“Well!  I’m sure I wish the wind would blow, For this is washing day, you know.  I’ve scrubbed and rubbed with all my might, In tubs of foam from morning light, And now I want the wind to blow To dry my clothes as white as snow.”

This was the Washerwoman who was hanging out her clothes.  Jan could see his own Sunday shirt, with ruffles, hanging limp on her line, and it was as white as a snowflake, sure enough!

“Come over, little neighbor,” cried the Washerwoman, when she saw Jan.  “Come over, little neighbor, and help me work to-day!” So, as soon as Jan had eaten his breakfast, he ran over to carry her basket for her.  The basket was heavy, but he did not care; and as he worked he heard some one singing a song, with a voice almost as loud and as strong as the wind.

    [1]"Oh! if the merry wind would blow,
    Yeo ho! lads, ho! yeo ho! yeo ho! 
    My gallant ship would gaily go,
    Yeo ho! lads, ho! yeo ho! 
    In fresh’ning gales we’d loose our sails,
        And o’er the sea,
    Where blue waves dance, and sunbeams glance,
        We’d sail in glee,
    But winds must blow, before we go,
        Across the sea,
    Yeo ho! my lads, yeo ho!"

[Footnote 1:  Air Nancy Lee.]

Jan and the Washerwoman and all the neighbors looked out to see who was singing so cheerily, and it was the Sea-captain whose white ship Jan had watched in the harbor.  The ship was laden with linen and laces for fine ladies, but it could not go till the wind blew.  The Captain was impatient to be off, and so he walked about town, singing his jolly song to keep himself happy.

Jan thought it was a beautiful song, and when he went home he tried to sing it himself.  He did not know all the words, but he put his hands in his pockets and swelled out his little chest and sang in as big a voice as he could:  “Yeo ho! my lads, yeo ho!”

While he sang, something kissed him on the cheek; and when he turned to see what it was his hat spun off into the yard as if it were enchanted; and when he ran to pick his hat up he heard a whispering all through the town.  He looked up, and he looked down, and on every side, but saw nobody!  At last the golden weather-vane on the church tower called down:—­

“Foolish child, it is the wind from out of the east.”

The trees had been the first to know of its coming, and they were bowing and bending to welcome it; while the leaves danced off the branches and down the hill, in a whirl of delight.

The windmill’s arms whirled round, oh! so fast, and the wheat was ground into white flour for the Baker, who kindled his fires and beat his eggs in the twinkling of an eye; and he was not quicker than the Sea-captain, who loosed his sails in the fresh’ning gales, just as he had said he would, and sailed away to foreign lands.

Jan watched him go, and then ran in great haste to get his kite; for the petticoats on the Washerwoman’s clothesline were puffed up like balloons, and all the world was astir.