s
knew.

Then the old man said to the hunter: "You must go seek my brother who
is the King of the Birds," and told him how to find his brother.

And after a time he found the King of the Birds, and told him what he
wanted. So the King of the Birds whistled loud and shrill, and soon
the sky was darkened with all the birds of the air, who came around
him. Then he asked:

"Which of you knows where is the Land East o' the Sun and West o' the
Moon?"

And none answered, and the King of the Birds said:

"Then you must consult my brother the King of the Fishes," and he told
him how to find him.

And the hunter went on, and he went on, and he went on, till he came
to the King of the Fishes, and he told him what he wanted. And the
King of the Fishes went to the shore of the sea and summoned all the
fishes of the sea. And when they came around him he called out:

"Which of you knows where is the Land East o' the Sun and West o' the
Moon?"

And none of them answered, till at last a dolphin that had come late
called out:

"I have heard that at the top of the Crystal Mountain lies the Land
East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon; but how to get there I know not
save that it is near the Wild Forest."

So the hunter thanked the King of the Fishes and went to the Wild
Forest. And as he got near there he found two men quarrelling, and as
he came near they came towards him and asked him to settle their
dispute.

"Now what is it?" said the hunter.

[Illustration: The Dolphin who Came Late]

"Our father has just died and he has left but two things, this cap
which, whenever you wear it, nobody can see you, and these shoon,
which will carry you through the air to whatever place you will. Now I
being the elder claim the right of choice, which of these two I shall
have; and he declares that, as the younger, he has the right to the
shoon. Which do you think is right?"

So the hunter thought and thought, and at last he said:

"It is difficult to decide, but the best thing I can think of is for
you to race from here to that tree yonder, and whoever gets back to me
first I will hand him either the shoes or the cap, whichever he
wishes."

So he took the shoes in one hand and the cap in the other, and waited
till they had started off running towards the tree. And as soon as
they had started running towards the tree he put on the shoes of
swiftness and placed the invisible cap on his head and wished himself
in the Land East o' the