«And then the knight was held over the pit of writhing snakes, which hissed and spat as their twining lengths ensnared the whitening bones of their previous victims...» «And then the
black - hearted villain, with a hideous oath, drew a secret dagger from his boot and advanced towards the defenceless...» «And then the maiden took a pin from her hair and the
golden tresses fell from the window, down, down, caressing the castle walls until they almost reached the verdant grass on which he stood...» Arthur was an energetic, headstrong boy who did not easily sit still; but once the Mam raised her porridge stick he was held in a state of silent enchantment — as if a villain from one of her stories had
slipped a secret herb into his food.