III. Two queens were sleeping: The one was lying, and the other was on the move.
Compared with Queen of Summer, Queen of Autumn had a bit of hard time.
Her precious thing is Laurent --the awesome low lamb. She was riding it and moving through a snowfield. The wool is warm and comfortable, but, you know, sheep is very easygoing. It always sleep or yawn except for butting someone.
Drawn in by the attitude of the sheep, Queen of Autumn felt drowsy by the time they got to Land of Spring.
“Where is my dear Spring? She might be in a forum, is not she?”
The low lamb was leaving footprints with no answer. Queen of Autumn decided to wander wherever it’s legs take them.
As Land of Year Rounding, Land of Summer, Autumn, and Winter, there is an edict by Sun, the King in Land of Spring.
―Find Queen of Spring and Bring Her to Us. Whoever you are, for example, a quaestor, a quipster, a quaint, a dancer of quadrille, a quack, you will get a quaich and whatever you want regardless of quantity or quality when you succeed at this quest. It must be solved as quickly as possible.―
”How about a queen? Can we get the reward from Father?”
Queen of Autumn thought aloud.
”Well, I remember, it is usual that he give anything to us. Is not it, Laurent?”
Laurent baaed in a low voice.
After passing some edicts, they arrived at a small limpid spring. It was icebound like a crystal. Queen of Autumn could see through to the bottom of it.
Looking in the spring, she was so surprised. It was Queen of Spring who was lying at the bottom of the silent cold spring.
Queen of Autumn ordered her low lamb clearly.
“Here, we need your hard head. Break the ice on the spring.”
The low lamb butted the surface of the spring, the thick ice broke with cracking sounds.
Queen of Autumn pulled up Queen of Spring without delay. Then, spring frogs in spring --they are Queen of Spring's precious things-- fell from Queen of Spring’s drenched skirt. Queen of Autumn picked up all frogs carefully.
“My dear Spring, you should wake and warm yourself, otherwise you will get a cold!”
Despite the call, Queen of Spring and her frogs were sleeping peacefully.
Queen of Autumn put her hand on her cheek.
“We have no time to stay here anymore. I think of several places where we could go. The castle of my dear Spring, the castle of our father, the castle of mine, or Three-Months Tower. Can the seasons round normally if a queen is sleeping? ―Sure, it is, or else there was no season while midnight.”
Queen of Autumn gave the second order to the low lamb.
“Go to Three-Months Tower. I know that you are a tough lamb and can take all of us to the tower. Okay?”
Seeing a nod of the lamb, Queen of Autumn crowded the frozen frogs into the wool. Then, she put Queen of Spring and herself on the back of sheep.
The low lamb moved with heavier load, Its step was as slowly as a snail or a tale of a mole.
At length, the border of Land of Spring come to be seen. Queen of Autumn felt the appetizing aroma.
Just then something fallen from the sky and sprung into the mouth of Queen of Spring.
After mumbling for a while, Queen of Spring opened her eyes wide.
“Ah, I slept soundly. Good morning, my lovely Autumn.”
Queen of Autumn was so surprised that she could not talk. What is more, she saw Queen of Summer on the winker reindeer flew down.
“I have finally found! You are here, my lovely Autumn and my dear Spring! Will you have some bread?”
Queen of Summer put out a basket. There are many tiny bread rolls in it.
“Thank you, I take it.” Queen of Spring snacked on one of them.
“Bread? My dear Summer, did you meet my lovely Winter?”
Queen of Autumn did not have them and knitted her brows.
“Of course. My lovely winter told me the recipe. I gathered the ingredients, then mixed, kneaded, and baked them. Will you listen to what happened to me?”
“Yes, please talk while our way. We are going to Three-Months Tower.”
And then the winker reindeer began to walk on the ground slowly next to the low lamb.
Queen of Summer started talking;
