Fairy Tales, Their Origin and Meaning; With Some Account of Dwellers in FairylandBunce, John Thackray
History
Fairy Tales, Their Origin and Meaning; With Some Account of Dwellers in Fairyland
Bunce, John Thackray
Fairy tales -- History and criticism
carding comb; and she asked her the way to the Land East of the Sun and
West of the Moon? But this old woman couldn't tell her, and bade her
go on to another old woman, a long way off. And she gave her the golden
carding comb, and lent her a horse just like the first one. And the
third old woman was playing with a golden spinning wheel; and she gave
this to the wife of the White Bear, and lent her another horse, and told
her to ride on to the East Wind, and ask him the way to the enchanted
land. Now after a weary journey she got to the home of the East Wind,
and he said he had heard of the Enchanted Prince, and of the country
East of the Sun and West of the Moon, but he did not know where it was,
for he had never been so far. But, he said, "Get on my back, and we will
go to my brother the West Wind; perhaps he knows." So they sailed off to
the West Wind, and told him the story, and he took it quite kindly,
but said he didn't know the way. But perhaps his brother the South Wind
might know; and they would go to him. So the White Bear's wife got
on the back of the West Wind, and he blew straight away to the
dwelling-place of the South Wind, and asked him where to find the Land
East of the Sun and West of the Moon. But the South Wind said that
although he had blown pretty nearly everywhere, he had never blown
there; but he would take her to his brother the North Wind, the oldest,
and strongest, and wisest Wind of all; and he would be sure to know.
Now the North Wind was very cross at being disturbed, and he used bad
language, and was quite rude and unpleasant. But he was a kind Wind
after all, and when his brother the West Wind told him the story, he
became quite fatherly, and said he would do what he could, for he knew
the Land East of the Sun and West of the Moon very well. But, he said,
"It is a long way off; so far off that once in my life I blew an aspen
leaf there, and was so tired with it that I couldn't blow or puff for
ever so many days after." So they rested that night, and next morning
the North Wind puffed himself out, and got stout, and big, and strong,
ready for the journey; and the maiden got upon his back, and away they
went to the country East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It was a
terrible journey, high up in the air, in a great storm, and over the
mountains and the sea, and before they got to the end of it the North
Wind grew very tired, and drooped, and nearly fell into the sea, and got
so low down that the crests of the waves washed over him. But he blew as
hard as he could, and at last he put the maiden down on the shore, just
in front of the Enchanted Castle that stood in the Land East of the Sun
and West of the Moon; and there he had to stop and rest many days before
he became strong enough to blow home again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account