butihowledlouderthanthey.theywereobligedtounloadtheircargo,andthrowtheirchestsandthedeadwalrusesontheice.thenisprinkledsnowoverthem,andleftthemintheircrushedboatstodriftsouthward,andtotastesaltwater.theywillneverreturntobear'sisland."

"soyouhavedonemischief,"saidthemotherofthewinds.

"ishallleaveotherstotellthegoodihavedone,"hereplied."butherecomesmybrotherfromthewest;ilikehimbestofall,forhehasthesmelloftheseaabouthim,andbringsinacold,freshairasheenters."

"isthatthelittlezephyr?"askedtheprince.

"yes,itisthelittlezephyr,"saidtheoldwoman;"butheisnotlittlenow.inyearsgonebyhewasabeautifulboy;nowthatisallpast."

hecamein,lookinglikeawildman,andheworeaslouchedhattoprotecthisheadfrominjury.inhishandhecarriedaclub,cutfromamahoganytreeintheamericanforests,notatrifletocarry.

"whencedoyoucome?"askedthemother.

"icomefromthewildsoftheforests,wherethethornybramblesformthickhedgesbetweenthetrees;wherethewater-snakeliesinthewetgrass,andmankindseemtobeunknown."

"whatwereyoudoingthere?"

"ilookedintothedeepriver,andsawitrushingdownfromtherocks.thewaterdropsmountedtothecloudsandglitteredintherainbow.isawthewildbuffaloswimmingintheriver,butthestrongtidecarriedhimawayamidstaflockofwildducks,whichflewintotheairasthewatersdashedonwards,leavingthebuffalotobehurledoverthewaterfall.thispleasedme;soiraisedastorm,whichrootedupoldtrees,andsentthemfloatingdowntheriver."

"andwhatelsehaveyoudone?"askedtheoldwoman.

"ihaverushedwildlyacrossthesavannahs;ihavestrokedthewildhorses,andshakenthecocoa-nutsfromthetrees.yes,ihavemanystoriestorelate;butineednottelleverythingiknow.youknowitallverywell,don'tyou,oldlady?"andhekissedhismothersoroughly,thatshenearlyfellbackwards.oh,hewas,indeed,awildfellow.

nowincamethesouthwind,withaturbanandaflowingbedouincloak.

"howcolditishere!"saidhe,throwingmorewoodonthefire."itiseasytofeelthatthenorthwindhasarrivedherebeforeme."

"whyitishotenoughheretoroastabear,"saidthenorthwind.

"youareabearyourself,"saidtheother.

"doyouwanttobeputinthesack,bothofyou?"saidtheoldwoman."sitdown,now,onthatstone,yonder,andtellmewhereyouhavebeen."

"inafrica,mother.iwentoutwiththehottentots,whowerelion-huntinginthekaffirland,wheretheplainsarecoveredwithgrassthecolorofagreenolive;andhereiranraceswiththeostrich,butisoonoutstrippedhiminswiftness.atlasticametothedesert,inwhichliethegoldensands,lookinglikethebottomofthesea.hereimetacaravan,andthetravellershadjustkilledtheirlastcamel,toobtainwater;therewasverylittleforthem,andtheycontinuedtheirpainfuljourneybeneaththeburningsun,andoverthehotsands,whichstretchedbeforethemavast,boundlessirolledmyselfintheloosesand,andwhirleditinburningcolumnsovertheirheads.thedromedarysstoodstillinterror,whilethemerchantsdrewtheircaftansovertheirheads,andthrewthemselvesonthegroundbeforeme,astheydobeforeallah,theirgod.theniburiedthembeneathapyramidofsand,whichcoversthemall.wheniblowthatawayonmynextvisit,thesunwillbleachtheirbones,andtravellerswillseethatothershavebeentherebeforethem;otherwise,insuchawilddesert,theymightnotbelieveitpossible."

"soyouhavedonenothingbutevil,"saidthemother."intothesackwithyou;"and,beforehewasaware,shehadseizedthesouthwindroundthebody,andpoppedhimintothebag.herolledaboutonthefloor,tillshesatherselfuponhimtokeephimstill.

"theseboysofyoursareverylively,"saidtheprince.

"yes,"shereplied,"butiknowhowtocorrectthem,whennecessary;andherecomesthefourth."incametheeastwind,dressedlikeachinese.

"oh,youcomefromthatquarter,doyou?"