A Little Book of Profitable Tales by Eugene Field Kids Art

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Title: The Mount and the Sea [the 5th story in "A Little Book of Profitable Tales"]
Writer: Field, Eugene (1850-1895)
Date of first publication: 1889
Edition used as base for this ebook: New York: Charles Scribner'due south Sons, 1894
Date first posted: 12 July 2010
Date final updated: 12 July 2010
Project Gutenberg Canada ebook #571

This ebook was produced by: David Edwards, woodie4 & the Online Distributed Proofreading Squad at http://www.pgdpcanada.net

This file was produced from images generously made available by the Internet Archive/American Libraries

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[Pg 87]

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SEA.

Once upon a fourth dimension the air, the mountain, and the sea lived undisturbed upon all the earth. The mountain alone was immovable; he stood ever here upon his rocky foundation, and the sea rippled and foamed at his feet, while the air danced freely over his head and about his grim confront. Information technology came to pass that both the sea and the air loved the mount, just the mount loved the sea.

"Dance on forever, O air," said the mountain; "dance on and sing your merry songs. Simply I love the gentle sea, who in sweetness humility crouches at my feet or playfully dashes her white spray against my brown bosom."

Now the body of water was full of joy when she heard these words, and her one thousand voices sang softly with delight. Only the air was filled with rage [Pg 88]and jealousy, and she swore a terrible revenge.

"The mountain shall not wed the bounding main," muttered the envious air. "Enjoy your triumph while you may, O slumberous sister; I volition steal y'all from your haughty lover!"

And it came to pass that e'er after that the air each day caught up huge parts of the sea and sent them floating forever through the air in the shape of clouds. And then each day the sea receded from the feet of the mountain, and her tuneful waves played no more around his majestic base.

"Whither art m going, my love?" cried the mount, in dismay.

"She is false to thee," laughed the air, mockingly. "She is going to some other love far away."

Just the mountain would not believe it. He towered his head aloft and cried more than beseechingly than earlier: "Oh, whither art thou going, my dear? I do not hear thy sweet vox, nor exercise thy soft white arms compass me almost."

And so the sea cried out in an agony of helpless love. But the mount heard her non, for [Pg 89]the air refused to bring the words she said.

"She is simulated!" whispered the air. "I alone am true to thee."

Just the mountain believed her not. Twenty-four hours after solar day he reared his massive head aloft and turned his honest confront to the receding sea and begged her to return; day later on solar day the bounding main threw upwards her snowy artillery and uttered the wildest lamentations, merely the mountain heard her not; and day past day the sea receded farther and farther from the mountain's base. Where she in one case had spread her fair surface appeared fertile plains and verdant groves all peopled with living things, whose voices the air brought to the mountain's ears in the promise that they might distract the mountain from his mourning.

Just the mountain would not be comforted; he lifted his sturdy head aloft, and his sorrowing face was turned ever toward the fleeting object of his love. Hills, valleys, forests, plains, and other mountains separated them now, but over and beyond them all he could see her fair face lifted pleadingly toward him, while her white artillery tossed wildly to and fro. But he did not know what words she said, for the envious air [Pg 90]would not acquit her messages to him.

And then many ages came and went, until now the ocean was far distant, so very distant that the mountain could not behold her,—nay, had he been ten thousand times every bit lofty he could not take seen her, she was and so far away. Only still, as of erstwhile, the mount stood with his majestic head high in the sky, and his face up turned whither he had seen her fading like a dream abroad.

"Come dorsum, come back, O my beloved!" he cried and cried.

And the sea, a m miles or more away, nevertheless idea forever of the mountain. Vainly she peered over the western horizon for a glimpse of his proud caput and honest face. The horizon was dark. Her lover was far beyond; forests, plains, hills, valleys, rivers, and other mountains intervened. Her watching was as hopeless as her dearest.

"She is false!" whispered the air to the mount. "She is false, and she has gone to another lover. I alone am truthful!"

But the mountain believed her not. And ane day clouds came floating through the heaven and hovered around the mountain's crest.[Pg 91]

"Who fine art one thousand," cried the mountain,—"who art thou that thou fill'st me with such a subtile consolation? Thy breath is similar my beloved'due south, and thy kisses are like her kisses."

"We come up from the sea," answered the clouds. "She loves thee, and she has sent the states to bid thee exist courageous, for she volition come dorsum to thee."

Then the clouds covered the mountain and bathed him with the glory of the sea'southward true love. The air raged furiously, only all in vain. Ever after that the clouds came each solar day with love-messages from the sea, and oftentimes the clouds bore dorsum to the afar sea the tender words the mountain spoke.

And so the ages come and go, the mountain rearing his giant caput aloft, and his brown, honest face turned whither the sea departed; the sea stretching along her arms to the distant mountain and repeating his honey name with her thousand voices.

Stand on the beach and look upon the sea's royal calm and hear her murmurings; or meet her when, in the frenzy of her hopeless love, she surges wildly and tosses her white arms and[Pg 92] shrieks,—and then you shall know how the sea loves the afar mountain.

The mountain is former and sear; the storms accept beaten upon his breast, and bully scars and seams and wrinkles are on his sturdy caput and honest face. Simply he towers majestically aloft, and he looks always toward the distant bounding main and waits for her promised coming.

And and then the ages come and go, just beloved is eternal.

1886.

[End of The Mountain and the Sea by Eugene Field]

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