THE TOWER OF THE ROBBERS = HOTEL CALIFORNIA?

When the prince heard these encouraging words he felt much comforted, rose up, and ate, and then went away gladly with his friend.
On the way they met two men. These two men belonged to a family of robbers. There were eleven of them altogether. One, an elder sister, stayed at home and cooked the food, and the other ten--all her brothers--went out, two and two, and walked about the four different ways that ran through that part of the country, robbing those travellers who could not resist them, and inviting others, who were too powerful for two of, them to manage, to come and rest at their house, where the whole family attacked them and stole their goods. These thieves lived in a kind of tower, which had several strong-rooms in it, and under it was a great pit, or dungeon, wherein they threw the corpses of the poor unfortunates who chanced to fall into their power.
The two men came forward, and, politely accosting them, begged them to come and stay at their house for the night. "It is late," they said, "and there is not another village within several miles."
"Shall we accept this good man's invitation, brother?" asked the prince.
The vizier's son frowned slightly in token of disapproval; but the prince was tired, and thinking that it was only a whim of his friend's, he said to the men, " Very well. It is very kind of you to ask us."
So they all four went to the robbers' tower.
Seated in a room, with the door fastened on the outside, the two travellers bemoaned their fate.
"It is no good groaning," said the' vizier's son. "I will climb to the window, and see whether, there are any means of escape. Yes! yes!" he whispered, when he had reached the window-hole. "Below there is a ditch surrounded by a high wall. I will jump down and reconnoitre. You stay here and wait till I return."
Presently he came back and told the prince that he had seen a most ugly woman, whom he supposed was the robbers' housekeeper. She had agreed to release them on the promise of her marriage with the prince.
So this woman, the robber sister, led the way out of the enclosure by a secret door.
"But where are the horses and the goods?" the vizier's son inquired.
"You cannot bring them," the woman said. "To go out by any other way would be to thrust oneself into the grave."
"All right then; they also shall go out by this door. I have a charm, whereby I can make them thin or fat as I please." So the vizier's son fetched the horses without any person knowing it, and repeating the charm, he made them pass through the narrow doorway like pieces of cloth, and when they were all outside restored them to their former condition. He at once mounted his horse and laid hold of the halter of one of the other horses, and then beckoning to the prince to do likewise, he rode off. The prince saw his opportunity, and in a moment was riding after him, having the woman behind him.
Now the robbers heard the galloping of the horses, and ran out and shot their arrows at the prince and his two companions. And one of the arrows killed the woman, so they had to leave her behind.
On, on they rode, until they reached a village where they stayed the night. The following morning they were off again, and ...
(On the return trip, at the end of the quest)
In the midst of the way they passed the tower of the robbers, and with the help of the soldiers they razed it to the ground, slew all its inmates, and seized the treasure which they had been amassing there for several years.


(Subplot from a Sankrit fairy tale, 16th-17th century CE, oral tradition collected by Joseph Jacobs)


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On a dark desert highway, 
cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, 
rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, 
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim;
I had to stop for the night...

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
and I was thinking to myself:
'This could be heaven or this could be hell...'
Then she lit up a candle 
and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face...
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year) 
you can find it here...

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, 
she's got the Mercedes Bends
She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, 
that she calls friends...
How they dance in the courtyard, 
sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, 
some dance to forget...

So I called up the Captain,
'Please bring me my wine'
He said, 'we haven't had that spirit here since 

1969.'
And still those voices are calling from 
fa-a-a-a-ar away,
they wake you up in the middle of the night
just to hear them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
such a lovely face...
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), 

bring your alibis...

Mirrors on the ceiling,

pink champagne on ice...
She said, 'we are all just prisoners here, 

of our own device'
In the master's chambers,
they gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
but they just can't kill the beast!

Last thing I remember, 

I was running for the door;
I had to find the passage back 

to the place I was before
'Relax' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like, but...

you can never leave!'

(Hotel California - Glenn Frey/Eagles - 1976)

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Creeping up the blind side, shinning up the wall
stealing through the dark of night,
climbing through a window, stepping to the floor
checking to the left and the right...
Picking up the pieces, putting them away...
Something doesn't feel quite right!

Help me someone, let me out of here!!
Then out of the dark was suddenly heard
'Welcome to the Home by the Sea.'

Coming out the woodwork, through the open door
pushing from above and below,
shadows with no substance, in the shape of men...
Round and down and sideways they go
adrift without direction, eyes that hold despair...
then as one they sigh and they moan:

Help us someone, let us out of here!!
we're living here so long undisturbed
dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago...
before the time when we first heard
'Welcome to the Home by the Sea.'

Sit down, sit down, sit dow-ow-own
as we relive our lives in what we tell you

Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
things that go to make up a life
Endless days of summer, longer nights of gloom
waiting for the morning light
Scenes of unimportance, photos in their frames;
things that go to make up a life

Help us someone, let us out of here!!
We're living here, so long undisturbed,
dreaming of the time we were free...
So many years ago...
before the time when we first heard
'Welcome to the Home by the Sea.'

Sit down, sit down, sit dow-ow-own
as we relive our lives in what we tell you!!
Let us relive our lives in what we tell you!!

Sit down, sit down, sit dow-ow-own!!
Cause you won't get away, for
with us you will stay
for the rest of your days, so sit down
as we relive our lives in what we tell you!!
Let us relive our lives in what we tell you!!

(First Home by the Sea - Phil Collins/Genesis - 1983)

Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
things that go to make up a life
endless days of summer, longer nights of gloom
waiting for the morning light
scenes of unimportance, photos in their frames;
things that go to make up a life...

As we relive our lives in what we tell you!!

(Second Home by the Sea - Phil Collins/Genesis - 1983)