THE GARDEN OF PARADISE [2]
wild buffalo swimming in the river, but the
strong tide carried him away amidst a flock of wild ducks, which
flew into the air as the waters dashed onwards, leaving the buffalo to
be hurled over the waterfall. This pleased me; so I raised a storm,
which rooted up old trees, and sent them floating down the river."
"And what else have you done?" asked the old woman.
"I have rushed wildly across the savannahs; I have stroked the
wild horses, and shaken the cocoa-nuts from the trees. Yes, I have
many stories to relate; but I need not tell everything I know. You
know it all very well, don't you, old lady?" And he kissed his
mother so roughly, that she nearly fell backwards. Oh, he was, indeed,
a wild fellow.
Now in came the South Wind, with a turban and a flowing Bedouin
cloak.
"How cold it is here!" said he, throwing more wood on the fire.
"It is easy to feel that the North Wind has arrived here before me."
"Why it is hot enough here to roast a bear," said the North Wind.
"You are a bear yourself," said the other.
"Do you want to be put in the sack, both of you?" said the old
woman. "Sit down, now, on that stone, yonder, and tell me where you
have been."
"In Africa, mother. I went out with the Hottentots, who were
lion-hunting in the Kaffir land, where the plains are covered with
grass the color of a green olive; and here I ran races with the
ostrich, but I soon outstripped him in swiftness. At last I came to
the desert, in which lie the golden sands, looking like the bottom
of the sea. Here I met a caravan, and the travellers had just killed
their last camel, to obtain water; there was very little for them, and
they continued their painful journey beneath the burning sun, and over
the hot sands, which stretched before them a vast, boundless desert.
Then I rolled myself in the loose sand, and whirled it in burning
columns over their heads. The dromedarys stood still in terror,
while the merchants drew their caftans over their heads, and threw
themselves on the ground before me, as they do before Allah, their
god. Then I buried them beneath a pyramid of sand, which covers them
all. When I blow that away on my next visit, the sun will bleach their
bones, and travellers will see that others have been there before
them; otherwise, in such a wild desert, they might not believe it
possible."
"So you have done nothing but evil," said the mother. "Into the
sack with you;" and, before he was aware, she had seized the South
Wind round the body, and popped him into the bag. He rolled about on
the floor, till she sat herself upon him to keep him still.
"These boys of yours are very lively," said the prince.
"Yes," she replied, "but I know how to correct them, when
necessary; and here comes the fourth." In came the East Wind,
dressed like a Chinese.
"Oh, you come from that quarter, do you?" said she; "I thought you
had been to the garden of paradise."
"I am going there to-morrow," he replied; "I have not been there
for a hundred years. I have just come from China, where I danced round
the porcelain tower till all the bells jingled again. In the streets
an official flogging was taking place, and bamboo canes were being
broken on the shoulders of men of every high position, from the
first to the ninth grade. They cried, 'Many thanks, my fatherly
benefactor;' but I am sure the words did not come from their hearts,
so I rang the bells till they sounded, 'ding, ding-dong.'"
"You are a wild boy," said the old woman; "it is well for you that
you are going to-morrow to the garden of paradise; you always get
improved in your education there. Drink deeply from the fountain of
wisdom while you are there, and bring home a bottleful for me."
"That I will," said the East Wind; "but why have you put my
brother South in a bag? Let him out; for I want him to tell me about
the phoenix-bird. The princess always wants to hear of this bird
when I pay her my visit every hundred
strong tide carried him away amidst a flock of wild ducks, which
flew into the air as the waters dashed onwards, leaving the buffalo to
be hurled over the waterfall. This pleased me; so I raised a storm,
which rooted up old trees, and sent them floating down the river."
"And what else have you done?" asked the old woman.
"I have rushed wildly across the savannahs; I have stroked the
wild horses, and shaken the cocoa-nuts from the trees. Yes, I have
many stories to relate; but I need not tell everything I know. You
know it all very well, don't you, old lady?" And he kissed his
mother so roughly, that she nearly fell backwards. Oh, he was, indeed,
a wild fellow.
Now in came the South Wind, with a turban and a flowing Bedouin
cloak.
"How cold it is here!" said he, throwing more wood on the fire.
"It is easy to feel that the North Wind has arrived here before me."
"Why it is hot enough here to roast a bear," said the North Wind.
"You are a bear yourself," said the other.
"Do you want to be put in the sack, both of you?" said the old
woman. "Sit down, now, on that stone, yonder, and tell me where you
have been."
"In Africa, mother. I went out with the Hottentots, who were
lion-hunting in the Kaffir land, where the plains are covered with
grass the color of a green olive; and here I ran races with the
ostrich, but I soon outstripped him in swiftness. At last I came to
the desert, in which lie the golden sands, looking like the bottom
of the sea. Here I met a caravan, and the travellers had just killed
their last camel, to obtain water; there was very little for them, and
they continued their painful journey beneath the burning sun, and over
the hot sands, which stretched before them a vast, boundless desert.
Then I rolled myself in the loose sand, and whirled it in burning
columns over their heads. The dromedarys stood still in terror,
while the merchants drew their caftans over their heads, and threw
themselves on the ground before me, as they do before Allah, their
god. Then I buried them beneath a pyramid of sand, which covers them
all. When I blow that away on my next visit, the sun will bleach their
bones, and travellers will see that others have been there before
them; otherwise, in such a wild desert, they might not believe it
possible."
"So you have done nothing but evil," said the mother. "Into the
sack with you;" and, before he was aware, she had seized the South
Wind round the body, and popped him into the bag. He rolled about on
the floor, till she sat herself upon him to keep him still.
"These boys of yours are very lively," said the prince.
"Yes," she replied, "but I know how to correct them, when
necessary; and here comes the fourth." In came the East Wind,
dressed like a Chinese.
"Oh, you come from that quarter, do you?" said she; "I thought you
had been to the garden of paradise."
"I am going there to-morrow," he replied; "I have not been there
for a hundred years. I have just come from China, where I danced round
the porcelain tower till all the bells jingled again. In the streets
an official flogging was taking place, and bamboo canes were being
broken on the shoulders of men of every high position, from the
first to the ninth grade. They cried, 'Many thanks, my fatherly
benefactor;' but I am sure the words did not come from their hearts,
so I rang the bells till they sounded, 'ding, ding-dong.'"
"You are a wild boy," said the old woman; "it is well for you that
you are going to-morrow to the garden of paradise; you always get
improved in your education there. Drink deeply from the fountain of
wisdom while you are there, and bring home a bottleful for me."
"That I will," said the East Wind; "but why have you put my
brother South in a bag? Let him out; for I want him to tell me about
the phoenix-bird. The princess always wants to hear of this bird
when I pay her my visit every hundred