Golden Grain Garnered from the World's Great Harvest-field of Knowledge: Comprising Selections from the Ablest Modern Writers of Prose, Poetry, and Legendary Lore
General
Golden Grain Garnered from the World's Great Harvest-field of Knowledge: Comprising Selections from the Ablest Modern Writers of Prose, Poetry, and Legendary Lore
American literature
"Well, yes, I do know where it is," said the north wind; I once blew
an aspen leaf thither, but I was so tired that I wasn't able to blow
for many days after. But if you really intend going there and you are
not afraid to come with me, I will take you on my back and try if I can
blow you so far."--Yes, she was willing; she must go thither, if it
were possible, one way or another, and she wasn't a bit afraid, go how
it would.
"Very well!" said the north wind, "you must stop here to-night then,
for we must have a whole day before us and perhaps more, if we are to
reach it."
Early next morning the north wind called her, and then he blew himself
out and made himself so big and strong that he was terrible to look at.
Away they went, high up through the air at such a fearful speed, as if
they were going to the end of the world. There was such a hurricane on
land that trees and houses were blown down, and when they came out on
the big sea, ships were wrecked by hundreds. And onwards they swept,
so far, far, that no one would believe how far they went, and still
farther and farther out to sea, till the north wind got more and more
tired and so used up that he was scarcely able to give another blow,
and was sinking and going down more and more; and at last they were so
low that the tops of the billows touched their heels.
"Are you afraid?" said the north wind.--"No," she said, she wasn't a
bit afraid. But they were not so very far from land either, and the
north wind had just sufficient strength left to reach the shore and put
her off just under the windows of the castle which lay east of the sun
and west of the moon; but he was then so tired and worn out that he
had to rest for many days before he could start on his way home again.
Next morning she sat down under the castle windows, and began playing
with the golden apple, and the first one she saw was the princess with
the long nose, whom the prince was going to marry.
"What do you want for that golden apple of yours?" she asked, and
opened the casement.--"It is not for sale, neither for gold nor
money," said the girl.--"If it isn't for sale for gold or money, what
do you want for it then?" said the princess; "I'll give you what you
ask!"--"Well, if I to-night may sit in the arm-chair by the bedside
of the prince who lives here, you shall have it," said the girl who
came with the north wind.--Yes, she might do that, there would be no
difficulty about that.
So the princess got the golden apple; but when the girl came up into
the prince's bedroom in the evening, he was fast asleep; she called him
and shook him, and now and then she cried and wept; but no, she could
not wake him up so that she might speak to him. Next morning, as soon
as the day dawned, the princess with the long nose came and turned her
out of the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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