Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/130

 108 woman then said to her, "My son lives here with me who is the south wind, but I do not know what my son will do to you if he sees you." The girl to this replied: "Never mind, I must have patience, and if he kills me why there will be an end of me and that is all!" The old woman felt pity for the girl and said, eg Get inside this wooden chest," The girl went inside and the woman fastened down the cover after the girl had told her the whole history of her life, and who begged the woman to ask her son the way to the "Crows' Tower;" and the old woman promised to find out for her where the tower was. The wooden chest was hardly closed upon her when a great noise of wind was heard, and the door moved as though great force was used to break it open. The woman opened the door and the south wind came in whistling softly vuuuu .... vuuu .... vuuuu .... saying, "I smell human flesh!" The old woman rejoined: "My son be calm, there is no such thing here." As soon as the wind became lulled and quieted she informed him of what had occurred, and asked him whether he knew where the "Crows' Tower" was situated. The son replied: "I do not know where it is, but the north wind is sure to know," and he showed the girl where it was to be found, and said that since she had iron boots the only way to destroy them was by wetting them over, as otherwise she might walk for years and years and yet would never succeed in tearing them. After this the wind went to lie down, and at day dawn rose up and left the hut. He had hardly gone out when the old woman opened the chest and told the girl of all her son had said, and the information he had given for her guidance, and then she dismissed her. The girl thanked the old lady very much for her kindness to her, and set out on her expedition, remembering to wet the boots occasionally. She walked and walked and walked, and at nightfall she again saw another hut, and she resolved to knock at the door. She saw an old woman come to open to her, who told her that her