East of the sun and west of the moon

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At a time there was a poor husbandman who had many children and little to give them

in the way either of food or clothing, they were all pretty, but the prettiest of all was

the youngest daughter who is so beautiful that there were no bounds to her beauty.

So once it was late on a Thursday evening, an autumn and wild weather outside,

terribly dark and raining so heavily and blowing so hard that the walls of the cottage

shook again, they were all sitting together by the fireside each of them busy

with something or other when suddenly someone wrapped three times against

the windowpane, the man went out to see what could be the matter, and when he got

out there stood a great big white bear “Good evening to you,” said the white bear,

“good evening,” said the man,

“Will you give me your youngest daughter?” said the white bear “If you will, you shall be

as rich as you now poor”,

truly the man would have had no objection to being rich, but he thought to himself

“I must first ask my daughter about this,” so he went in and told them that there was

a great white bear outside who had faithfully promised to make them all rich

if he might but have the youngest daughter, she said no and would not hear of it,

so the man went out again and settled with the white bear that he should come again

next Thursday evening and get her answer.

The man persuaded her and talked so much to her about the wealth that they would

have, and what a good thing it would be for herself that, at last, she made up her mind

to go and wash and mend all her rags, made herself as smart as she could,

and held herself in readiness to set out little enough had she to take away with her.

Next Thursday evening, the white bear came to fetch her. She seated herself on his

back with her bundle, and thus they departed; when they had gone, a great part

of the way, the white bear said, “Are you afraid?”

“no, that I am NOT,” said she,

“keep tight, the hold of my fur, and then there was no danger,” said he,

and thus she rode far, far away until they came to a great Mountain, then the white bear

knocked on it, and a door opened. They went into a castle where there were many

brilliantly lighted rooms which shone with gold and silver, likewise a large Hall in which

there was a well-spread table, and it was so magnificent that it would be hard to make

anyone understand how splendid it was.

The white bear gave her a silver bell and told her that when she needed anything,

she had but to ring this bell, and what she wanted would appear, so after she had

eaten, a night was drawing near. She grew sleepy after her journey and thought

she would like to go to bed; she rang the bell, and scarcely had she touched it before

she found herself in a chamber where a bed stood ready made for her, which was

as pretty as anyone could wish to sleep in it, had pillows of silk and curtains of silk

fringed with gold, and everything that was in the room was of gold or silver but

when she had lain down and put out the light, a man came and lay down beside her

and behold.

It was the white bear who cast off the form of a beast during the night; she never saw

him, however, for he always came after she had put out her light and gone away before

daylight appeared, so all went well and happily for a time but then she began to be

very sad and sorrowful, for all day long she had to go about alone, and she did so wish

to go home to her father and mother and brothers and sisters.

Then the white bear asked what it was that she wanted, and she told him that it was

so dull there in the mountain and that she had to go about all alone, and that in her

parent’s house at home, there were all her brothers and sisters, and it was because

she could not go to them that she was so sorrowful,

“There might be a cure for that,” said the white bear “if you would but promise me never

to talk with your mother alone but only when the others are there too, for she will take

hold of your hand,” he said, “and will want to lead you into a room to talk alone, but that

you must by no means do, or you will bring great misery on both of us,”

So one Sunday, the white bear came and said that they could now set out to see her

father and mother, and they journeyed thither she sitting on his back, and they went

a long, long way, and it took a long, long time, but at last, they came to a large white

farmhouse and her brothers and sisters were running about outside it playing,

and it was so pretty that it was a pleasure to look at it, “your parents dwell here now,”

said the white bear, “but do not forget what I said to you, or you will do much harm

both to yourself and me”,

“no indeed,” said she, “I shall never forget,” 

and as soon as she was at home, the white bear turned round and went back again.

There were such rejoicings when she went into her parents that it seemed as if

They would never come to an end; everyone thought he could never be sufficiently

grateful to her for all she had done for them all, now they had everything that

they wanted, and everything was as good as it could be, they all asked her how

she was getting on where she was, “always well with her too,” she said, and she had

everything that she could want. What other answers she gave I cannot say, but I am

pretty sure that they did not learn much from her, but in the afternoon, after they had

dined at midday, all happened just as the white bear had said, her mother wanted

to talk with her alone in her own chamber, but she remembered what the white bear

had said and would on no account go.

“When we have to say can be said at any time,” she answered but somehow or other,

her mother, at last, persuaded her, and she was forced to tell the whole story,

so she told how every night a man came and laid down beside her when the lights

were all putout and how she never saw him because he always went away before

it grew light in the morning and how she continually went about in sadness, thinking

how happy she would be if she could but see him and how all day long she had to go

about alone, and it was so dull and solitary.

“Oh,” cried the mother in horror, “you are very likely sleeping with a troll, but I will teach

you a way to see him. You shall have a bit of one of my candles, but you can take away

with you hidden in your breast, look at him with that when he is asleep but take care not

to let any tallow drop on him,”

so she took the candle unhidden in her breast, and when evening drew near,

the white bear came to fetch her away.

When they had gone some distance on their

way, the white bear asked her if everything had not happened just as he had foretold,

and she could not but own that it had, 

“then if you have done what your mother wished,” said he “you have brought great misery on both of us”,

“no,” she said, “I have not done anything at all”,

so when she reached home and had gone to bed, it was just the same as it had been

before and a man came and laid down beside her and late at night when she

could hear that he was sleeping. She got up and kindled a light lit her candle

let her light shine on him and saw him, and he was Mr. Prince that eyes and ever

be helped, and she loved him so much that it seemed to her that she must die

if she did not kiss him that very moment, so she did kiss him, but while she was doing

she let three drops of hot tallow fall upon his shirt, and he woke

“what have you done now!!? you have brought misery on both of us; if you had but held

out for the space of one year, I should have been free, I have a stepmother who has

bewitched me so that I am a white bear by day and a man by night, but now all is at

an end between you and me, and I must leave you and go to her, she lives in a castle

which lies east of the Sun and west of the moon, and there are two of the princess

with a nose which is three ELLs long and she now is the one whom I must marry.

she wept and lamented but all in vain for go he must then she asked him if she could

not go with him, but no, that could not be,

“Can you tell me the way then, and I will seek you that I may surely be able how to do,”

“yes, you may do that,” said he, but there is no way thither; it lies east of the Sun

and west of the moon, and never would you find your way there.”

When she awoke in the morning, both the prince and the castle were gone,

and she was lying on a small green patch in the midst of dark thick wood; by her side

lay the self-same bundle of rags she had brought with her from her own home.

So when she had rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and wept till she was weary,

she set out on her way, and thus she walked for many and many a long day

until, at last, she came to a great mountain outside it, an aged woman was sitting

playing with a golden apple; the girl asked her if she knew the way to the prince

who lived with his stepmother in the castle which lay east of the Sun and west

of the moon and who was to marry a princess knows three hours long.

“How do you happen to know about him?” inquired the old woman “Maybe you are

a she who ought to have had him,”

“yes, indeed I am,” she said,

“so it is you then,” said the old woman “I know nothing about him but that he dwells

in a castle which is east of the Sun and west of the moon, you will be a long time

to get to It if ever you get to it at all, but you shall have the loan of my horse and then

you can ride to an old woman who was a neighbor of mine perhaps she can tell you

about him, when you have got there, you must just strike the horse beneath the left ear

and bid it go home again, but you may take the golden apple with you”,

So the girl seated herself on the horse and rode for a long, long way, and at last,

she came to the mountain where an aged woman was sitting outside with a gold

carding comb, the girl asked her if she knew the way to the castle, which the east

of the Sun and west of the moon, but she said what the first old woman had said

“I know nothing about it but that it is east of the Sun and west of the moon and that

you will be a long time in getting to it if ever you get there at all, but you shall have

the loan of my horse to an old woman who lives the nearest to me perhaps she may

know where the castle is and when you have got to her, you may just strike the horse

beneath the left ear and bid it go home again,” then she gave her the gold carding

comb for it might perhaps be view “stir her,” she said.

So the girl seated herself on the horse and rode a wearisome long way onwards again

and after a very long time, she came to a great mountain where an aged woman was

sitting spinning at a golden spinning wheel, of this woman – she inquired if she knew

the way to the prince and where to find the castle, which lay east of the Sun and west

of the moon, but it was only the same thing once again,

“Maybe it was you who should have had the Prince,” said the old woman,

“yes, indeed, I should have been the one,” said the girl,

but this old crone knew the way no better than the others,

“it was east of the Sun and west of the moon,” she knew that, “and you would be a long

time in getting to it if ever you get to it at all,” she said, “but you may have the loan

of my horse, and I think you had a better ride to the east wind and ask him;

perhaps he may know where the castle is and will blow you thither, but when you have

got to him, you must just strike the horse beneath the left ear, and he will come home

again.” Then she gave her the golden spinning wheel saying, “perhaps you may find

that you have a use for it.”

The girl had to ride through a great many days and for long and weary sometimes

before she got there, but at last, she did arrive, and then she asked the east wind if

he could tell her the way to the prince who dwelt east of the Sun and west of the moon,

“Wow,” said the east wind, “I have heard tell the Prince out of his castle, but I do not

know the way to it, for I have never blown so far, but if you like, I will go with you

to my brother, the west wind he may know that for he is much stronger than I am,

you may sit on my back, and then I can carry you there,”  so she seated herself on his

back, and they did go so swiftly.

When they got there, the east wind went in and said that the girl whom he had

brought was the one who ought to have had the prince up at the castle which lay

east to the Sun and west of the moon and that now she was traveling about to find

him again so he had come there with her “I would like to hear if the west wind knew

whereabouts the castle was,

“no,” said the Westwind, “so far as they have, I never blow, but if you like, I will go

with you, to the south wind, for he is much stronger than either of us and he has

roamed far and wide, and perhaps he can tell you what you want to know you may see

yourself on my back and carry to him, so she did this and journeyed to the south wind

neither was she very long on the way.

When they had got there, the west wind asked him if he could tell her the way

to the castle that lay east of the Sun and west of the moon, for she was the girl

who ought to marry the prince who lived there,

“oh, my time in all kinds of places, but I’ve never gone so far as that if you like, however,

I will go with you to my brother, the north wind he is the oldest and strongest of all

of us, and if he does not know where it is, no one in the whole world will be able

to tell you, you may sit upon my back, and then I will carry,” so she seated herself

on his back, and often he went from his house in great haste, and they were not long on the way.

When they came near the north winds welling, it was so wild and frantic that they felt cold gusts a long while before they got there,

“what do you want?” and they froze as they heard,

said the south wind “It is I, and this is she who should have had the Prince who lives

in the castle which lies east of the Sun and west of the moon, and now she wishes

to ask you if you have ever been there and can tell her the way for she would gladly

find him again,”

“yes,” said the north wind, “I know where it is, I once knew an aspen leaf there, but I was

so tired that for many days afterward, I was not able to blow it off; if you really are

anxious to go there and are not afraid to go with me I will take you on my back and try

if I can blow you there,”

“get there, I must,” said she, “and if there is any way of going, I will, and I have no fear

no matter how fast you go,”

“very well then,” said the north wind, “but you will sleep here tonight but

wherever ever to get there, we must have the day before us”.

The north wind Walker betimes next morning and puffed himself up and made himself

so big and so strong that it was frightful to see him in a way they went, “hi, I’m there”

said the air, as if they would not stop until they reached the very end of the world.

down below, there was such a storm it blew down woods and houses, and when

they were above the sea, the ships were wrecked by hundreds, and thus they tore on

and on, a long time went by, and then yet wartime passed, and still they were above

the sea and the north wind retired and more tired and at last so utterly weary

then he was scarcely able to blow any longer and same-same low and lower until

the last, he went so low but the crests of the waves dashed against the heels

of the poor girl, he was carrying,

“aren’t afraid?” said the Northwind,

“I have no fears,” said she, and it was true, but they were not very, very far from land,

and there was just enough strength left in the Northwind to enable him to throw her

onto the shore immediately under the windows of a castle that lay east of the Sun

and west of the moon, but then he was so weary and worn out that he was forced

to rest for several days before he could go to his own home again.

The next morning she sat down beneath the walls of the castle to play with a golden

apple and the first person she saw was the maiden with the long nose was to have

the prince “How much do you want for that gold Apple of yours, girl?” said she opening the window,

“it can’t be bought either for gold or money,” answered the girl,

“if it cannot be bought either for gold or money, what will buy it, you may say what you please,” said the princess

“well, if I may go to the prince who is here and be with him tonight, you shall have it,” said the girl who would come with the Northwind,

“you may do that,” said the princess, for she had made up her mind what she would do,

so the princess got the Golden Apple, but when the girl went up to the prince’s

apartment that night, he was asleep for the princess had so contrived it, the poor girl

called to him and shook him, and between while she wept, but she could not wake him.

In the morning, as soon as day dawned in-game, the princess long-nosed and drove her

out again in the daytime, she sat down once more beneath the windows at the castle

and began to card with her golden card ink huh, and that all happened as it had

happened before the princess asked her what she wanted for it, and she replied that

it was not for sale either for gold or money, but if she could get leave to go

to the prince and be with him during the night, she should have it, but when she went

up to the prince’s room, he was again asleep and let her call him or shake him or weep

as she would, he still slept on, and she could not put any life in him.

When daylight came in the morning, the princess the long nose came too, and once

more drove her away; when the day had quite come, the girl seated herself under

the castle windows to spend with her golden spinning wheel, and the princess

the long-nosed wanted to have that also, so she opened the window and asked

what she would take for it the girl said what she had said about each of the former

occasions that it was not for sale either for gold or for money, but if she could get

leave to go to the prince who lived there and be with him during the night; 

she should have it,

“yes,” said the princess, “I will gladly consent to that,”

but in that place there was some Christian folk who had been carried off, and they

had been sitting in the chamber which was next to that of the prince and had heard

how a woman had been in there would be wept and called on him two nights running

and they told the prince of this, so that evening when the princess came once more

with her sleeping drink, he pretended to drink but threw it away behind him

for he suspected that it was a sleeping drink, so when the girl went into the prince’s

room that time he was awake, and she had to tell him how she had come there,

“you have called just in time,” said the Prince, “for I should have been married

tomorrow, but I will not have the long-nosed princess, and you alone can save me;

I will say that I want to see what my bride can do and bid her wash the shirt which has

the three drops of tallow on it; this she will consent to do for she does not know that

it is you who let them fall on it, but no one can wash them out but one born of Christian

folk it cannot be done by one of a pack of trolls, and then I will say that no one shall

ever be my bride, but the woman who can do this, and I know that you can,”

there was great joy and gladness between them all that night.

The next day when the wedding was to take place, the prince said, “I must see what

my bride can do, that you may do that’s what the stepmother I have a fine shirt which

I want to wear it as my wedding shirt, but three drops of tallow have got upon it, which

I want to have washed off, and I have vowed to marry no one but the woman who

is able to do it, if she cannot do that, she is not worth having,”

“well, that was a very small matter,” they thought and agreed to do it; the princess

the long nose began to wash as well as she could, but the more she washed

and rubbed the larger the spots grew you can’t wash it all, so the old troll hag

who was her mother gave it to me, but she too had not had the shirt very long

in her hands, before it looked worse still, and the more she washed it and rubbed it

the larger and blacker grew the spots, so the other trolls had to come and wash

but the more they did, the blacker and uglier grew the shirt until, at length, it was

as black as if it had been up the chimney.

“Oh,” cried the prince, “not one of you is good for anything at all, there was a beggar

girl sitting outside the window, and I’ll be bound that she can wash better than any

of you; come in, you girl there,” he cried, so she came in “Can you wash this shirt

to clean,” he cried,

“oh, I don’t know,” she said, “but I will try,” and no sooner had she taken the shirt

and dipped it in the water then it was white as the driven snow and even whiter 

than that,

“I will marry you,” said the prince, then the troll hag flew into such a rage that

she burst, and the princess with the long nose and all the little trolls must have burst

too, but they have never been heard of since.

The prince and his bride set free all the Christian folk who were imprisoned there

and took away with them all the gold and silver that they could carry and moved

far away from the castle, which lay east of the Sun and west of the moon.

The End