“HA!” CRIED THE SUN. “IS IT YOU, FAIR ONE?”
After a while the Sun came out to look for his sister, but he found no one but the old nurse sitting there all by herself. “No matter,” said the Sun; “I have a notion of making music for a while. I will go down to the river and cut a reed to make a pipe for myself.”
When the old nurse heard that she turned pale, but she did not dare to say anything. The Sun went down to the river and she followed him. He went straight to the reed that was the beautiful Helen, and drew his knife and set it at the root. Then the reed cried aloud in a doleful voice: “Alas, my brother, I have done you no harm. Do not slay me.”
“Ha!” cried the Sun, “is it you, fair one? Now you see that all the magic in the world cannot hide you from me, and to-morrow you shall be my bride.”
After he had gone, the beautiful Helen turned to her nurse. “Now I see that magic can indeed avail me nothing,” she said, “and only heaven itself can save me.”
The next day was to be the wedding, and when the beautiful Helen was dressed in her bridal clothes she was as pale as ashes, but so beautiful that the heart ached to look at her.
The Sun took her by the hand and led her into the church, and all the candles were lighted and the priests and guests were there.
Then the beautiful Helen called upon heaven to save her. Three times she called, and at the third time all the lights went out, and a great wind swept through the church. The priests were terrified and the guests did not know which way to fly. As for the Sun he cried aloud with rage and disappointment, for he felt that his beautiful bride was gone from his side. She had been carried up and away to where he could never find her. Then she was changed into the moon, and ever since, still and calm and bright she sails up the sky at night after the Sun has gone to rest and holds the earth and sea under her gentle rule.
Sometimes she rises while he is still sinking toward the west. Red and angry he grows as he sees her rising above the horizon in her shining beauty, but he cannot reach her, for the whole heaven is between them.