"This is the strangest thing that befell between two seas," said
the King's daughter of Duntrine.
But the nurse broke out and moaned like an autumn gale. "I am
weary of the wind," quoth she; and she bewailed her day.
The King's daughter was aware of a man upon the beach; he went
hooded so that none might perceive his face, and a pipe was
underneath his arm. The sound of his pipe was like singing wasps,
and like the wind that sings in windlestraw; and it took hold upon
men's ears like the crying of gulls.
"Are you the comer?" quoth the King's daughter of Duntrine.
"I am the corner," said he, "and these are the pipes that a man may
hear, and I have power upon the hour, and this is the song of the
morrow." And he piped the song of the morrow, and it was as long
as years; and the nurse wept out aloud at the hearing of it.
"This is true," said the King's daughter, "that you pipe the song
of the morrow; but that ye have power upon the hour, how may I know
that? Show me a marvel here upon the beach, between the waves and
the dead leaves."
And the man said, "Upon whom?"
"Here is my nurse," quoth the King's daughter. "She is weary of
the wind. Show me a good marvel upon her."
And, lo! the nurse fell upon the beach as it were two handfuls of
dead leaves, and the wind whirled them widdershins, and the sand
lice hopped between.
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