go on and ask my next neighbour. Ride there on my horse, and
when you have done with him, give him a pat under the left ear
and say, 'Go home again;' and take this golden apple with you,
it may be useful." So she rode on for a long way, and then came
to another old woman, who was playing with a golden carding
comb; and she asked her the way to the Land East of the Sun and
West of the Moon? But this old woman couldn't tell her, and bade
her go on to another old woman, a long way off. And she gave her
the golden carding comb, and lent her a horse just like the
first one. And the third old woman was playing with a golden
spinning wheel; and she gave this to the wife of the White Bear,
and lent her another horse, and told her to ride on to the East
Wind, and ask him the way to the enchanted land. Now after a
weary journey she got to the home of the East Wind, and he said
he had heard of the Enchanted Prince, and of the country East of
the Sun and West of the Moon, but he did not know where it was,
for he had never been so far. But, he said, "Get on my back, and
we will go to my brother the West Wind; perhaps he knows." So
they sailed off to the West Wind, and told him the story, and he
took it quite kindly, but said he didn't know the way. But
perhaps his brother the South Wind might know; and they would go
to him. So the White Bear's wife got on the back of the West
Wind, and he blew straight away to the dwelling-place of the
South Wind, and asked him where to find the Land East of the Sun
and West of the Moon. But the South Wind said that although he
had blown pretty nearly everywhere, he had never blown there;
but he would take her to his brother the North Wind, the oldest,
and strongest, and wisest Wind of all; and he would be sure to
know. Now the North Wind was very cross at being disturbed, and
he used bad language, and was quite rude and unpleasant. But he