There was once a King's son; no one had so many beautiful books as he; everything that had happened in this world he could read there， and could see represented in lovely pictures. Of every people and of every land he could get intelligence; but there was not a word to tell where the Garden of Paradise could be found， and it was just that of which he thought most.

His grandmother had told him， when he was quite little but was about to begin his schooling， that every flower in this Garden of Paradise was a delicate cake， and the pistils contained the choicest wine; on one of the flowers history was written， and on another geography or tables， so that one had only to eat cake， and one knew a lesson; and the more one ate， the more history， geography， or tables did one learn.

At that time he believed this. But when he became a bigger boy， and learned more and became wiser， he understood well that the splendour in the Garden of Paradise must be of quite a different kind.

\"Oh， why did Eve pluck from the Tree of Knowledge? Why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit? If I had been he it would never have happened —— then sin would never have come into the world.\"

That he said then， and he still said it when he was seventeen years old. The Garden of Paradise filled all his thoughts.

One day he walked in the wood. He was walking quite alone， for that was his greatest pleasure. The evening came， and the clouds gathered together; rain streamed down as if the sky were one single sluice from which the water was pouring; it was as dark as it usually is at night in the deepest well.

Often he slipped on the smooth grass， often he fell over the smooth stones which stuck up out of the wet rocky ground. Everything was soaked with water， and there was not a dry thread on the poor Prince. He was obliged to climb over great blocks of stone， where the water oozed from the thick moss. He was nearly fainting. Then he heard a strange rushing， and saw before him a great illuminated cave. In the midst of it burned a tire， so large that a stag might have been roasted at it. And this was in fact being done. A glorious deer had been stuck， horns and all， upon a spit， and was turning slowly between two felled pine trunks. An elderly woman， large and strongly built， looking like a disguised man， sat by the fire， into which she threw one piece of wood after another.

\"Come nearer!\" said she. \"Sit down by the fire and dry your clothes.\"

\"There's a great draught here!\" said the Prince; and he sat down on the ground.

\"That will be worse when my sons come home，\" replied the woman. \"You are here in the Cavern of the Winds， and my sons are the four winds of the world. Can you understand that?\"

\"Where are your sons?\" asked the Prince.

\"It's difficult to answer when stupid questions are asked，\" said the woman. \"My sons do business on their own account. They play at shuttlecock with the clouds up yonder in the great hall.\"

And she pointed upwards.

\"Oh， indeed!\" said the Prince. \"But you speak rather gruffly， by the way， and are not so mild as the women I generally see about me.\"

\"Yes， they have most likely nothing else to do!I must be hard， if I want to keep my sons in order; but I can do it， though they are obstinate fellows. Do you see the four sacks hanging there by the wall? They are just as frightened of those as you used to be of the rod stuck behind the mirror. I can bend the lads together， I tell you， and then I pop them into the bag; we don't make any ceremony. There they sit， and may not wander about again until I think fit to allow them. But here comes one of them!\"

It was the North Wind， who rushed in with piercing cold; great hailstones skipped about on the floor， and snowflakes fluttered about. He was dressed in a jacket and trousers of bear-skin; a cap of seal-skin was drawn down over his ears; long icicles hung on his beard， and one hailstone after another rolled from the collar of his jacket.

\"Do not go so near the fire directly，\" said the Prince， \"you might get your hands and face frost-bitten.\"

\"Frost-bitten?\" repeated the North Wind， and he laughed aloud. \"Cold is exactly what rejoices me most!But what kind of little tailor art thou? How did you find your way into the Cavern of the Winds?\"

\"He is my guest，\" interposed the old woman， \"and if you' re not satisfied with this explanation you may go into the sack. Do you understand me?\"

You see， that was the right way; and now the North Wind told whence he came and where he had been for almost a month.

\"I come from the Polar Sea，\" said he; \"I have been in the bear's icy land wit the Russian walrus hunters. I sat and slept on the helm when they sailed out from the North Cape， and when I awoke now and then， the stormbird flew round my legs. That's a comical bird!He gives a sharp clap with his wings， and then holds them quite still and shoots along in full career.\"

\"Don't be too long-winded，\" said the mother of the Winds. \"And so you came to the Bear's Island?\"

\"It is very beautiful there!There's a floor for dancing on， as flat as a plate. Half-thawed snow， with a little moss， sharp stones， and skeletons of walruses and polar bears lay around， they looked like gigantic arms and legs of a rusty green colour. One would have thought the sun had never shone there. I blew a little upon the mist， so that one could see the hut: it was a house built of wreck-wood and covered with walrus-skins —— the fleshy side turned outwards. It was full of green and red， and on the roof sat a live polar bear who was growling.

I went to the shore to look after birds' nests， and saw the unfledged nestling screaming and opening their beaks; then I blew down into their thousand throats， and taught them to shut their mouths. Farther on the huge walruses were splashing like great maggots with pigs' heads and teeth an ell long!\"

\"You tell your story well， my son，\" said the old lady. \"My mouth waters when I hear you!\"

\"Then the hunting began!The harpoon was hurled into the walrus's breast， so that asmoking stream of blood spurted like a fountain over the ice. When I thought of my sport，I blew， and let my sailing ships， the big icebergs， crush the boats between them. Oh， howthe people whistled， and how they cried! But I whistled louder than they. They wereobliged to throw the dead walruses and their chests and tackle out upon the ice. I shookthe snowflakes over them， and let them drive south in their crushed boats with their bootyto taste salt water. They'll never come to Bear's Island again!\"

\"Then you have done a wicked thing!\" said the mother of the Winds.

\"What good I have done others may tell，\" replied he. \"But here comes a brother from the west. I like him best of all: he tastes of the sea and bring a delicious coolness with him.\"

\"Is that little Zephyr?\" asked the Prince.

\"Yes， certainly， that is Zephyr，\" replied the old woman. \"But he is not little. Years ago he was a pretty boy， but that's past now.\"

(To be continued)

從前有位王子，沒有人有他那么多好看的書。這個世界上發(fā)生的所有事情，他都能在自己的書中讀到，而且可以看到美麗的畫面。他可以了解到每個民族和每個國家的事情，不過，從書中一點也了解不到天堂花園的情況，而這才是他最想知道的。

在他年紀(jì)還小、正準(zhǔn)備上學(xué)的時候，他的奶奶告訴他說，天堂花園的每一朵花都是美味的蛋糕，在心里都包著最醇香的美酒。一朵花上寫的是歷史，另一朵花上寫的是地理，或者是乘法表。因此，一個人只要吃一塊蛋糕，就學(xué)到了一門知識。吃得越多，學(xué)習(xí)到的歷史、地理知識和乘法口訣也就越多。

在那個年紀(jì)，他是相信這些話的。當(dāng)他一點點長大，學(xué)到更多知識，變得更聰明以后，他明白，天堂花園的美景一定與眾不同。

“啊，為什么夏娃要從知識之樹上摘下果實?為什么亞當(dāng)要偷食禁果?如果我是他，那么這一切根本不會發(fā)生——罪孽永遠(yuǎn)也不會降臨我們的世界?！?/p>

那時他是這么說的，等他到了17歲時還是堅持這種說法。他的心里裝的全是有關(guān)天堂花園的事情。

一天，他走進一個森林。他一個人獨行，這是他最大的愛好。夜幕降臨時，烏云密布，大雨狂泄下來，好像整個天空是一條水渠，洪水從那里奔流出來。天色很黑，就像最深的井底的黑夜一樣。

他不時地滑倒在光滑的草地上，或者被從濕漉漉的巖地上露出的光滑的石頭絆倒。王子身上被雨水淋透了，沒有一丁點兒干的地方。他不得不爬到一個大石堆上，那上面的水從厚厚的青苔里流了出來。他差點暈倒了。正在這時，他聽到一陣奇怪的聲音。他抬起頭，看到自己的眼前有一個照亮了的洞。洞里點著一堆火，火光熊熊，足可以把一頭鹿烤熟。情形確實如此。一頭漂亮的鹿，鹿角和整個身子都還在，被穿在一根叉上，在兩根倒在地上的松樹干上面慢慢地轉(zhuǎn)動。一個上了年紀(jì)的女人，高大強壯，看上去像個男人喬裝打扮的，正坐在火邊，不停地往火里添木塊。

“過來吧，”她說，“坐在火堆邊上，把衣服烤干。”

“這兒像是在鬧旱災(zāi)!”王子邊說邊坐到地上。

“等我的兒子們回來就更糟糕了，”女人答道，“你現(xiàn)在是在風(fēng)洞里，而我的兒子們就是世界上的四種風(fēng)。你懂我的意思嗎?”

“那你的兒子們在哪兒呢?”王子問道。

“要回答愚蠢的問題真的很難，”老婦人說，“我的兒子們都各按自己的意愿做事。他們在天堂的大廳里和云彩一起踢毽子?！?/p>

老婦人指向天空。

“噢，真的嗎?”王子說，“不過您說話也太粗魯了，不像我身邊的女人說話那么溫柔?！?/p>

“沒錯，但他們大部分時間都無所事事!我必須嚴(yán)格管教，好讓我的兒子們聽話。這我可做得到，盡管他們都是頑劣的家伙。你看見墻上掛著的四個袋子了嗎?他們害怕這東西，就像你從前害怕鏡子后面放的小棍子一樣。我告訴你吧，我能把那幾個家伙捆在一起，放進袋子里。我們才不講什么客套呢!他們呆在里面，一直得等到我允許他們出來，否則他們就不能四處游蕩。瞧，他們中的一個回來了!”

來的是北風(fēng)，他帶著一股刺骨的寒冷沖了進來。巨大的冰雹在地面上滾動，大片的雪花紛紛飛舞。他穿著熊皮上衣和褲子，一頂海豹皮帽子遮住了耳朵。他的胡子上墜著長長的冰錐，冰雹一個接一個地從他的衣領(lǐng)上滾落下來。

“不要馬上走到火堆附近，”王子說，“那樣會把你的手和臉凍壞的?！?/p>

“凍壞?”北風(fēng)重復(fù)一下，然后大笑起來?！昂湔俏蚁矏鄣?。你是從哪兒冒出來的小東西?你怎么跑到風(fēng)洞里來啦?”

“這是我的客人，”老婦人插話說，“你要是對我這話不滿意，你就進到袋子里去，明白嗎?”

瞧，就得這么著才行。然后北風(fēng)就開始講自己是從什么地方來的，最近一個月都去過哪兒。

“我從北冰洋來，”他說，“我和俄國的海象獵手一起去了北極熊所在的白令島。當(dāng)他們從北望角起航的時候，我就在坐在他們的船舵上睡大覺。當(dāng)我中間偶爾醒來時，發(fā)現(xiàn)海鷗就在我的身邊飛。這可真是一種很可笑的鳥兒!它使勁地拍一下翅膀，然后就靜止不動，一直俯沖。”

“不要太啰嗦，”風(fēng)媽媽說，“你到了白令島了嗎?”

“那兒真是太美啦!真是一個為跳舞而設(shè)的舞池，平得像一個盤子。半融化的積雪上點綴著一絲青苔，還有峻峭的巖石，海象和北極熊的骸骨散落在地上，看起來像長了霉的巨大的四肢。人們會以為太陽照不到那兒。我輕輕地吹了吹霧，好讓人們能看見小屋。那是用破船的木頭建造的，頂上蓋著海象的皮——肉皮沖外。房子紅綠相間，屋頂上蹲著一頭活生生的北極熊，還在大聲吼叫呢。

我上了岸找鳥窩，看見雛鳥張著嘴大聲尖叫。于是我向它們那上千張嘴里吹風(fēng)，告訴它們都把嘴閉上。再遠(yuǎn)一些的地方，大海象在拍水，它們活像長著豬頭的蛆，牙齒有一尺長?！?/p>

“你把自己的經(jīng)歷講得很好，我的兒子，”老太太說，“我聽你講的時候，真是直流口水。”

“然后我看到了捕獵!魚叉刺進海象的胸口，一股鮮血噴涌而出，像冰面上的一座噴泉。我想起自己的游戲，就吹了起來，讓我的航船——也就是那些冰山，撞向人們的小船。哈，瞧船上的人把口哨吹得多響，叫得有多歡!但我比他們吹得要響得多。他們不得不把死海象、木箱和纜繩都扔到冰上去。我在他們頭頂上撒雪花，讓他們駕著被壓破的船兒，帶上獵物，駛向南方。他們再也不敢來白令島啦!”

“你這可是做了壞事!”風(fēng)媽媽說。

“我做的好事別人會說的，”北風(fēng)答道，“我西邊的兄弟回來了。我最喜歡他，他身上有海的味道，帶來一股令人愜意的涼爽?！?/p>

“那是小西風(fēng)嗎?”王子問道。

“對，當(dāng)然是西風(fēng)啦，”老太太說，“但他可不是個小家伙了。幾年前他確實是個小男孩，但那都是過去的事了。”

(待續(xù))