(_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."
"Leave it to me; leave it to me," said the old woman. "Are you not my
nursling?"
So the next time the Sun came to see his sister the old woman changed
her into a little cake, and hid her under the ashes as if to bake.
In came the Sun and looked about him. "Good nurse, I am tired and
hungry," said he. "Have you nothing here for me to eat?"
"There is bread and wine yonder on the shelf."
"Nay, I know of something that suits me better than that," said the
Sun, and he uncovered the white cake that lay among the ashes and made
as though to eat it.
"Oh, my brother, spare me!" cried the cake.
"What!" cried the Sun, pretending to be very much surprised. "Can it be
that this is not a cake at all, but the beautiful Helen, who has taken
this form?"
Then Helen was obliged to take her own form again, and so beautiful did
she appear with the silvery ashes powdering her golden hair that the
Sun was more determined upon the marriage than ever.
After he had gone, Helen began to reproach the nurse because her magic
had been of so little avail.
"Do not grieve to death because of that," said the old woman, "for I
have better magic than that in my head. The next time the Sun comes to
visit you we will be in the garden and I will change you into a blade
of grass, and among all the other blades he will be sure not to find
you."
So the next day the old woman and her nursling were sitting out in the
garden, and presently they knew, by the golden glow in the sky, that
the Sun was coming to look for his sister. Then the old nurse changed
her into a blade of grass, and no one could have told her from all the
other blades in the garden.
Out came the Sun to where the old nurse sat, and looked about him. "I
had thought to find the beautiful Helen here," said he.
"She was here a moment ago," answered the nurse, "and had you come
then, you might have seen her."
"How green the grass is all about," said the Sun. "Since she is not
here I will have a nibble of it."
He then changed himself into a lamb and began to nibble about.
Presently he came to the tuft of grass where Helen was. Seeing that
his teeth were about to close upon her she cried out in a woeful voice,
"Alas, my brother, I have never harmed you; do not bite me, I beg of
you."
"Then do not try to escape me by any such tricks of magic," answered
the Sun. Thereupon he took back his natural shape, and the beautiful
Helen was obliged to take her own shape, too.
After he had gone away she began to weep and lament. "If you can do no
better than this with your magic the marriage will surely go on."
"Wait until to-morrow," answered the nurse. "Then I will turn you into
a reed that grows beside the river. I am sure he will never think of
looking for you there."
So the next day at about the time when the Sun would be coming, the old
nurse changed Helen into a reed beside the river, but she herself sat
in the garden that the Sun might suspect nothing.
[Illustration: "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.
[Illustration]