ind, and he was dressed like a Chinaman.

'Oh, have you come from that quarter?' said the mother. 'I thought you
had been in the Garden of Paradise.'

'I am only going there to-morrow!' said the Eastwind. 'It will be a
hundred years to-morrow since I have been there. I have just come from
China, where I danced round the porcelain tower till all the bells
jingled. The officials were flogged in the streets, the bamboo canes
were broken over their shoulders, and they were all people ranging from
the first to the ninth rank. They shrieked "Many thanks, Father and
benefactor," but they didn't mean what they said, and I went on ringing
the bells and singing "Tsing, tsang, tsu!"'

'You're quite uproarious about it!' said the old woman. 'It's a good
thing you are going to the Garden of Paradise to-morrow; it always has a
good effect on your behaviour. Mind you drink deep of the well of
wisdom, and bring a little bottleful home to me.'

'That I will,' said the Eastwind, 'But why have you put my brother from
the south into the bag? Out with him. He must tell me about the
phoenix; the Princess always wants to hear about that bird when I call
every hundred years. Open the bag! then you'll be my sweetest mother,
and I'll give you two pockets full of tea as green and fresh as when I
picked it!'

'Well, for the sake of the tea, and because you are my darling, I will
open my bag!'

She did open it and the Southwind crept out, but he was quite
crestfallen because the strange Prince had seen his disgrace.

'Here is a palm leaf for the Princess!' said the Southwind. 'The old
phoenix, the only one in the world, gave it to me. He has scratched
his whole history on it with his bill, for the hundred years of his
life, and she can read it for herself. I saw how the phoenix set fire
to his nest himself and sat on it while it burnt, like the widow of a
Hindoo. Oh, how the dry branches crackled, how it smoked, and what a
smell there was! At last it all burst into flame; the old bird was burnt
to ashes, but his egg lay glowing in the fire; it broke with a loud bang
and the young one flew out. Now it rules over all the birds, and it is
the only phoenix in the world. He bit a hole in the leaf I gave you;
that is his greeting to the Princess.'

'Let us have something to eat now!' said the mother of the winds; and
they all sat down to eat the roast stag, and the Prince sat by the side
of the Eastwind, so they soon became good friends.

'I s