Page:Christmas Fireside Stories.djvu/246

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East of the Sun and West of the Moon. 234 answered like the first old woman, that she didn't know anything about it, but it was sure to be east of the sun and west of the moon, " and thither you will come, early or late, but I will lend you my horse as far as my neighbour ; perhaps she can tell you. When you have got there, just gi ve my horse a blow under the left ear aad ask him to go home again." And the old woman gave her the golden carding-comb, which might come in useful for her. The young girl got up on the horse and rode for a long, long weary time, and came at last to a large mountain, where an old woman was sitting and spinning on a golden spinning- wheel. She asked her if she knew the way to the prince, and where the castle was that lay east of the sun and west of the moon. And so came the same question : " Perhaps it is you who should have had the prince ? " —Yes, it was ! But the old woman knew the way no better than the other two. It was east of the sun and west of the moon, — she knew that, — " and thither you will come, early or late," she said, " but I will lend you my horse, and then I think you had better ride to the east wind and ask him. Perhaps he is known about those parts and can blow you there. When you have got there, just touch the horse under the ear and hell go home again." And so she gave her the golden spinning-wheel. "You might find use for it," said the old woman. She rode on many days for a long weary time before she got to the east wind, but after a long time she did reach it, and so she asked him if he could tell her the way to the prince, who lived east of the sun and west of the moon. Yes, he had heard tell of that prince, said the east wind, and of the castle too, but he didn't know the way thither, for he had never blown so far. " But if you like, I*ll go with you to my brother, the west wind. Perhaps he may know it, for he is much stronger. Just get up on my back and Fil carry you thither." Yes, she did so, and away they went at a great speed. When they got to the west wind, they went in to him, and the east wind told him that his companion was the one who should have had the prince who lived in the castle, which lay east of the sun and west of the moon ; she was now on her way to find him again, and so he