THE GARDEN OF PARADISE [3]
years. If you will open the
sack, sweetest mother, I will give you two pocketfuls of tea, green
and fresh as when I gathered it from the spot where it grew."
"Well, for the sake of the tea, and because you are my own boy,
I will open the bag."
She did so, and the South Wind crept out, looking quite cast down,
because the prince had seen his disgrace.
"There is a palm-leaf for the princess," he said. "The old
phoenix, the only one in the world, gave it to me himself. He has
scratched on it with his beak the whole of his history during the
hundred years he has lived. She can there read how the old phoenix set
fire to his own nest, and sat upon it while it was burning, like a
Hindoo widow. The dry twigs around the nest crackled and smoked till
the flames burst forth and consumed the phoenix to ashes. Amidst the
fire lay an egg, red hot, which presently burst with a loud report,
and out flew a young bird. He is the only phoenix in the world, and
the king over all the other birds. He has bitten a hole in the leaf
which I give you, and that is his greeting to the princess."
"Now let us have something to eat," said the mother of the
Winds. So they all sat down to feast on the roasted stag; and as the
prince sat by the side of the East Wind, they soon became good
friends.
"Pray tell me," said the prince, "who is that princess of whom you
have been talking! and where lies the garden of paradise?"
"Ho! ho!" said the East Wind, "would you like to go there? Well,
you can fly off with me to-morrow; but I must tell you one thing- no
human being has been there since the time of Adam and Eve. I suppose
you have read of them in your Bible."
"Of course I have," said the prince.
"Well," continued the East Wind, "when they were driven out of the
garden of paradise, it sunk into the earth; but it retained its warm
sunshine, its balmy air, and all its splendor. The fairy queen lives
there, in the island of happiness, where death never comes, and all is
beautiful. I can manage to take you there to-morrow, if you will sit
on my back. But now don't talk any more, for I want to go to sleep;"
and then they all slept.
When the prince awoke in the early morning, he was not a little
surprised at finding himself high up above the clouds. He was seated
on the back of the East Wind, who held him faithfully; and they were
so high in the air that woods and fields, rivers and lakes, as they
lay beneath them, looked like a painted map.
"Good morning," said the East Wind. "You might have slept on a
while; for there is very little to see in the flat country over
which we are passing unless you like to count the churches; they
look like spots of chalk on a green board." The green board was the
name he gave to the green fields and meadows.
"It was very rude of me not to say good-bye to your mother and
your brothers," said the prince.
"They will excuse you, as you were asleep," said the East Wind;
and then they flew on faster than ever.
The leaves and branches of the trees rustled as they passed.
When they flew over seas and lakes, the waves rose higher, and the
large ships dipped into the water like diving swans. As darkness
came on, towards evening, the great towns looked charming; lights were
sparkling, now seen now hidden, just as the sparks go out one after
another on a piece of burnt paper. The prince clapped his hands with
pleasure; but the East Wind advised him not to express his
admiration in that manner, or he might fall down, and find himself
hanging on a church steeple. The eagle in the dark forests flies
swiftly; but faster than he flew the East Wind. The Cossack, on his
small horse, rides lightly o'er the plains; but lighter still passed
the prince on the winds of the wind.
"There are the Himalayas, the highest mountains in Asia," said the
East Wind. "We shall soon reach the garden of paradise now."
Then, they turned southward, and the air became fragrant with
the
sack, sweetest mother, I will give you two pocketfuls of tea, green
and fresh as when I gathered it from the spot where it grew."
"Well, for the sake of the tea, and because you are my own boy,
I will open the bag."
She did so, and the South Wind crept out, looking quite cast down,
because the prince had seen his disgrace.
"There is a palm-leaf for the princess," he said. "The old
phoenix, the only one in the world, gave it to me himself. He has
scratched on it with his beak the whole of his history during the
hundred years he has lived. She can there read how the old phoenix set
fire to his own nest, and sat upon it while it was burning, like a
Hindoo widow. The dry twigs around the nest crackled and smoked till
the flames burst forth and consumed the phoenix to ashes. Amidst the
fire lay an egg, red hot, which presently burst with a loud report,
and out flew a young bird. He is the only phoenix in the world, and
the king over all the other birds. He has bitten a hole in the leaf
which I give you, and that is his greeting to the princess."
"Now let us have something to eat," said the mother of the
Winds. So they all sat down to feast on the roasted stag; and as the
prince sat by the side of the East Wind, they soon became good
friends.
"Pray tell me," said the prince, "who is that princess of whom you
have been talking! and where lies the garden of paradise?"
"Ho! ho!" said the East Wind, "would you like to go there? Well,
you can fly off with me to-morrow; but I must tell you one thing- no
human being has been there since the time of Adam and Eve. I suppose
you have read of them in your Bible."
"Of course I have," said the prince.
"Well," continued the East Wind, "when they were driven out of the
garden of paradise, it sunk into the earth; but it retained its warm
sunshine, its balmy air, and all its splendor. The fairy queen lives
there, in the island of happiness, where death never comes, and all is
beautiful. I can manage to take you there to-morrow, if you will sit
on my back. But now don't talk any more, for I want to go to sleep;"
and then they all slept.
When the prince awoke in the early morning, he was not a little
surprised at finding himself high up above the clouds. He was seated
on the back of the East Wind, who held him faithfully; and they were
so high in the air that woods and fields, rivers and lakes, as they
lay beneath them, looked like a painted map.
"Good morning," said the East Wind. "You might have slept on a
while; for there is very little to see in the flat country over
which we are passing unless you like to count the churches; they
look like spots of chalk on a green board." The green board was the
name he gave to the green fields and meadows.
"It was very rude of me not to say good-bye to your mother and
your brothers," said the prince.
"They will excuse you, as you were asleep," said the East Wind;
and then they flew on faster than ever.
The leaves and branches of the trees rustled as they passed.
When they flew over seas and lakes, the waves rose higher, and the
large ships dipped into the water like diving swans. As darkness
came on, towards evening, the great towns looked charming; lights were
sparkling, now seen now hidden, just as the sparks go out one after
another on a piece of burnt paper. The prince clapped his hands with
pleasure; but the East Wind advised him not to express his
admiration in that manner, or he might fall down, and find himself
hanging on a church steeple. The eagle in the dark forests flies
swiftly; but faster than he flew the East Wind. The Cossack, on his
small horse, rides lightly o'er the plains; but lighter still passed
the prince on the winds of the wind.
"There are the Himalayas, the highest mountains in Asia," said the
East Wind. "We shall soon reach the garden of paradise now."
Then, they turned southward, and the air became fragrant with
the