said she; "I thought youhad been to the garden of paradise."
  "I am going there to-morrow," he replied; "I have not been therefor a hundred years. I have just come from China, where I danced roundthe porcelain tower till all the bells jingled again. In the streetsan official flogging was taking place, and bamboo canes were beingbroken on the shoulders of men of every high position, from thefirst to the ninth grade. They cried, 'Many thanks, my fatherlybenefactor;' 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 thatyou are going to-morrow to the garden of paradise; you always getimproved in your education there. Drink deeply from the fountain ofwisdom while you are there, and bring home a bottleful for me."
  "That I will," said the East Wind; "but why have you put mybrother South in a bag? Let him out; for I want him to tell me aboutthe phoenix-bird. The princess always wants to hear of this birdwhen I pay her my visit every hundred years. If you will open thesack, sweetest mother, I will give you two pocketfuls of tea, greenand 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 oldphoenix, the only one in the world, gave it to me himself. He hasscratched on it with his beak the whole of his history during thehundred years he has lived. She can there read how the old phoenix setfire to his own nest, and sat upon it while it was burning, like aHindoo widow. The dry twigs around the nest crackled and smoked tillthe flames burst forth and consumed the phoenix to ashes. Amidst thefire 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, andthe king over all the other birds. He has bitten a hole in the leafwhich I give you, and that is his greeting to the princess."
  "Now let us have something to eat," said the mother of theWinds. So they all sat down to feast on the roasted stag; and as theprince sat by the side of the East Wind, they soon became goodfriends.
  "Pray tell me," said the prince, "who is that princess of whom youhave 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- nohuman being has been there since the time of Adam and Eve. I supposeyou 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 thegarden of paradise, it sunk into the earth; but it retained its warmsunshine, its balmy air, and all its splendor. The fairy queen livesthere, in the island of happiness, where death never comes, and all isbeautiful. I can manage to take you there to-morrow, if you will siton 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 littlesurprised at finding himself high up above the clouds. He was seatedon the back of the East Wind, who held him faithfully; and they wereso high in the air that woods and fields, rivers and lakes, as theylay beneath them, looked like a painted map.
  "Good morning," said the East Wind. "You might have slept on awhile; for there is very little to see in the flat country overwhich we are passing unless you like to count the churches; theylook like spots of chalk on a green board." The green board was thename he gave to the green fields and meadows.
  "It was very rude of me not to say good-bye to your mother andyour 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 thelarge ships dipped into the water like diving swans. As darknesscame on, towards evening, the great towns looked charming; lights weresparkling, now seen now hidden, just as the sparks go out one afteranother on a piece of burnt paper. The prince clapped his hands withpleasure; but the East Wind advised him not to express hisadmiration in that manner, or he might fall down, and find himselfhanging on a church steeple. The eagle in the dark forests fliesswiftly; but faster than he flew the East Wind. The Cossack, on hissmall horse, rides lightly o'er the plains; but lighter still passedthe prince on the winds of the wind.
  "There are the Himalayas, the highest mountains in Asia," said theEast Wind. "We shall soon reach the garden of paradise now."
  Then, they turned southward, and the air became fragrant withthe perfume of spices and flowers. Here figs and pomegranates grewwild, and the vines were covered with clusters of blue and purplegrapes. Here they both descended to the earth, and stretchedthemselves on the soft grass, while the flowers bowed to the breath ofthe wind as if to welcome it. "Are we now in the garden ofparadise?"