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Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911

"Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic"

"IXTHE HALF-MANKing Arthur in his youth was fond of all manly exercises, especially ofwrestling, an art in which he found few equals. The old men who had beenthe champions of earlier days, and who still sat, in summer evenings,watching the youths who tried their skill before them, at last told himthat he had no rival in Cornwall, and that his only remaining competitorelsewhere was one who had tired out all others."Where is he?" said Arthur."He dwells," an old man said, "on an island whither you will have to goand find him. He is of all wrestlers the most formidable. You will thinkhim at first so insignificant as to be hardly worth a contest; you willeasily throw him at the first trial; but after a while you will find himgrowing stronger; he seeks out all your weak points as by magic; he nevergives up; you may throw him again and again, but he will conquer you atlast.""His name! his name!" said Arthur."His name," they answered, "is Hanner Dyn; his home is everywhere, but onhis own island you will be likely to find him sooner or later. Keep clearof him, or he will get the best of you in the end, and make you his slaveas he makes slaves of others whom he has conquered."Far and wide over the ocean the young Arthur sought; he touched at islandafter island; he saw many weak men who did not dare to wrestle with him,and many strong ones whom he could always throw, until at last when he wasfar out under the western sky, he came one day to an island which he hadnever before seen and which seemed uninhabited.


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