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小说: 03-east of sun 字数: 每页4000字

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set out on her way; and thus she walked for many and

many a long day; until at last she came to a great mountain。

Outside it an aged woman was sitting; playing with

a golden apple。 The girl asked her if she knew the way

to the Prince who lived with his stepmother in the castle

which lay east of the sun and west of the moon; and who

was to marry a princess with a nose which was three ells

long。 〃How do you happen to know about him?〃

inquired the old woman; 〃maybe you are she who ought to

have had him。〃 〃Yes; indeed; I am;〃 she said。 〃So it is

you; then?〃 said the old woman; 〃I know nothing about

him but that he dwells in a castle which is east of the sun

and west of the moon。 You will be a long time in getting

to it; if ever you get to it at all; but you shall have the

loan of my horse; and then you can ride on it to an old

woman who is a neighbor of mine: perhaps she can tell

you about him。 When you have got there you must just

strike the horse beneath the left ear and bid it go home

again; but you may take the golden apple with you。〃



So the girl seated herself on the horse; and rode for a

long; long way; and at last she came to the mountain; where

an aged woman was sitting outside with a gold carding…

comb。 The girl asked her if she knew the way to the

castle which lay east of the sun and west of the moon;

but she said what the first old woman had said: 〃I know

nothing about it; but that it is east of the sun and west

of the moon; and that you will be a long time in getting

to it; if ever you get there at all; but you shall have the

loan of my horse to an old woman who lives the nearest

to me: perhaps she may know where the castle is; and

when you have got to her you may just strike the horse

beneath the left ear and bid it go home again。〃 Then she

gave her the gold carding…comb; for it might; perhaps; be

of use to her; she said。



So the girl seated herself on the horse; and rode a

wearisome long way onward again; and after a very long time

she came to a great mountain; where an aged woman was

sitting; spinning at a golden spinning…wheel。 Of this

woman; too; she inquired if she knew the way to the

Prince; and where to find the castle which lay east of the

sun and west of the moon。 But it was only the same

thing once again。 〃Maybe it was you who should have

had the Prince;〃 said the old woman。 〃Yes; indeed; I

should have been the one;〃 said the girl。 But this old

crone knew the way no better than the othersit was

east of the sun and west of the moon; she knew that; 〃and

you will be a long time in getting to it; if ever you get to

it at all;〃 she said; 〃but you may have the loan of my

horse; and I think you had better ride to the East Wind;

and ask him: perhaps he may know where the castle is;

and will blow you thither。 But when you have got to

him you must just strike the horse beneath the left ear;

and he will come home again。〃 And then she gave her the

golden spinning…wheel; saying: 〃Perhaps you may find

that you have a use for it。〃



The girl had to ride for a great many days; and for a

long and wearisome time; before she got there; but at last

she did arrive; and then she asked the East Wind if he

could tell her the way to the Prince who dwelt east of the

sun and west of the moon。 〃Well;〃 said the East Wind;

〃I have heard tell of the Prince; and of his castle; but I

do not know the way to it; for I have never blown so far;

but; if you like; I will go with you to my brother the West

Wind: he may know that; for he is much stronger than I

am。 You may sit on my back; and then I can carry you

there。〃 So she seated herself on his back; and they did go

so swiftly! When they got there; the East Wind went in

and said that the girl whom he had brought was the one

who ought to have had the Prince up at the castle which

lay east of the sun and west of the moon; and that now she

was traveling about to find him again; so he had come

there with her; and would like to hear if the West Wind

knew whereabout the castle was。 〃No;〃 said the West

Wind; 〃so far as that have I never blown; but if you like

I will go with you to the South Wind; for he is much

stronger than either of us; and he has roamed far and wide;

and perhaps he can tell you what you want to know。 You

may seat yourself on my back; and then I will carry you

to him。〃。



So she did this; and journeyed to the South Wind;

neither was she very long on the way。 When they had got

there; the West Wind asked him if he could tell her the

way to the castle that lay east of the sun and west of the

moon; for she was the girl who ought to marry the Prince

who lived there。 〃Oh; indeed!〃 said the South Wind; 〃is

that she? Well;〃 said he; 〃I have wandered about a great

deal in my time; and in all kinds of places; but I have

never blown so far as that。 If you like; however; I will go

with you to my brother; the North Wind; he is the oldest

and strongest of all of us; and if he does not know where

it is no one in the whole world will be able to tell you。

You may sit upon my back; and then I will carry you

there。〃 So she seated herself on his back; and off he went

from his house in great haste; and they were not long on

the way。 When they came near the North Wind's dwelling;

he was so wild and frantic that they felt cold gusts a

long while before they got there。 〃What do you want?〃

he roared out from afar; and they froze as they heard。

Said the South Wind: 〃It is I; and this is she who should

have had the Prince who lives in the castle which lies east

of the sun and west of the moon。 And now she wishes to

ask you if you have ever been there; and can tell her the

way; for she would gladly find him again。〃



〃Yes;〃 said the North Wind; 〃I know where it is。 I

once blew an aspen leaf there; but I was so tired that for

many days afterward I was not able to blow at all。 However;

if you really are anxious to go there; and are not

afraid to go with me; I will take you on my back; and try

if I can blow you there。〃



〃Get there I must;〃 said she; 〃and if there is any way

of going I will; and I have no fear; no matter how fast you

go。〃



〃Very well then;〃 said the North Wind; 〃but you must

sleep here to…night; for if we are ever to get there we must

have the day before us。〃



The North Wind woke her betimes next morning; and

puffed himself up; and made himself so big and so strong

that it was frightful to see him; and away they went; high

up through the air; as if they would not stop until they

had reached the very end of the world。 Down below there

was such a storm! It blew down woods and houses; and

when they were above the sea the ships were wrecked by

hundreds。 And thus they tore on and on; and a long time

went by; and then yet more time passed; and still they

were above the sea; and the North Wind grew tired; and

more tired; and at last so utterly weary that he was scarcely

able to blow any longer; and he sank and sank; lower

and lower; until at last he went so low that the waves

dashed against the heels of the poor girl he was carrying。

〃Art thou afraid?〃 said the North Wind。 〃I have no

fear;〃 said she; and it was true。 But they were not very;

very far from land; and there was just enough strength

left in the North Wind to enable him to throw her on to

the shore; immediately under the windows of a castle

which lay east of the sun and west of the moon; but then

he was so weary and worn out that he was forced to rest

for several days before he could go to his own home again。



Next morning she sat down beneath the walls of the

castle to play with the golden apple; and the first person

she saw was the maiden with the long nose; who was to

have the Prince。 〃How much do you want for that gold

apple of yours; girl?〃 said she; opening the window。 〃It

can't be bought either for gold or money;〃 answered the

girl。 〃If it cannot be bought either for gold or money;

what will buy it? You may say what you please;〃 said

the Princess。



〃Well; if I may go to the Prince who is here; and be

with him to…night; you shall have it;〃 said the girl who

had come with the North Wind。 〃You may do that;〃 said

the Princess; for she had made up her mind what she

would do。 So the Princess got the golden apple; but when

the girl went up to the Prince's apartment that night he

was asleep; for the Princess had so contrived it。 The poor

girl called to him; and shook him; and between whiles she

wept; but she could not wake him。 In the morning; as

soon as day dawned; in came the Princess with the long

nose; and drove her out again。 In the daytime she sat

down once more beneath the windows of the castle; and

began to card with her golden carding…comb; and then all

happened as it had happened before。 The Princess asked

her what she wanted for it; and she replied that it was not

for sale; either for gold or money; but that if she could get

leave to go t

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