THE SUN AND THE MOON
(From Turkish Legends)
ONCE upon a time the Sun made up his mind that he would like to get married. Far and near he journeyed, all over the round world and looked upon many fair maidens and princesses, but not one was beautiful enough to be his bride.
As he came home after his wanderings, he looked up at a window of the palace, and there sat his sister, the beautiful Helen, looking out. Her face, like the Sun’s, was ruddy; her hair like his was as shining as gold. There was no one in all the world to compare with her in beauty.
“Come down and greet me, beautiful Helen,” he cried, “for you and you only are worthy to be my bride.”
But when the fair Helen heard this she was horrified. “Such a thing must not be,” said she. “A brother may not marry his sister, for that would be an offense to heaven.”
The Sun, however, would not listen to her; he was determined to make her his bride, and to this end he summoned the best workmen from all over the world, some to make magnificent robes, some to prepare a feast, and gold and silver smiths and dealers in precious stones.
The beautiful Helen, however, wept and wept with grief.
Now there was in the palace of the Sun an old nurse who had nursed both him and his sister, and when she saw how, day after day, the beautiful Helen was melting away with grief, she said to her: “Why should you be so sad? You know how I love you, and that I have much knowledge of magic. If you asked me perhaps I might help you.”
“Oh, my dear nurse, do but save me from this marriage and you can ask of me nothing that I will not give you.”