East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Once upon a time, in a far northern village, nestled among snow-covered mountains and dark pine forests, there lived a poor man with many children. Among them was a young girl, the youngest and the most beautiful of all. Despite their poverty, the family found happiness in each other's company, though they longed for a better life.

One bitterly cold evening, as the wind howled and the snow fell in drifts, there came a knock at their door. The man opened it, only to be met by a large, snow-white bear standing on two legs like a man. The bear's eyes gleamed with intelligence and kindness, and though he was a fearsome sight, he spoke with a voice so soft it calmed the man’s fears.

“Good evening,” said the bear. “I have come to ask for your daughter in marriage. In return, I will make you as rich as you are now poor.”

The man was taken aback, for he loved his daughter dearly. “I cannot give my daughter to a bear,” he stammered.

“I promise no harm will come to her,” said the bear. “She will live in comfort and wealth beyond your imagination.”

The man hesitated, but knowing how much the wealth would help his family, he asked his daughter if she would go with the bear. Though frightened at first, the girl was moved by her father’s desperation and agreed. “If you promise to keep me safe,” she said to the bear, “I will go with you.”

And so, the next day, the girl climbed onto the bear’s broad back, and they journeyed far away from her home. The snow and trees seemed to blur together as they traveled through forests and over mountains. As night fell, they arrived at a magnificent castle made of shining ice and marble, glittering like diamonds under the moonlight.

Inside, the girl found warmth and comfort beyond her wildest dreams. Servants waited on her hand and foot, and she slept in a bed of the softest silks and furs. But though she lived in luxury, the girl felt a strange loneliness. Each night, after the lamps were blown out, a man came to her bed and slept beside her. She could never see his face, for he always left before the dawn, but his presence was kind and gentle. She grew to love this mysterious stranger, though she longed to see him in the light of day.

One day, the girl became so homesick that she begged the bear to let her visit her family. The bear agreed, on one condition: she must not listen to her mother’s advice, or else great misfortune would befall them both. The girl promised, and the bear carried her back to her family.

Her family was overjoyed to see her, and she told them of the wonders of the castle and the kindness of the bear. But her mother, suspicious and concerned, insisted there was something more to the bear's enchantment. “You must light a candle in the night to see the man who lies beside you,” her mother said. “Only then will you know the truth.”

The girl remembered the bear’s warning but couldn’t help but feel curious. When she returned to the castle, she decided to follow her mother’s advice. That night, when the man lay beside her, she lit a candle. In the flickering light, she saw the most handsome prince she had ever laid eyes on. But as she gazed at him, a drop of candle wax fell onto his chest, waking him.

The prince awoke with a start and saw the candle in her hand. “What have you done?” he cried. “You have broken the spell! I am now bound to return to my stepmother, the troll queen, who holds me prisoner in her castle east of the sun and west of the moon.”

With that, the prince disappeared, and the magnificent castle turned to ice. The girl was left alone, standing in the cold ruins of the palace. Desperate to find the prince and make things right, she set out on a perilous journey to find the castle that lay east of the sun and west of the moon.

The girl wandered for days and nights through dark forests and across frozen rivers, seeking anyone who might know the way to the prince. She first came upon an old woman spinning flax on a golden spindle. “Good day,” said the girl. “Do you know the way to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon?”

The old woman shook her head. “No, I do not,” she said, “but I will lend you my horse, which will carry you to my neighbor. Perhaps she knows the way.”

The girl thanked the old woman, mounted the horse, and rode until she reached another old woman, sitting by a well.

“Good day,” the girl said. “Do you know the way to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon?”

The second old woman shook her head. “No, I do not, but I will lend you my horse. It will carry you to my neighbor, who may know the way.”

The girl rode on, following the path until she reached a third old woman, sitting by a stream. “Good day,” she said once again. “Do you know the way to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon?”

The third old woman shook her head. “No, I do not,” she replied, “but I will lend you my horse. He will carry you to the east wind. He may know the way.”

The girl continued her journey, this time riding on the wind, until she reached the palace of the east wind. The east wind welcomed her kindly and listened to her tale. “I do not know the way,” said the east wind, “but my brother, the west wind, may know. I will carry you to him.”

And so the east wind swept the girl across the sky and over mountains and seas until they reached the home of the west wind.

The west wind was a powerful figure, tall and stern, but he smiled kindly at the girl when he heard her story. “I do not know the way to the castle either,” he said, “but my brother, the south wind, might. Let me take you to him.”

The girl traveled with the west wind for many days until they arrived at the palace of the south wind.

“I wish I could help you,” said the south wind, “but the only one who knows the way to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon is the north wind. I will take you to him, but beware, for he is wild and fierce.”

The girl braced herself as she traveled with the south wind to the land of the north wind, where the air was colder and more biting than anything she had ever known. When they arrived, the north wind roared and howled through the trees, shaking the earth with his might. But when he saw the girl, he softened.

“I know the way,” said the north wind. “I will take you there, but the journey is long and dangerous. Hold tight to me, for the winds are strong in those lands.”

And so the north wind swept the girl up and carried her across the sky. They flew over vast oceans, towering mountains, and dark forests, through storms and gales, until at last, they reached the edge of the world. There, far beyond the last mountain, stood the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.

The girl thanked the north wind and made her way into the castle. Inside, she found the troll queen seated on her throne, with the prince at her side, his face pale and sorrowful. The troll queen had cast a spell on him, and he was to marry her daughter unless the girl could break the curse.

To win back the prince, the girl had to complete three impossible tasks, each more difficult than the last. First, the troll queen demanded that the girl clean an enormous stable that hadn’t been touched for a hundred years. Despairing, the girl tried her best, but the task seemed hopeless. Just as she was about to give up, a flock of birds flew in through the open window and helped her sweep and tidy the stable until it gleamed.

Next, the troll queen gave her a pitcher and told her to fill it with water from the bottom of a deep well. The girl lowered the pitcher into the well, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pull it up. Suddenly, a fish leaped out of the water and filled the pitcher for her.

Finally, the troll queen demanded that the girl weave a beautiful tapestry before the sun set. With no loom or thread, the task seemed impossible, but just then, a group of spiders appeared and spun the finest silk threads, helping the girl weave a tapestry more beautiful than any ever seen.

When the troll queen saw that the girl had completed all three tasks, she grew angry and threw a fit. But the prince, freed from the troll queen’s enchantment, stepped forward and declared his love for the girl. “You have broken the curse,” he said, “and now I am free to return to my kingdom.”

With the troll queen defeated and her magic undone, the prince and the girl left the castle. The north wind carried them back to the prince’s kingdom, where they were married in a grand celebration that lasted for days. The prince’s kingdom was restored to its former glory, and the girl’s family was invited to live with them in the castle.

Though the journey had been long and full of challenges, the girl and the prince lived happily ever after, east of the sun and west of the moon.