The Adventures of
Rex and Zendah
In the Land
of the Fishes
Before they knocked at the Gate of the Fishes, they stood for
a few minutes looking at it — for it was so difficult to see where
to knock. The sides of the gate were like two great waves and
between them appeared lines of shifting water, never still for
one moment, and shining with all the colors you see in a deep
sea shell. Circling round and round, in the centre of the gate,
were two fishes following each other, one copper colored and one
looking like zinc. In the middle of this beautiful gate was a
priceless pearl, wonderful in shape and color, which reflected,
as in a mirror, a face-changing continuously. At one moment this
face was so hideous, while at the next so dazzlingly beautiful,
that one could hardly bear to look at it.
Zendah noticed a sea-shell trumpet lying at the foot of the gate.
"Blow it," said Rex, "they always sound a trumpet
at the entrance of a giant's castle in the fairy tales we have
read." Zendah blew the shell trumpet. A soft note sounded,
and all the movement ceased; the fishes stopped swimming round
and formed themselves on either side of the pearl, just like this:
"Who demands entrance?" cried a voice. "Let him
give the password."
"Rex and Zendah from earth," they said, "and the
Password is love.
"Then by virtue of love, enter Rex and Zendah," echoed
many voices, and the gates swung slowly open.
As the gates rolled back, Zendah looked at Rex with astonishment
and exclaimed, "Look Rex, look, it is nearly all sea!"
They found themselves standing on the silvery sand of a seashore,
and as far as they could see there were miles and miles of rippling
waves, dotted about with many small islands. Far out at sea on
the largest island stood a castle constructed of mother-of-pearl.
A beautiful little boat soon drew up at their feet with two children
on board, one a boy who had hair of a flaxen color and the other
a girl, so fair that her hair shone like silver.
The boat was in the shape of a flying fish and they learned that
it could rise out of the water and fly in the air at the wish
of the steersman.
"Oh, do let us see it fly," cried Rex as they took
their seats at one end. The boat slowly rose into the air, then
dipped into the waves, and then rose again, for it did not seem
able to climb to any great height above the water. The children
were shown that it was driven by electricity. In the bottom of
the boat were copper plates just under the seat of the girl who
steered. She wore curious sandals; the left foot had a copper
sole and the right sole was made of zinc, and when she wanted
the boat to rise she pressed with both feet, but only with the
right foot if she wanted to sink onto the waves again, while pressure
on the copper sole brought the boat to a standstill. They heard
curious music as they glided along, and not seeing any birds,
they asked where it came from.
"It is the fishes," they were told. "They are quite
tame and they sing to us, for we have no birds in the Land of
the Fishes."
Passing numbers of small boats like the one they were in, they
soon arrived at the Pearly Castle, and embarking on a small quay,
they walked up a path made of different kinds of shells between
rows of girls clad in cloaks of pale mauve. Their shoes were most
beautiful, and nearly all the jewels they wore were on their feet.
There were no bright colors anywhere in the castle. The walls
were of white marble and pearl shell; the pillars appeared to
be moonstones. It reminded them of the mist they had once seen
on an early morning at the seaside, with the sun shining through.
All the walls and pillars gave out a musical note when they were
touched, and everyone they met in the passages had a musical instrument.
After passing through many halls and twisting stairways, they
at last stood in the throne room and saw King Neptune. His throne
was made of a massive sea shell, with cushions of violet silk.
In his hand he held a long wand of some white, shining metal at
the top of which were three branches, each tipped with a pearl.
"Neptune's trident," they whispered to each other.
He bade them welcome and turned to a beautiful lady who stood
at his side, and asked her to show the children the wonders of
this country.
"Queen Venus spends many hours in this land helping me,"
he said, "and she understands children much better than I
do."
They were taken from room to room in the castle. In one they found
an orchestra of many children, each child playing a different
instrument, yet the music was the most beautiful they had ever
heard. One or two sat quietly in a corner, seemingly doing nothing.
"Why are they not playing with the others, have they been
naughty?" asked Rex. "Hush," said Venus, "they
are listening to the angels' music, and presently they write it
down for the others to play."
In another room they found everyone busy writing, and every now
and then as a child would stop and appear to be thinking hard
a little cloud with hundreds of tiny pictures in it would gather
over its head.
"They are writing stories and poetry," said Venus, answering
the children's unspoken question. "All those little pictures
are the ideas that come to them."
Leaving these rooms and passing down the castle steps, they came
into a courtyard where there were all sorts of animals, some lame,
some with bad ears, birds with broken legs or wings, and many
others with different complaints. Children of all ages were trying
to mend their broken limbs or heal their wounds. Rex and Zendah
looked at their Guide with questioning eyes.
"When any animals get hurt on earth, they come here to be
cured," said Venus, looking rather stern. " Children,
too, must come here to learn to be kind and loving to all animals,
for here are found the hospitals where both men and animals may
be cured.
"But before you go, I will show you something very precious,"
said Venus. Stepping into another flying fish boat like the first,
they were taken to an island near the Pearly Castle.
It was quite small and almost entirely covered by a circular glass
temple, guarded by two knights in shining armour, with shields
bearing the emblem of a silver cup on a blue background. They,
too, demanded the password, and being given it, allowed the children
to pass.
There was nothing inside, except an altar at one end and a large
mirror. On the altar shone a brilliant light like the full moon;
within this they could faintly see a crystal cup which sparkled
as a diamond, or perhaps it was more like the sun shining through
a dewdrop.
"Children," said Venus, "when King Arthur came
to live among the stars, he brought with him the Magic Cup, which
has the power of giving everyone what he most wishes for. But
you must be certain that you really know what you want. It must
be something you can share with those you love. It will never
go back to earth again until people stop quarreling with each
other."
Pointing to the mirror, she said, "In this, if your eyes
are strong enough, you can see everything that has ever happened
or will happen. I will give you a small magic mirror like this
one, Zendah, and if you use it well, when you are in difficulties,
you will be able to see exactly what to do.
"Rex, wear this pearl, and when you do, remember the password
of this land and so help to bring the Holy Cup back to earth once
more."
Very quietly, they almost tiptoed back to the temple porch, carrying
their gifts with them, and re-entered the flying boat, leaving
Queen Venus, with a smile on her face, standing on the steps.
Soon they were back on the seashore by the gate of the Land of
the Fishes, and once outside, they turned to look for the Land
of the Water Carrier, sometimes known as "the Man with the
Pitcher."
— Rays from the Rose Cross Magazine, March/April, 1996
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