Fairy Tales From All Nations

by Anthony R. Montalba

The maiden then began to weep and bemoan herself; but it was too late, the prince was obliged to go. She asked him if she might not accompany him.

"No," said he, "that must not be."

"Can you not then tell me the road that I may find you?" inquired she; "for I suppose I may be allowed that."

"Yes, that you are right welcome to do," said he; "but there is no road that leads to it; for the castle lies eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon, and you will never get there."

In the morning when she awoke, the prince and the castle had both vanished, and she found herself lying on the bare earth, in a thick dark forest, and she was dressed in her old clothes, and near her lay the same bundle that she had brought with her from her former home. When she had rubbed her eyes till she was quite awake, and had cried till she could cry no longer, she began her journey, and wandered for many a long day, till at last she came to a great mountain. At the foot of the mountain sat an old woman, playing with a golden apple; the maiden asked her if she could tell her the way to where the prince lived with his step-mother, in a castle which was situated eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon, and who was to marry a princess who had a nose three ells long.

"How come you to know him?" asked the woman. "Can you be the maiden whom he wished to marry?"

"Yes," she replied, "she was that maiden."

"So! then you are the chosen one!" resumed the woman; "ah! my child," continued she, "I would willingly help you, but I myself know nothing more of the castle than that it lies eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon, and that you are almost certain never to get there; I will, however, lend you my horse, and you may ride on him to my next neighbour; perhaps she may be able to tell you the way thither, but when you have reached her, just give the horse a pat under the left ear, and bid him go home again; and now take this golden apple, for perhaps you may find a use for it."

The maiden mounted the horse, and rode for a long, long, time; and at last arrived at another mountain, where sat an old woman with a golden reel. The maiden asked her if she could tell her the way to the castle, which lay eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon. This old woman, however, said just like the other, that she knew nothing more about the castle than that it lay eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon, "and you are almost sure never to find it," added she, "but I will lend you my horse to ride upon to my next neighbour, and perhaps she may tell you the way; when you get there, however, just give the horse a pat under his left ear, and tell him to go home; now take this reel, for perhaps you may find some use for it."

The maiden seated herself on the horse, and rode for many days and weeks; at last she again arrived at a mountain where an old woman sat spinning with a golden distaff. The maiden now again inquired about the prince, and the castle which was situated eastward of the Sun, and westward of the Moon.