Explore "The Adventurer" by Edith Nesbit on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The land of gold was far away, / The sea a challenge roared between; / I left my throne, my crown, my queen, / And sailed out of the quiet bay.
I met the challenge of the wave, / The curses of the winds I mocked: / The conquered wave my galley rocked, / The wind became my envious slave.
I brought much treasure from afar, / Spices, and shells, and rich attire; / Red rubies, fed with living fire, / To lie where all my longings are.
Heavy with spoil my keel ploughed low / As slow we sailed into the bay, / And long ago seemed yesterday / And yesterday looked long ago.
I came in triumph from the sea; / Bent was my crown, my courts grown mean, / And on my throne a faded queen / Raised alien eyes, and looked at me.
"My queen! These rubies let me lay / Upon thy heart, as once my head. " / She smiled pale scorn: "My heart! " she said, / And turned her weary eyes away.