Page:Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen (Walker).djvu/129

Rh 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 phœnix; 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 phœnix, 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 phœnix 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 eggs 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 phœnix in the world. He bit a hole in the leaf I gave you; that is his greeting to the Princess."