484
LEV KASSll
He smashed the mirror against the stone floor with such
spite that the glass broke into a thousand pieces.
The king's weathercocks seized Amalgam and threw
him
into a dark dungeon without a single ray of light.
The next day the rebel was tried by the Council of Winds.
The Council of the Winds met in an enormous courtroom
in which the ceiling was marked with the four points of the com·
pass and instead of a chandelier there quivered a gigantic com–
pass needle.
The first to enter were numerous Tradewinds and Mon·
soons who took up their stand on the left and right of the throne.
The Chief Windmaster of the Royal Court announced the
arrival of the Winds. In swept the Cyclone, gusty, twisted, tightly
wrapped in his cloak. His eyes flashed lightning. He was whip–
ping along in front of him a gigantic humming top made of
water and sand.... From the opposite door came tottering
his
adversary-the flabby and listless Anticyclone. He was bent low
under the weight of a cyclinder of compressed air. His loose,
colorless clothing flapped as he went.
"Mister Northeaster, the northeast wind!" announced the
Windmaster.
The Northeaster blew in, red-nosed with a long white flow–
ing beard and wrapped in furs. It became very cold in the court–
room. The wind breathed with a whistle and his breath settled
on the floor as hoarfrost. He was leading his son, Pine
Fores~
with his long bony hand which had icicles instead of fingers.
"Mister Southwester, the southwest wind!" called out the
Windmaster.
"Atchoo!" Snuffling and sneezing, the Southwester came
in.
He was wearing a plastic raincoat and carrying an open um–
brella, dragging his rubber-shod, rheumatic feet, and leaving
wet marks on the parquet flooring. Coughing and sneezing could
be heard throughout the courtroom.
Then there was a piercing whistle and in came another
