sideways, and her forefinger, as her father and Curdie understood,
feeling its way along the invisible thread. The king took her on his
knee, and she said in his ear--
"King-papa, do you hear that noise?"
"I hear nothing," said the king.
"Listen," she said, holding up her forefinger.
The king listened, and a great stillness fell upon the company. Each
man, seeing that the king listened, listened also, and the harper sat
with his harp between his arms, and his fingers silent upon the strings.
"I do hear a noise," said the king at length--"a noise as of distant
thunder. It is coming nearer and nearer. What can it be?"
They all heard it now, and each seemed ready to start to his feet as he
listened. Yet all sat perfectly still. The noise came rapidly nearer.
"What can it be?" said the king again.
Madhuri Noah
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