One day he saw the clouds coming, headed for his own desert, and the North Wind went to meet them and a mighty battle took place in the air; but the North Wind was the victor.  White on the ground where the chill had flung them lay the clouds in snow crystals; and the man laughed his joy at the sight of the ruin—­for he knew that the rain-clouds would have greened his desert and made it beautiful.  But he heard the men who cultivated the land on which the snow had fallen bless the North Wind that it had given their crops protection and promised plenty to the fields of wheat.  Then the man with the dead soul cursed the North Wind and went to dwell in the ocean.

The waters bade him stay and daily he saw their work of evil.  Down in the depths dead men’s bones whitened beside the wealth of treasure the ocean had claimed.  He walked along the bottom for years exulting in destruction before he came to the surface to watch the storms and laugh at the big waves eating the great ships.  But there was only a gentle breeze blowing that day, and he saw great vessels laden with treasure and wealth passing from nation to nation.  He saw the dolphins play over the bosom of the waters and the sea-gulls happy to ride the waves.  Then afar off he saw the bright columns where all day long the sun kept working, drawing moisture to the sky from the waters to spread it, even over the man’s barren desert, to make it bloom.

Cursing again, the man with the dead soul left the waters and buried himself beneath the earth, to hide in dark caves where neither light nor sound could go.  But a glowworm that lived in the cave made it all too bright.  By its lantern he saw the hidden mysterious forces working.  Through tiny paths warmth and nourishment ran to be near the surface that baby seeds might germinate, live and flourish for man’s benefit.  He saw great forests draw their strength from the very Earth into which he had burrowed, to fall again in death into its kindly arms and so to change into carbon and remain stored away for man’s future comfort.  Then the man with the dead soul could live in earth no longer, and neither could he go to the beasts, to the air, or to the waters.

“I will return to my desert,” he said, “for there is more of evil in the gold and diamonds than anywhere else.”

So he went back where the gold still shone from the veins in the cliffs and the diamonds twinkled in the pitiless sun rays.  But a throne had been raised on a hillock and a king sat thereon with a crown on his head and a trident in his hand.

“Who art thou who invadest my desert?” asked the man.

“Thy master,” answered the king.

“And who is my master?” asked the man.

“The spirit of evil.”

“Then would I dwell with thee,” said the man.

“Thou hast served me well and thou art welcome,” said the king.  “Behold!”

He stretched forth the trident and demons peopled the desert.