The Swamps of Sadness
Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, excerpt from Chapter III
He urged Artax on and Artax obeyed. Step by step, he tested the firmness of the ground, but that made progress very slow. At length Atreyu dismounted and led Artax by the bridle. Several times the horse sank in, but managed to pull himself loose. But the farther they went into the Swamps of Sadness, the more sluggish became his movements. He let his head droop and barely dragged himself forward.
'Artax,' said Atreyu. 'What's the matter?'
'I don't know, master. I think we should turn back. There's no sense in all this. We're chasing after something you only dreamed about. We won't find anything. Maybe it's too late even now. Maybe the Childlike Empress is already dead, and everything we're doing is useless. Let us turn back, master.'
Atreyu was astonished. 'Artax,' he said. 'You've never spoken like this. What's the matter? Are you sick?'
'Maybe I am, said Artax. 'With every step we take, the sadness grows in my heart. I've lost hope, master. And I feel so heavy, so heavy. I can't go on!'
'But we must go on!' cried Atreyu. 'Come along, Artax!'
He tugged at the bridle, but Artax stood still. He had sunk in up to his belly. And he made no further effort to extricate himself.
'Artax!' cried Atreyu. 'You mustn't let yourself go. Come. Pull yourself out or you'll sink.'
'Leave me, master,' said the little horse. 'I can't make it. Go on alone. Don't bother about me. I can't stand the sadness anymore. I want to die!'
Desperately Atreyu pulled at the bridle, but the horse sank deeper and deeper. When only his head emerged from the black water, Atreyu took it in his arms.
'I'll hold you, Artax,' he whispered. 'I won't let you go under.'
The little horse uttered one last soft neigh.
'You can't help me, master. It's all over for me. Neither of us knew what we were getting into. Now we know why they are called the Swamps of Sadness. It's the sadness that has made me so heavy. That's why I'm sinking. There's no help.'
'But I'm here, too,' said Atreyu, 'and I don't feel anything.'
'You're wearing the Gem, master, said Artax. 'It protects you.'
'Then I'll hang it around your neck!' Atreyu cried. 'Maybe it will protect you too.'
He started taking the chain off his neck.
'No,' the little horse whinnied. 'You mustn't do that, master. The Glory was entrusted to you, you weren't given permission to pass it on as you see fit. You must carry on the Quest without me.'
Atreyu pressed his face into the horse's cheek.
'Artax,' he whispered. 'Oh, my Artax!'
'Will you grant my last wish?' the little horse asked.
Atreyu nodded in silence.
'Then I beg you to go away. I don't want you to see my end. Will you do me that favor?'
Slowly Atreyu arose. Half the horse's head was already in the black water.
'Farewell, Atreyu, my master!' he said. 'And thank you.'
Atreyu pressed his lips together. He couldn't speak. Once again he nodded to Artax, then he turned away.
It's been one of those Artax kind of weeks. Well, minus the whole wanting to die part.
I experimented and made tempura and rice balls yesterday for lunch. Yams, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, and cod in the tempura. Rice balls had no filling. I thought it tasted strange. But John said it was good and ate it. I should do an experiment where I cook horrid things and see if John will eat them out of kindness. Alas, that would be mean though. And he's already kind enough to eat the crap I actually try to make taste good. ^_^
Yesterday after lunch, I thought my hand smelt fishy from the cod. So I was getting John to smell my hands. He insisted that they smelt like soap. Then we ran into my linear algebra teacher from last semester in the elevator. With no where he could run to, I made him smell my hands too. I was all, "Do my hands smell like fish?" And John had to make a save by adding "Because she was cooking with fish earlier." Later I thought it should have said, "I used this hand last night. Does it smell fishy to you?" How come I never think of these things fast enough? Pervertedness shall prevail! And John shall be embarrassed by me once more! Muh ah ha!
And by the way, PDEs homework = suck. Just in case you ever wanted to know.