August 18, 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 six, how the quarrymen of King Gelidus cleft
asunder the crystal prison of the little man with a
frozen smile my bitter disappointment, and how I bore it
wonderful happenings of the night that followed. Bulgar again proves
himself to be an animal of extraordinary sagacity. Bulgar and
(00:22):
I had little appetite for the dainty breakfast of stewed
sweetbreads which the Colti corpse set before us next morning,
for I knew and he half suspected, that something important
was going to happen, being nothing less than the cleavness
under of the crystal cell which had held the little
Chimpanzee a prisoner for so many centuries. Walking beside the
(00:42):
merry Princess Schnibulet, who was delighted to know that his
frigid majesty her father had at last yielded to my wishes,
Bulgar and I set out for the beautiful ice grotto.
Behind us walked Frosty Fizz and Glacier Boy, with instructions
from the King to supervise the cleavingess under of the
block of ice. And after them came four of King
(01:03):
Yeladas's quarrymen, two bearing flint axes with helves of polished bone,
and two carrying the flint wedges to be used in
the work. We soon entered Schneebula's grotto, and the task
was at once entered upon. It seemed to me I
could almost see the little man with the frozen smile
wink as eyelids as the quarrymen set their wedges in
place and began to mark the line of fracture. But
(01:26):
of course, dear friends, you know what imagination I have,
especially when I get worked up over anything. So you
must take what I say sometimes with a grain of salt,
although as a rule you may accept my statements with
childlike confidence. With such wonderful skill did the Cultiquorpian quarrymen
use their axes and wedges that in a few moments,
(01:46):
to my great delight, the huge block of ice fell
asunder in perfect halves, in one of which the little
manlike creature lay on his side, like a casting in
a mold. I made haste to lift him out and
wrap him in a soft pelt, which I had brought
along for that purpose, And then I turned to retrace
my steps to my chamber, where I intended to begin
at once my study of whatever inscription should be found
(02:09):
upon his curious caller. Remember, little Baron, said glacier boy,
by express command of his frigid majesty, the little man
with a frozen smile, must be returned to his crystal
cell to morrow morning. At this very hour I bowed assent,
and then, having accompanied Princess Schnebulet as far as the
bottom of the grand staircase leading to the Ice Palace,
I turned away, and was soon in the privacy of
(02:31):
my own apartment. Now came for me one of the
bitterest disappointments of my life. But I submitted with a
good grace, for it was fit punishment visit upon me
for my foolish vanity in striving to unearth some older
record of the human race than had yet been done
by any of the great searchers and philosophers, not even
excepting that master of masters don Strefalo fijiquinarius foon. No, then,
(02:55):
dear friends, that the quaint collar, made up of gold
and silver, or disks cunningly linked together, which encircled the
animal's neck, contained not a single word or letter of
any language. The undersides being quite blank, and the upper
merely having rough carved outlines of an object which might
possibly have been intended for the sun. Wrapping the animal
(03:19):
up in the soft pelt, I laid him away in
the corner of my divan and betook myself to the
palace of his frigid Majesty, where I frankly informed King
Gelidus of my great disappointment in not finding some few words,
or even a single word of a language unknown to
the wisest heads of the upper world. Schnebole was so
touched by my sadness that had I not skillfully kept
(03:41):
out of her way, I verily believed she would have
thrown her arms around my neck and imprinted upon my
cheek the kiss which would have made me the king
of the Colti Corpse. But I had no longing to
spend the rest of my life in the icy domains
of his frigid Majesty, even though my brow would be
crowned with the cold crown of the Colti corpse. If
I had been an old man with slow and feeble pulse,
(04:04):
it would have been very different. But my heart was
too warm and my blood too hot to fill such
a position with agreeableness to myself or satisfaction to the
people of this icy underworld. So I kept the little
princess busy enough I can assure you, first with songs,
then with dance, and then with story telling. That night,
King Gilidus ordered a magnificent fete to be held in
(04:27):
my honor. Five hundred more alabaster lamps were lighted, and
the royal divans were laid with the richest pelts in
the palace. And after the dancing and singing had ended,
frozen tidbits from the royal kitchen were passed around on
alabaster salvers, and Bulgar and I ate until our teeth ached.
It was late when we reached our own apartment, and
(04:47):
so full were my thoughts of the beautiful sights which
we had gazed upon in the throne room that I
had quite forgotten about the poor little man with a
frozen smile, whom I had covered up and tucked away
on my divan. But Bulgar had not been so hard hearted.
Twenty times during the evening he had given me a
sly tug at my sleeve, as much as to say, well,
(05:08):
little master, let's hurry back. Does not remember that we
left my poor little frozen brother, tucked away in that
icy chamber, all alone by himself. I was very weary,
and I fell off to sleep almost immediately. And yet
I had an indistinct recollection that Bulgar was not in
his place against my breast. I remembered feeling for him,
but that's all never flashed upon me that he had
(05:30):
gone and laying down beside the poor little stranger whom
I had so unfeelingly lifted from his last resting place.
And yet such must have been the case. For about midnight,
it seemed to me I was awakened by a gentle
tugging at my sleeve. It was my faithful Bulgar, but
half awake and half asleep as I was, I merely
thought that he was only asking for a caress, as
(05:50):
was often his wont when he fell a thinking about home.
So I reached out and stroked his head several times,
and dropped off again. But the tugging began anew, and
this time twas more vigorous, and with it came an
impatient whine, which meant, come cut my little master us.
Thee dost suppose I would break they rest unless I
was good reason for it. I didn't need a third reminder,
(06:11):
But with a single bound landed on my feet, and
reaching out for one of the tiny tapers which the
Coltiquips make use of as lighters, I carried the flames
from the single lamp burning on the wall to the
three others hanging here and there. The icy walls of
my chamber were now ablaze with light. There sat Bulgar
on the fur covered divan, beside the place where the
little man with a frozen smile lay hidden under the pelt.
(06:35):
His tail was wagging nervously, and his large, lustrous eyes
were fixed first upon me and then upon the covering
of his dead brother, with an expression I never remembered
having seen in them before. And then, with a sudden movement,
he laid hold of the pelt, and, drawing it aside,
showed me what think you, dear friends? What I ask,
in a tone of half whisper, half gasp. For now,
(06:57):
years after, I still can feel that one thrill which
I felt then. Why it was alive, that ape like
creature had come to life after his sleep of thousands
of years. In that narrow crystal cell. Bulgar had lain
down beside his frozen brother and warmed him back to
life again. Oh, it was wondrously wonderful to see that
(07:19):
pair of little eyes, bead like in brightness, look up
and blink at me. And then to hear that low
moaning voice, so human like as if it whimpered with
a shake and a shiver. Oh, how cold it is,
How very cold it is. Where's the sun? Where's a
soft warm wind? And where are the cloudless skies? So blue, oh,
(07:39):
so beautifully blue that used to hang over my head.
Bidding Bulgar to lie down again beside him and snuggle
up as close as possible, I made haste to cover
them both with the softest skins I could find. In
a few moments, there came from underneath the pile a
low contented cry of hoosia, hoozia, hoosia, followed by a cureus.
(08:00):
Additions sounded like fuff fuf fuff. So I put them
all together and name the strange newcomer to the icy
domain of King Galadas fuff cuja sleep any more? That night,
not a wink. The same joy came over me that
I used to feel on Christmas morning long ago, when
Chris Kringle brought me some wonderful bit of mechanism, moved
(08:22):
by a secret spring. For I always scorned to accept
ordinary toys like ordinary children. And oh how I longed
for the morning when it would be time for me
to bundle up the little man no longer him with
a frozen smile, but fuff Guja, the live boy from
far away, with his curious little face screwed up into
such a funny look, and carry him to the palace.
(08:44):
How delighted Schneeboo I will be, thought I, and King
Galadhus too, How he will unbend from his frigid majesty
as he watches the antics of fuff Guja. And how
pleased all the dignified cold ecorpions, including Frosty Fizz and
Glacier Boy, will be when I tell them that the
little man with a frozen smile has come to life again.
(09:04):
What crowds of coldi corps men, women and children will
rush up the long flights of steps leading to the
Ice Palace, begging, entreating King Gelidas to let them have
just a little look at Fuffcuja, the little man set
free from his icy cell by the famous traveler Baron
Sebastian von Trump. End of chapter twenty six
Chapter twenty six, how the quarrymen of King Gelidus cleft
asunder the crystal prison of the little man with a
frozen smile my bitter disappointment, and how I bore it
wonderful happenings of the night that followed. Bulgar again proves
himself to be an animal of extraordinary sagacity. Bulgar and
(00:22):
I had little appetite for the dainty breakfast of stewed
sweetbreads which the Colti corpse set before us next morning,
for I knew and he half suspected, that something important
was going to happen, being nothing less than the cleavness
under of the crystal cell which had held the little
Chimpanzee a prisoner for so many centuries. Walking beside the
(00:42):
merry Princess Schnibulet, who was delighted to know that his
frigid majesty her father had at last yielded to my wishes,
Bulgar and I set out for the beautiful ice grotto.
Behind us walked Frosty Fizz and Glacier Boy, with instructions
from the King to supervise the cleavingess under of the
block of ice. And after them came four of King
(01:03):
Yeladas's quarrymen, two bearing flint axes with helves of polished bone,
and two carrying the flint wedges to be used in
the work. We soon entered Schneebula's grotto, and the task
was at once entered upon. It seemed to me I
could almost see the little man with the frozen smile
wink as eyelids as the quarrymen set their wedges in
place and began to mark the line of fracture. But
(01:26):
of course, dear friends, you know what imagination I have,
especially when I get worked up over anything. So you
must take what I say sometimes with a grain of salt,
although as a rule you may accept my statements with
childlike confidence. With such wonderful skill did the Cultiquorpian quarrymen
use their axes and wedges that in a few moments,
(01:46):
to my great delight, the huge block of ice fell
asunder in perfect halves, in one of which the little
manlike creature lay on his side, like a casting in
a mold. I made haste to lift him out and
wrap him in a soft pelt, which I had brought
along for that purpose, And then I turned to retrace
my steps to my chamber, where I intended to begin
at once my study of whatever inscription should be found
(02:09):
upon his curious caller. Remember, little Baron, said glacier boy,
by express command of his frigid majesty, the little man
with a frozen smile, must be returned to his crystal
cell to morrow morning. At this very hour I bowed assent,
and then, having accompanied Princess Schnebulet as far as the
bottom of the grand staircase leading to the Ice Palace,
I turned away, and was soon in the privacy of
(02:31):
my own apartment. Now came for me one of the
bitterest disappointments of my life. But I submitted with a
good grace, for it was fit punishment visit upon me
for my foolish vanity in striving to unearth some older
record of the human race than had yet been done
by any of the great searchers and philosophers, not even
excepting that master of masters don Strefalo fijiquinarius foon. No, then,
(02:55):
dear friends, that the quaint collar, made up of gold
and silver, or disks cunningly linked together, which encircled the
animal's neck, contained not a single word or letter of
any language. The undersides being quite blank, and the upper
merely having rough carved outlines of an object which might
possibly have been intended for the sun. Wrapping the animal
(03:19):
up in the soft pelt, I laid him away in
the corner of my divan and betook myself to the
palace of his frigid Majesty, where I frankly informed King
Gelidus of my great disappointment in not finding some few words,
or even a single word of a language unknown to
the wisest heads of the upper world. Schnebole was so
touched by my sadness that had I not skillfully kept
(03:41):
out of her way, I verily believed she would have
thrown her arms around my neck and imprinted upon my
cheek the kiss which would have made me the king
of the Colti Corpse. But I had no longing to
spend the rest of my life in the icy domains
of his frigid Majesty, even though my brow would be
crowned with the cold crown of the Colti corpse. If
I had been an old man with slow and feeble pulse,
(04:04):
it would have been very different. But my heart was
too warm and my blood too hot to fill such
a position with agreeableness to myself or satisfaction to the
people of this icy underworld. So I kept the little
princess busy enough I can assure you, first with songs,
then with dance, and then with story telling. That night,
King Gilidus ordered a magnificent fete to be held in
(04:27):
my honor. Five hundred more alabaster lamps were lighted, and
the royal divans were laid with the richest pelts in
the palace. And after the dancing and singing had ended,
frozen tidbits from the royal kitchen were passed around on
alabaster salvers, and Bulgar and I ate until our teeth ached.
It was late when we reached our own apartment, and
(04:47):
so full were my thoughts of the beautiful sights which
we had gazed upon in the throne room that I
had quite forgotten about the poor little man with a
frozen smile, whom I had covered up and tucked away
on my divan. But Bulgar had not been so hard hearted.
Twenty times during the evening he had given me a
sly tug at my sleeve, as much as to say, well,
(05:08):
little master, let's hurry back. Does not remember that we
left my poor little frozen brother, tucked away in that
icy chamber, all alone by himself. I was very weary,
and I fell off to sleep almost immediately. And yet
I had an indistinct recollection that Bulgar was not in
his place against my breast. I remembered feeling for him,
but that's all never flashed upon me that he had
(05:30):
gone and laying down beside the poor little stranger whom
I had so unfeelingly lifted from his last resting place.
And yet such must have been the case. For about midnight,
it seemed to me I was awakened by a gentle
tugging at my sleeve. It was my faithful Bulgar, but
half awake and half asleep as I was, I merely
thought that he was only asking for a caress, as
(05:50):
was often his wont when he fell a thinking about home.
So I reached out and stroked his head several times,
and dropped off again. But the tugging began anew, and
this time twas more vigorous, and with it came an
impatient whine, which meant, come cut my little master us.
Thee dost suppose I would break they rest unless I
was good reason for it. I didn't need a third reminder,
(06:11):
But with a single bound landed on my feet, and
reaching out for one of the tiny tapers which the
Coltiquips make use of as lighters, I carried the flames
from the single lamp burning on the wall to the
three others hanging here and there. The icy walls of
my chamber were now ablaze with light. There sat Bulgar
on the fur covered divan, beside the place where the
little man with a frozen smile lay hidden under the pelt.
(06:35):
His tail was wagging nervously, and his large, lustrous eyes
were fixed first upon me and then upon the covering
of his dead brother, with an expression I never remembered
having seen in them before. And then, with a sudden movement,
he laid hold of the pelt, and, drawing it aside,
showed me what think you, dear friends? What I ask,
in a tone of half whisper, half gasp. For now,
(06:57):
years after, I still can feel that one thrill which
I felt then. Why it was alive, that ape like
creature had come to life after his sleep of thousands
of years. In that narrow crystal cell. Bulgar had lain
down beside his frozen brother and warmed him back to
life again. Oh, it was wondrously wonderful to see that
(07:19):
pair of little eyes, bead like in brightness, look up
and blink at me. And then to hear that low
moaning voice, so human like as if it whimpered with
a shake and a shiver. Oh, how cold it is,
How very cold it is. Where's the sun? Where's a
soft warm wind? And where are the cloudless skies? So blue, oh,
(07:39):
so beautifully blue that used to hang over my head.
Bidding Bulgar to lie down again beside him and snuggle
up as close as possible, I made haste to cover
them both with the softest skins I could find. In
a few moments, there came from underneath the pile a
low contented cry of hoosia, hoozia, hoosia, followed by a cureus.
(08:00):
Additions sounded like fuff fuf fuff. So I put them
all together and name the strange newcomer to the icy
domain of King Galadas fuff cuja sleep any more? That night,
not a wink. The same joy came over me that
I used to feel on Christmas morning long ago, when
Chris Kringle brought me some wonderful bit of mechanism, moved
(08:22):
by a secret spring. For I always scorned to accept
ordinary toys like ordinary children. And oh how I longed
for the morning when it would be time for me
to bundle up the little man no longer him with
a frozen smile, but fuff Guja, the live boy from
far away, with his curious little face screwed up into
such a funny look, and carry him to the palace.
(08:44):
How delighted Schneeboo I will be, thought I, and King
Galadhus too, How he will unbend from his frigid majesty
as he watches the antics of fuff Guja. And how
pleased all the dignified cold ecorpions, including Frosty Fizz and
Glacier Boy, will be when I tell them that the
little man with a frozen smile has come to life again.
(09:04):
What crowds of coldi corps men, women and children will
rush up the long flights of steps leading to the
Ice Palace, begging, entreating King Gelidas to let them have
just a little look at Fuffcuja, the little man set
free from his icy cell by the famous traveler Baron
Sebastian von Trump. End of chapter twenty six
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