The Neverending Story by Michael Ende Read Free Book Online

with pale lips, “that I knew nothing about it!”
    Cairon cast a grave, anxious look at the boy from under his bushy white eyebrows.
    “Now you know the lie of the land,” he said. “And now perhaps you understand why I was so upset when I first laid eyes on you. Still, it was you the Childlike Empress named. ‘Go and find Atreyu,’ she said to me. ‘I put all my trust in him,’ she said. ‘Ask him if he’s willing to attempt the Great Quest for me and for Fantastica.’ I don’t know why she chose you. Maybe only a little boy like you can do whatever has to be done. I don’t know, and I can’t advise you.”
    Atreyu sat there with bowed head, and made no reply. He realized that this was a far greater task than his hunt. It was doubtful whether the greatest hunter and pathfinder could succeed; how then could he hope . . .?
    “Well?” the centaur asked. “Will you?”
    Atreyu raised his head and looked at him.
    “I will,” he said firmly.
    Cairon nodded gravely. Then he took the chain with the golden amulet from his neck and put it around Atreyu’s.
    “AURYN gives you great power,” he said solemnly, “but you must not make use of it. For the Childlike Empress herself never makes use of her power. AURYN will protect you and guide you, but whatever comes your way you must never interfere, because from this moment on your own opinion ceases to count. For that same reason you must go unarmed. You must let what happens happen. Everything must be equal in your eyes, good and evil, beautiful and ugly, foolish and wise, just as it is in the eyes of the Childlike Empress. You may only search and inquire, never judge. Always remember that, Atreyu!”
    “AURYN!” Atreyu repeated with awe. “I will be worthy of the Glory. When should I start?”
    “Immediately,” said Cairon. “No one knows how long your Great Quest will be. Every hour may count, even now. Say goodbye to your parents and your brothers and sisters.”
    “I have none,” said Atreyu. “My parents were both killed by a buffalo, soon after I was born.”
    “Who brought you up?”
    “All the men and women together. That’s why they called me Atreyu, which in our language means ‘Son of All’!”
    No one knew better than Bastion what that meant. Even though his father was still alive and Atreyu had neither father nor mother. To make up for it, Atreyu had been brought up by all the men and women together and was the “son of all”, while Bastian had no one—and was really “nobody’s son”. All the same, Bastian was glad to have this much in common with Atreyu, because otherwise he resembled him hardly at all, neither physically nor in courage and determination. Yet Bastian, too, was engaged in a Great Quest and didn’t know where it would lead him or how it would end.
    “In that case,” said the old centaur, “you’d better go without saying goodbye. I’ll stay here and explain.”
    Atreyu’s face became leaner and harder than ever.
    “Where should I begin?” he asked.
    “Everywhere and nowhere,” said Cairon. “From now on you will be on your own, with no one to advise you. And that’s how it will be until the end of the Great Quest—however it may end.”
    Atreyu nodded.
    “Farewell, Cairon.”
    “Farewell, Atreyu. And—much luck!”
    The boy turned away and was leaving the tent when the centaur called him back.
    As they stood face to face, the old centaur put both hands on Atreyu’s shoulders, looked him in the eye with a respectful smile, and said slowly: “I think I’m beginning to see why the Childlike Empress chose you, Atreyu.”
    The boy lowered his head just a while. Then he went out quickly.
    His horse, Artax, was standing outside the tent. He was small and spotted like a wild horse. His legs were short and stocky, but he was the fastest, most tireless runner far and wide. He was still saddled as Atreyu had ridden him back from the hunt.
    “Artax,” Atreyu whispered, patting his neck. “We’re going