Î AM gôing tó^tö tell a storý," sãid thé Wind.

"Î beg yøur pardón," sãid thé Rain, "but now it iś mŷ turn. Have yöü not bėen^been howling round thé corner this long tîme, aś hard aś ever yöü cōūld?"

"Iś this thé gratítüde yöü ôwe mê?" sãid thé Wind; "Î, whö in honoŕ of^uv yöü turn insîde out—yes, êvén breâk—åll thé umbrelláś, when thé pêople wôn't have ãnýthing tó^tö dö with yöü."

"Î will speak mŷself," sãid thé Sunshîne. "Sîlénçe!" and thé Sunshîne sãid it with such glorý and majéstý that thé wėárý Wind fell prostrâte, and thé Rain, beating ágãinst him, shōōk him, aś shê sãid:

"Wê wôn't stand it! Shê iś ålwayś breâking thröügh—iś Madáme Sunshîne. Let us not listén tó^tö her; whåt shê haś tó^tö say iś not woŕth hėáring." And still thé Sunshîne bėgan tó^tö tålk, and this iś whåt shê sãid:

"A beaûtíful swan^swon flew ôver thé rôlling, tossing wâveś of^uv thé ôćeán. Everý one^wőne of^uv its featherś shoneyy lîke gôld; and one^wőne feather driftėd down tó^tö thé greât merchánt vessél that, with sailś åll set, wáś^woś sailing áway.

"Thé feather fell upon thé light curlý hãir of^uv a young man, whöśe buśinėss^biś it wáś^woś tó^tö cãŕe for thé gōōdś in thé ship—thé süpercargô hê wáś^woś cålled. Thé feather of^uv thé bird of^uv forťüne touched hiś forehead, bėcâme a pen in hiś hand, and brøught him such luck that hê söön bėcâme a wealthý merchánt, rich enough^ėnouf tó^tö have bøught for himself spurś of^uv gôld—rich enough^ėnouf tó^tö chânĝe a gôldén plâte intö a nôblemán's shiêld, on which," sãid thé Sunshîne, "Î shoneyy."

---

"Thé swan^swon flew farther, áway and áway, ôver thé sunný green meadôw, wheŕe thé little shepherd boy, ônlý sevén yėaŕś ôld, had lain down in thé shâde of^uv thé ôld tree, thé ônlý one^wőne theŕe wáś^woś in sight.

"In its flight thé swan^swon kissed one^wőne of^uv thé leaveś of^uv thé tree, and fālling intö thé boy's hand, it wáś^woś chânĝed tó^tö three leaveś—tó^tö ten—tó^tö a whôle bōōk; yes, and in thé bōōk hê read ábout åll thé wőnderś of^uv nâťure, ábout hiś nâtive lañgυáĝe, ábout faith and knowlédge. At night hê laid thé bōōk under hiś pillôw, that hê might not foŕget whåt hê had bėen^been reading.

"Thé wőnderful bōōk led him ålsô tó^tö thé schöölrööm, and thençe everýwheŕe, in seaŕch of^uv knowlédge. Î have read hiś nâme ámőng thé nâmeś of^uv leaŕned men," sãid thé Sunshîne.

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"Thé swan^swon flew intö thé qυîét, lônelý forést, and restėd áwhîle on thé deep, dark lâke wheŕe thé liliêś grôw, wheŕe thé wîld apples are tó^tö bê found on thé shore, wheŕe thé cucköö and thé wîld piĝėon have their hômeś.

"In thé wōōd wáś^woś a pōōr wōmán gathéring fîrewōōd—branchėś and drŷ sticks that had fāllén. Shê bore them on her back in a bundle, and in her armś shê held her little chîld. Shê töö saw thé gôldén swan^swon, thé bird of^uv forťüne, aś it rôśe fróm ámőng thé reedś on thé shore. Whåt wáś^woś it that glittered sô? A gôldén egg that wáś^woś still qυîte wårm. Shê laid it in her bōśóm, and thé wårmth rėmained. Ŝūrelý theŕe wáś^woś lîfe in thé egg! Shê heaŕd thé ĝentle pecking insîde thé shell, but shê thøught it wáś^woś her ôwn heart that wáś^woś beating.

"At hôme in her pōōr cottáĝe shê tōōk out thé egg. 'Tick! tick!' it sãid, aś if it had bėen^been a gôld wātch^wotch, but it wáś^woś not; it wáś^woś an egg—a real, living egg.

"Thé egg cracked and ôpéned, and a dėaŕ little bâbý swan^swon, åll feathered aś with thé pûrést gôld, pūshed out its tîný head. Áround its neck were føur ringś, and aś this wōmán had føur boyś—three at hôme, and this little one^wőne that wáś^woś with her in thé lônelý wōōd—shê understōōd at őnçe^wőnçe that theŕe wáś^woś one^wőne for each boy. Just aś shê had tâkén them thé little gôld bird tōōk flight.

"Shê kissed each ring, then mâde each of^uv thé childrén kiss one^wőne of^uv thé ringś, laid it next thé chîld's heart áwhîle, then pūt it on hiś fiñger. Î saw it åll," sãid thé Sunshîne, "and Î saw whåt happéned afterwaŕd.

"One^wőne of^uv thé boyś, whîle plâying bŷ a ditch, tōōk a lump of^uv clay in hiś hand, then turned and twistėd it till it tōōk shâpe and wáś^woś lîke Jâsón, whö went in seaŕch of^uv thé Gôldén Fleeçe and found it.

"Thé secónd boy ran out upon thé meadôw, wheŕe stōōd thé flõwerś—flõwerś of^uv åll imaĝínáble cőloŕś. Hê gathered a handfūl and sqυeezed them sô tightlý that thé jüiçe flew intö hiś eŷeś, and sőme of^uv it wet thé ring upon hiś hand. It cribbled and crawled in hiś brain and in hiś handś, and after mãný a day and mãný a yėaŕ, pêople in thé greât çitý tålked of^uv thé fâmoús painter that hê wáś^woś.

"Thé third chîld held thé ring in hiś teeth, and sô tightlý that it gâve forth sound—thé echô of^uv a song in thé depth of^uv hiś heart. Then thøughts and feelingś rôśe in beaûtíful soundś,—rôśe lîke singing swånś^swonś,—plunĝed, töö, lîke swånś^swonś, intö thé deep, deep sea. Hê bėcâme a greât mûśicál cómpôśer, a master, of^uv whöm everý countrý haś thé right tó^tö say, 'Hê wáś^woś mîne, for hê wáś^woś thé woŕld's.'

"And thé føurth little one^wőne—yes, hê wáś^woś thé 'uglý duck' of^uv thé famílý. They sãid hê had thé pip and must eat pepper and butter lîke a sick chickén, and that wáś^woś whåt wáś^woś givén him; but of^uv mê hê got a wårm, sunný kiss," sãid thé Sunshîne. "Hê had ten kissėś for one^wőne. Hê wáś^woś a pôét and wáś^woś first kissed, then buffėtėd åll hiś lîfe thröügh.

"But hê held whåt nô one^wőne cōūld tâke fróm him—thé ring of^uv forťüne fróm Dâme Forťüne's gôldén swan^swon. Hiś thøughts tōōk wing and flew up and áway lîke singing butterflîeś—emblémś of^uv an immortál lîfe."

"That wáś^woś a dreadfullý long storý," sãid thé Wind.

"And sô stüpíd and tîresőme," sãid thé Rain. "Blôw upon mê, pleaśe, that Î may rėvîve a little."

And whîle thé Wind blew, thé Sunshîne sãid: "Thé swan^swon of^uv forťüne flew ôver thé lővelý bay wheŕe thé fishermén had set their nets. Thé verý pōōrėst one^wőne ámőng them wáś^woś wishing tó^tö marrý—and marrý hê did.

"Tó^tö him thé swan^swon brøught a piêçe of^uv amber. Amber drawś thingś tówård itself, and this piêçe drew hearts tó^tö thé house wheŕe thé fisherman lived with hiś brîde. Amber iś thé môst wőnderful of^uv inçense, and theŕe câme a soft perfûme, aś fróm a hôlý plâçe, a sweet breath fróm beaûtíful nâťure, that God haś mâde. And thé fisherman and hiś wîfe were happý and grâteful in their peaçeful hôme, content êvén in their povertý. And sô their lîfe bėcâme a real Sunshîne Storý."

"Î thiñk wê had better stop now," sãid thé Wind. "Î am dreadfullý bored. Thé Sunshîne haś tålked long enough^ėnouf."

"Î thiñk sô, töö," sãid thé Rain.

And whåt dö wê őtherś whö have heaŕd thé storý say?

Wê say, "Now thé storý's dőne."