“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.
