There was nothing
in the book of magic to make one grow smaller, so he was obliged to
remain as he was--the largest man in the Enchanted Island.
All this had happened in a single night. The morning after his
master's murder the page announced himself lord of the castle; and,
seeing his enormous size, none dared deny his right to rule. On
account of his bushy hair, which was fiery red in color, and the bushy
red beard that covered his face when he became older, people came to
call him the Red One. And after his evil deeds and quarrelsome temper
had made him infamous throughout the island, people began to call him
the Red Rogue of Dawna.
He had gathered around him a number of savage barbarians, as wicked
and quarrelsome as himself, and so none dared to interfere with him,
or even to meet him, if it were possible to avoid it.
This same Red Rogue it was who had drawn the good Baron Merd into a
quarrel and afterward slain the old knight and his followers,
destroyed his castle, and carried his little daughter Seseley and her
girl friends, Berna and Helda, into captivity, shutting them up in his
own gloomy castle.
The Red Rogue thought he had done a very clever thing, and had no fear
of the consequences until one of his men came running up to the castle
to announce that Prince Marvel and his companions were approaching to
rescue the Lady Seseley.
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