He looked like a wild man， but he had a broad-brimmed hat on， to save his face. In his hand he held a club of mahogany， hewn in the American mahogany forests. It was no trifle.

\"Where do you come from?\" said his mother.

\"Out of the forest wilderness，\" said he， \"where the thorny creepers make a fence between every tree， where the water-snake lies in the wet grass， and people don't seem to be wanted.\"

\"What were you doing there?\"

\"I looked into the deepest river， and watched how it rushed down from the rocks， and turned to spray， and shot up towards the clouds to carry the rainbow. I saw the wild buffalo swimming in the stream， but the stream carried him away. He drifted with the flock of wild ducks that flew up where the water fell down in a cataract. The buffalo had to go down it! That pleased me， and I blew a storm， so that ancient trees were split up into splinters!\"

\"And have you done nothing else?\" asked the old dame.

\"I have thrown somersaults in the Savannahs; I have stroked the wild horses and shaken the coconut palms. Yes， yes， I have stories to tell!But one must not tell all one knows. You know that， old lady.\"

And he kissed his mother so roughly that she almost tumbled over. He was a terribly wild young fellow!

Now came the South Wind， with a turban on and a flying Bedouin's cloak.

\"It's terribly cold in here!\" cried he， and threw some more wood on the fire. \"One can feel that the North Wind came first.\"

\"It's so hot that one could roast a Polar bear here，\" said the North Wind.

\"You're a Polar bear yourself，\" retorted the South Wind.

\"Do you want to be put in the sack?\" asked the old dame. \"Sit upon the stone yonder and tell me where you have been.\"

\"In Africa， mother，\" he answered. \"I was out hunting the lion with the Hottentots in the land of the Kaffirs. Grass grows there in the plains， green as an olive. There the ostrich ran races with me， but I am swifter than he. I came into the desert where the yellow sand lies: it looks there like the bottom of the sea. I met a caravan. The people were killing their last camel to get water to drink， but it was very little they got. The sun burned above and the sand below. The outspread deserts had no bounds. Then I rolled in the fine loose sand， and whirled it up in great pillars. That was a dance! You should have seen how dejected the dromedary stood there， and the merchant drew the caftan over his head. He threw himself down before me， as before Allah， his God. Now they are buried--a pyramid of sand covers them all. When I some day blow that away， the sun will bleach the white bones; then travelers may see that men have been there before them. Otherwise， one would not believe that， in the desert!\"

\"So you have done nothing but evil!\" exclaimed the mother. \"March into the sack!\"

And before he was aware， she had seized the South Wind round the body， and popped him into the bag. He rolled about on the floor; but she sat down on the sack， and then he had to keep quiet.

\"Those are lively boys of yours，\" said the Prince.

\"Yes，\" she replied， \"and I know how to punish them! Here comes the fourth!\"

That was the East Wind， who came dressed like a Chinaman.

\"Oh!Do you come from that region?\" said his mother. \"I thought you had been in the Garden of Paradise.\"

\"I don't fly there till tomorrow，\" said the East Wind. \"It will be a hundred years tomorrow since I was there. I come from China now， where I danced around the porcelain tower till all the bells jingled again! In the streets the officials were being thrashed: the bamboos were broken upon their shoulders， yet they were high people， from the first to the ninth grade. They cried， 'Many thanks， my paternal benefactor! ' But it didn't come from their hearts. And I rang the bells and sang， 'Tsing， tsang， tsu! '\"

\"You are foolish，\" said the old dame. \"It is a good thing that you are going into the Garden of Paradise tomorrow; that always helps on your education. Drink bravely out of the spring of Wisdom， and bring home a little bottlefull for me.\"

\"That I will do，\" said the East Wind. \"But why have you clapped my brother South in the bag? Out with him! He shall tell me about the Phoenix bird， for about that bird the Princess in the Garden of Paradise always wants to hear， when I pay my visit every hundredth year. Open the sack， then you shall be my sweetest of mothers， and I will give you two pocketfuls of tea， green and fresh as I plucked it at the place where it grew!\"

\"Well， for the sake of the tea， and because you are my darling boy， I will open the sack.\"

She did so， and the South Wind crept out; but he looked quite downcast， because the strange Prince had seen his disgrace.

\"There you have a palm leaf for the Princess，\" said the South Wind. \"This palm leaf was given me by the Phoenix bird， the only one now in the world. With his beak he has scratched upon it a description of all the hundred years he has lived. Now she may read it all herself. I saw how the Phoenix bird set fire to his nest， and sat upon it， and was burned to death like a Hindoo's widow. How the dry branches crackled! What a smoke and a perfume there was! At last everything burst into flame， and the old Phoenix turned to ashes， but his egg lay red-hot in the fire; it burst with a great bang， and the young one flew out. Now this young one is ruler over all the birds， and the only Phoenix in the world. It has bitten a hole in the palm leaf I have given you: that is a greeting to the Princess.\"

\"Let us have something to eat，\" said the mother of the Winds.

And now they all sat down to eat of the roasted deer. The Prince sat beside the East Wind， and they soon became good friends.

\"Just tell me，\" said the Prince， \"what Princess is that about whom there is so much talk here? and where does the Garden of Paradise lie?\"

\"Ho， ho!\" said the East Wind，\"do you want to go there? Well， then， fly tomorrow with me! But I must tell you， however， that no man has been there since the time of Adam and Eve. You have read of them in your Bible history?\"

\"Yes，\" said the Prince.

\"When they were driven away， the Garden of Paradise sank into the earth; But it kept its warm sunshine， its mild air， and all its splendour， the Queen of the Fairies lives there， and there lies the Island of Happiness， where death never comes， and where it is beautiful. Sit upon my back tomorrow， and I will take you with me; I think it can very well be done. But now leave off talking， for I want to sleep.\"

And then they all went to rest.

In the early morning the Prince awoke， and was not a little astonished to find himself high above the clouds. He was sitting on the back of the East Wind， who was faithfully holding him. They were so high in the air， that the woods and fields， rivers and lakes， looked as if they were painted on a map below them.

\"Good morning！\" said the East Wind. \"You might very well sleep a little longer， for there is not much to be seen on the flat country under us， unless you care to count the churches. They stand like dots of chalk on the green carpet.\"

What he called green carpet was field and meadow.

\"It was rude of me not to say good-bye to your mother and your brothers，\" said the Prince.

\"When one is asleep one must be excused，\" replied the East Wind.

他看上去像個(gè)野人，不過他戴著寬邊帽，好擋住自己的臉。他手持一根從美洲桃花木林里搞來的桃花木棒。那東西可真不小。

“你從哪兒來?”他的媽媽問。

“從野外的森林來，”他說，“在那里，長滿刺的藤在樹與樹之間圍起了一道籬笆，水蛇潛伏在濕草里，人類在那里似乎沒有用武之地?！?/p>

“你到那兒去干什么?”

“我朝一條最深的河里瞧，看它是怎么從巖石上奔流而下，水花四濺，沖向云彩，托起一道彩虹的。我看見野水牛在河里游泳，但水流將它沖跑了。它和一群鴨子一起順流而下，但鴨子在形成瀑布的地方一飛而起，而水牛卻被沖落了下去。我覺得太好玩了，就吹起一陣風(fēng)暴，將老樹吹斷，掉進(jìn)水里?！?/p>

“你還干了點(diǎn)別的什么嗎?”老太太問。

“我還在大草原上翻跟頭。我撞了撞野馬，搖了搖椰子樹。是的，是的，我還有故事要講!但一個(gè)人不能把自己的故事全都說出來。您知道這個(gè)道理，老太太?！?/p>

于是他使勁地吻了媽媽，差點(diǎn)讓她摔倒。他可真是個(gè)粗野的家伙!

這時(shí)南風(fēng)到了。他頭戴頭巾，身披一件流浪漢穿的披風(fēng)。

“這兒可真冷呀!”他叫道。他朝火堆上添些柴禾，說：“誰都能感到北風(fēng)先到這里來了。”

“這兒真熱，簡直可以烤一只北極熊了!”北風(fēng)說道。

“你自己就是一頭北極熊!”南風(fēng)反唇相譏。

“你想被扎進(jìn)袋子里嗎?”老太太問，“在那塊石頭上坐著，給我講講你都去了哪里?！?/p>

“在非洲，媽媽，”他答道，“我在卡菲爾人的土地上，和霍屯督人一起獵獅子。平原上長滿了青草，綠得像橄欖樹一樣。鴕鳥和我賽跑，我比它快多了。我走進(jìn)沙漠，那兒黃沙遍野，看起來像海底一樣。我遇到了一個(gè)駱駝隊(duì)，他們殺掉了最后一只駱駝，好解解渴。但這也解決不了什么問題。頭頂烈日，腳踩黃沙，茫茫沙漠無邊無際。然后我就在松軟的沙地上打起了滾，卷起了一個(gè)沙柱。那才叫舞蹈呢!你可以看見獨(dú)峰駝沮喪地站在那兒，商人用長袍遮住腦袋。他倒在我面前，正如倒在他的真主安拉面前一樣?，F(xiàn)在他們已經(jīng)被掩埋了——沙子形成的金字塔罩在他們上面。等哪天我吹掉沙丘后，太陽將烤白那些枯骨。后來的旅行者可以發(fā)現(xiàn)那些先行者。不然的話，誰也不會(huì)相信沙漠里竟會(huì)發(fā)生這種事!”

“這樣看來你凈做壞事了!”媽媽喊道，“鉆進(jìn)袋子里去!”

他還沒有反應(yīng)過來，媽媽就抱住南風(fēng)，將他塞進(jìn)袋子里。他在地上直打滾，但媽媽坐到袋子上面，他也就只好老老實(shí)實(shí)的了。

“他們真是您淘氣的孩子!”王子說。

“是的，”她答道，“我知道怎么治他們!瞧，老四又來了!”

回來的是東風(fēng)，他的穿著打扮像個(gè)中國人。

“啊，你是從天堂花園來嗎?”風(fēng)媽媽說，“我想你到過那兒。”

“我要等到明天才去那里呢，”東風(fēng)說，“從我上一次到那兒算起，已經(jīng)有一百年的時(shí)間了。這次我是從中國來，我在瓷塔上跳舞，直到把所有的鐘都弄得當(dāng)當(dāng)響。官員在大街上挨了一頓痛打，竹條都被抽斷了。他們可都是些高官，從一品直到九品。他們叫道，‘謝主隆恩’，但這可不是他們的心里話。我就敲著鐘唱道，‘叮，口當(dāng)，咣!’”

“你真是個(gè)小笨瓜，”老太太說，“好在你明天就要去天堂花園了，那對你會(huì)有所教益的。你就盡情地在智泉里痛飲吧，別忘了給我也帶上一瓶回來?！?/p>

“我會(huì)的，”東風(fēng)說，“但您為什么把我的南風(fēng)哥哥扎進(jìn)袋子里呀?放他出來吧。他會(huì)告訴我關(guān)于鳳凰的事，因?yàn)樵谖颐扛粢话倌耆グ菰L的時(shí)候，天堂花園里的公主總想聽到有關(guān)這種鳥的事兒。放開袋子，那您就是我最最親愛的媽媽了。我給您兩包茶葉，新鮮碧綠，是我在原產(chǎn)地摘的?！?/p>

“好吧，看在茶葉的份上，再說你也是我最寵愛的孩子，我就打開袋子吧?！?/p>

她就這么辦了，南風(fēng)爬了出來。但他顯得垂頭喪氣，因?yàn)槟吧耐踝诱迷趫?，看到了他的窘相?/p>

“你給公主帶上那片棕櫚葉吧，”南風(fēng)說，“這片棕櫚葉是鳳凰給我的，這個(gè)鳳凰可是絕無僅有的。他用嘴在棕櫚葉上描繪了他一百年的生活，現(xiàn)在公主可以自己去閱讀了。我看見了鳳凰是怎么放火燒自己的窩，然后坐在上面，把自己燒死，就像一名印度的寡婦一樣。那些干樹枝噼噼叭叭燒得多響呀!那是怎樣的一陣煙，又是多么香的氣味呀!最后所有東西都化為烈焰，老鳳凰變成了灰燼。但他的蛋躺在火堆里，砰的一聲炸裂了，一只雛鳳凰飛了出來。現(xiàn)在這個(gè)小家伙就是眾鳥之王，也是世界上獨(dú)一無二的鳳凰。他在我給你的棕櫚葉上啄了個(gè)洞，這是他對公主的問候?！?/p>

“我們來吃點(diǎn)東西吧?！憋L(fēng)媽媽說。

于是他們就坐在一起吃烤鹿肉。王子坐在東風(fēng)旁邊，他們很快成了好朋友。

“請告訴我，”王子說，“你們談了那么多關(guān)于公主的話題，她到底是什么樣的呢?天堂花園在哪兒呀?”

“嗬，嗬!”東風(fēng)說，“你也想到那兒去嗎?好，你明天跟我一起飛去吧。但我得告訴你，自從亞當(dāng)夏娃以后，還沒有人光顧過那里。你在《圣經(jīng)》里讀過關(guān)于他們的故事吧?”

“是的?！蓖踝哟鸬馈?/p>

“在他們被逐出后，天堂花園就落到了地上。但那里還是陽光明媚，空氣溫和，景色迷人。仙后住在那里，快樂島也在那兒，死亡從不會(huì)光顧，風(fēng)景真是美不勝收。明天你就騎在我的背上，我將帶上你。我想這一定沒有什么問題。我們就談到這里吧，我想睡覺了?！?/p>

然后他們都各自去休息。

第二天一大早，王子醒來。他發(fā)覺自己高居云層之上，實(shí)在是吃驚不小。他騎在東風(fēng)的背上，東風(fēng)忠心耿耿地馱著他。他們在空中飛得那么高，下面的森林、田野、河流、湖泊，看起來都像是畫在一張地圖上似的。

“早上好!”東風(fēng)說，“你最好還是多睡一會(huì)兒，因?yàn)橄旅娑际瞧教沟泥l(xiāng)村，沒有什么可看的，除非你愿意數(shù)數(shù)有多少教堂。它們看起來像綠地毯上的粉筆點(diǎn)一樣?！?/p>

他講的綠地毯，指的是田地和草原。

“我真是太失禮了，竟然沒有和你的母親和兄弟們道別?！蓖踝诱f。

“當(dāng)一個(gè)人睡著的時(shí)候，沒有什么好計(jì)較的?！睎|風(fēng)答道。