“I looked into the deep river， and saw it rushing down from the rocks. The water drops mounted to the clouds and glittered in the rainbow. I saw the 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 theHottentots， who were lion-hunting in the Kaffirland， where the plains are covered with grass thecolor of a GREen olive; and here I ran races with theostrich， but I soon outstripped him in swiftness.At last I came to the desert， in which lie the goldensands， looking like the bottom of the sea. Here Imet a caravan， and the travellers had just killedtheir last camel， to obtain water; there was verylittle for them， and they continued their painfuljourney beneath the burning sun， and over the hotsands， which stretched before them a vast， boundless desert. Then I rolled myself in theloose sand， and whirled it in burning columns over their heads. The dromedarys stood still interror， while the merchants drew their caftans over their heads， and threw themselves onthe ground before me， as they do before Allah， their god. Then I buried them beneath apyramid of sand， which covers them all. When I blow that away on my next visit， the sun willbleach 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 intothe 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 comesthe 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 thegarden of paradise.”
“I am going there to-morrow，” he replied; “I have not been there for a hundred years. Ihave just come from China， where I danced round the porcelain tower till all the bells jingledagain. In the streets an official flogging was taking place， and bamboo canes were beingbroken on the shoulders of men of every high position， from the first to the ninth grade. Theycried， 'Many thanks， my fatherly benefactor;' but I am sure the words did not come fromtheir 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-morrowto the garden of paradise; you always get improved in your education there. Drink deeply fromthe 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? Lethim out; for I want him to tell me about the phoenix-bird. The princess always wants to hearof this bird when I pay her my visit every hundred years. If you will open the sack， sweetestmother， I will give you two pocketfuls of tea， GREen and fresh as when I gathered it from thespot 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 princehad seen his disgrace.
“there is a palm-leaf for the princess，” he said. “The old phoenix， the only one in theworld， gave it to me himself. He has scratched on it with his beak the whole of his historyduring the hundred years he has lived. She can there read how the old phoenix set fire to hisown nest， and sat upon it while it was burning， like a Hindoo widow. The dry twigs around thenest 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 ayoung bird. He is the only phoenix in the world， and the king over all the other birds. He hasbitten 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 tofeast on the roasted stag; and as the prince sat by the side of the East Wind， they soonbecame good friends.
“Pray tell me，” said the prince， “who is that princess of whom you have been talking! andwhere lies the garden of paradise?”
“Ho! ho!” said the East Wind， “would you like to go there? Well， you can fly off withme to-morrow; but I must tell you one thing—no human being has been there since the timeof Adam and Eve. I suppose you have read of them in your Bible.”
“Of course I have，” said the prince.