over us all. Schnebuley's big, round gray eyes filled
with DearS at these words, would that he were alive,
little baron, she murmured, and that I could give him
some of my happiness to pay him back for all
the long years he has been spending in his icy prison.
(07:18):
In a few moments, Schneberley took me by the hand
and led me away from the great block of ice
with its silent prisoner. My heart was very heavy, and
both Schneberley and Bulgar did their utmost to divert me,
but al to no purpose. Leaving the princess at the
portal of the palace, I went to my dwelling, which
was ablaze with the soft glow of its alabaster lamps,
(07:40):
and there I found a beautiful new pelt spread over
my divan, a new gift from King Gelidus. But I
could take no pleasure in it. My thoughts were all
with a little man with a frozen smile, locked in
the icy embrace of that crystal mold, which, in its
cold irony, let him seem to be so free and unfettered,
and yet held him in such vice like grip. After
(08:03):
a while I dismissed my serving people and laid me
down for the night with my dear Bulgar nestled against
my breast. But I could not sleep. All night long,
those strange eyes, with their uncanny glint followed me about,
pleading strong but silent, for me to come again, for
me to soften my heart like a child of the sunshine,
that I was to shatter his crystal dungeon and set
(08:25):
him loose, to bear him away from the icy domain
of the colti corpse, out into the warm air of
the upper world. What was I dreaming about? Was he
not dead? Had not his spirit left his body thousands
and thousands of years ago? Why should I let such
wild thoughts vex my mind? What good would come of it? None? None, whatsoever?
(08:48):
I was a reasonable creature. I must not give lodgment
within my brain to such silly ideas. The little man
with a frozen smile had been through all most playful fate,
laid away in a beautiful tomb. I must not disturb it.
No doubt in his lifetime he had been the pet
of a noble manner. But to the Northland from some
(09:09):
sunny clime by master of powerful argacy. Let him rest
in peace. I must not dare to mar the beauty
of his crystal tomb, so gloriously transparent. I was even
sorry that Schneeberly had led me into her beautiful grotto,
and resolved to go thither no more. What poor, weak
creatures we are, so fertile in good resolutions, and yet
(09:32):
so unfruitful of results, planting whole acres with fair promises.
But when the tender shoots pierced the ground, turning our
back upon the crop as if it didn't belong to us.
End of Chapter twenty four
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