saidshe;"ithoughtyouhadbeentothegardenofparadise."

"iamgoingthereto-morrow,"hereplied;"ihavenotbeenthereforahundredyears.ihavejustcomefromchina,whereidancedroundtheporcelaintowertillallthebellsjingledagain.inthestreetsanofficialfloggingwastakingplace,andbamboocaneswerebeingbrokenontheshouldersofmenofeveryhighposition,fromthefirsttotheninthgrade.theycried,'manythanks,myfatherlybenefactor;'butiamsurethewordsdidnotcomefromtheirhearts,soirangthebellstilltheysounded,'ding,ding-dong.'"

"youareawildboy,"saidtheoldwoman;"itiswellforyouthatyouaregoingto-morrowtothegardenofparadise;youalwaysgetimprovedinyoureducationthere.drinkdeeplyfromthefountainofwisdomwhileyouarethere,andbringhomeabottlefulforme."

"thatiwill,"saidtheeastwind;"butwhyhaveyouputmybrothersouthinabag?lethimout;foriwanthimtotellmeaboutthephoenix-bird.theprincessalwayswantstohearofthisbirdwhenipayhermyvisiteveryhundredyears.ifyouwillopenthesack,sweetestmother,iwillgiveyoutwopocketfulsoftea,greenandfreshaswhenigathereditfromthespotwhereitgrew."

"well,forthesakeofthetea,andbecauseyouaremyownboy,iwillopenthebag."

shedidso,andthesouthwindcreptout,lookingquitecastdown,becausetheprincehadseenhisdisgrace.

"thereisapalm-leaffortheprincess,"hesaid."theoldphoenix,theonlyoneintheworld,gaveittomehimself.hehasscratchedonitwithhisbeakthewholeofhishistoryduringthehundredyearshehaslived.shecantherereadhowtheoldphoenixsetfiretohisownnest,andsatuponitwhileitwasburning,likeahindoowidow.thedrytwigsaroundthenestcrackledandsmokedtilltheflamesburstforthandconsumedthephoenixtoashes.amidstthefirelayanegg,redhot,whichpresentlyburstwithaloudreport,andoutflewayoungbird.heistheonlyphoenixintheworld,andthekingoveralltheotherbirds.hehasbittenaholeintheleafwhichigiveyou,andthatishisgreetingtotheprincess."

"nowletushavesomethingtoeat,"saidthemotherofthewinds.sotheyallsatdowntofeastontheroastedstag;andastheprincesatbythesideoftheeastwind,theysoonbecamegoodfriends.

"praytellme,"saidtheprince,"whoisthatprincessofwhomyouhavebeentalking!andwhereliesthegardenofparadise?"

"ho!ho!"saidtheeastwind,"wouldyouliketogothere?well,youcanflyoffwithmeto-morrow;butimusttellyouonething-nohumanbeinghasbeentheresincethetimeofadamandeve.isupposeyouhavereadoftheminyourbible."

"ofcourseihave,"saidtheprince.

"well,"continuedtheeastwind,"whentheyweredrivenoutofthegardenofparadise,itsunkintotheearth;butitretaineditswarmsunshine,itsbalmyair,andallitssplendor.thefairyqueenlivesthere,intheislandofhappiness,wheredeathnevercomes,andallisbeautiful.icanmanagetotakeyouthereto-morrow,ifyouwillsitonmyback.butnowdon'ttalkanymore,foriwanttogotosleep;"andthentheyallslept.

whentheprinceawokeintheearlymorning,hewasnotalittlesurprisedatfindinghimselfhighupabovetheclouds.hewasseatedonthebackoftheeastwind,whoheldhimfaithfully;andtheyweresohighintheairthatwoodsandfields,riversandlakes,astheylaybeneaththem,lookedlikeapaintedmap.

"goodmorning,"saidtheeastwind."youmighthavesleptonawhile;forthereisverylittletoseeintheflatcountryoverwhichwearepassingunlessyouliketocountthechurches;theylooklikespotsofchalkonagreenboard."thegreenboardwasthenamehegavetothegreenfieldsandmeadows.

"itwasveryrudeofmenottosaygood-byetoyourmotherandyourbrothers,"saidtheprince.

"theywillexcuseyou,asyouwereasleep,"saidtheeastwind;andthentheyflewonfasterthanever.

theleavesandbranchesofthetreesrustledastheytheyflewoverseasandlakes,thewavesrosehigher,andthelargeshipsdippedintothewaterlikedivingswans.asdarknesscameon,towardsevening,thegreattownslookedcharming;lightsweresparkling,nowseennowhidden,justasthesparksgooutoneafteranotheronapieceofburntpaper.theprinceclappedhishandswithpleasure;buttheeastwindadvisedhimnottoexpresshisadmirationinthatmanner,orhemightfalldown,andfindhimselfhangingonachurchsteeple.theeagleinthedarkforestsfliesswiftly;butfasterthanheflewtheeastwind.thecossack,onhissmallhorse,rideslightlyo'ertheplains;butlighterstillpassedtheprinceonthewindsofthewind.

"therearethehimalayas,thehighestmountainsinasia,"saidtheeastwind."weshallsoonreachthegardenofparadisenow."

then,theyturnedsouthward,andtheairbecamefragrantwiththeperfumeofspicesandflowers.herefigsandpomegranatesgrewwild,andthevineswerecoveredwithclustersofblueandpurplegrapes.heretheybothdescendedtotheearth,andstretchedthemselvesonthesoftgrass,whiletheflowersbowedtothebreathofthewindasiftowelcomeit."arewenowinthegardenofparadise?"