The Neverending Story

by Michael Ende

‘Just imagine,’

‘My friend and master thinks he was gone for only one night.’ ‘Was it longer?’

‘Seven days and seven nights,’ said Falkor. ‘Look, my wounds ...

‘How can it be? I passed through three magic gates. I talked with Uyulala, then I fell asleep. But I can’t possibly have slept that long.’ ‘Space and time,’

‘must be different in there. Anyway, no one has ever stayed in the Oracle as long as you. What happened? Are you finally going to speak?’ ‘First,’

‘I’d like to know what has happened here.’ ‘You can see for yourself,’ said Engywook. ‘The colors are all fading. Everything is getting more and more unreal. The Great Riddle Gate isn’t there a...

‘What about the sphinxes? Where have they gone? Did they fly away? Did you see th...

‘We hoped you could tell us something. Suddenly the stone gate was in ruins, but none of us saw or heard a thing. I even went over and examined the wreckage. And do you know what I found? The fragments are as old as the hills and overgrown with gray moss, as if they had been lying t...

‘It was there, ...

‘because I went through it. And then I went through the Magic Mirror Gate...

‘Well,’

‘Now you know the secret. Uyulala is just a voice. She can only be heard. She is where she sings.’

‘You mean she was...

‘She herself said no one else would ever hear her speak...

‘All for no...

‘My whole life work, all my research, my year-long observations. At last someone brings me the last stone for my scientific edifice, finally I’m in a position to complete my work, to write the last chapter – and it’s absolutely futile and superfluous. It’s no longer of the slightest interest to anyone, because the...

‘Poor old Engywook! Poor old Engywook! Don’t let it get you down. You’ll find something else to occupy you.’ ‘Woman!’

‘What you see before you is not a poor old Engywook, but a tragic figure.’

‘He means no harm,’

‘He’s a good old sort. If only he weren’t plumb crazy!’

‘I’ve got to pack now. We can’t take much with us, but we will need a few things. I’d better hurry.’ ‘You’re going away?’

‘We have no choice,’

‘Where the Nothing takes hold, nothing grows. And now, my poor old man has no reason to stay. We’ll just have to see how we make out. We’ll find a place somewhere. But what about you? What ...

‘Try and find a human and take him to the Childlike Empress to g...

‘Where will you look for t...

‘I don’t ...

‘Somewhere beyond the borders of Fantastica.’ ‘W...

‘I’ll carry you. You’ll see, we’ll be lucky.’...

‘you’d better get ...

‘Maybe we could give yo...

‘For part of the way.’ ‘That’s ...

‘You won’t catch me gallivanting around in the air. A self-respecting gnome keeps his feet on the ground. Besides, you mustn’t let us delay you. You have more important things to do...

‘The best way of doing that is to get started and stop frittering the time away with useless jibber-jabber...

‘Let’s go, A...

‘Goodbye!’

Involuntarily Bastian looked up at the skylight, trying to imagine how it would be if Falkor came cutting through the darkening sky like a dancing white flame, if he and Atreyu were coming to get him. ‘Oh my,’ he sighed. ‘Wouldn’t that be something!’ He could help them, and they could help him. He would be saved and so would Fantastica.

Fantastica

leaden

‘Atreyu, my little master. Are you asleep?’ ‘No,’

‘What is it, Falkor?’ ‘I’ve been wondering if it wouldn’t be wiser to turn back.’ ‘Turn back? Where to?’ ‘To the Ivory Tower. To the Childlike Empress.’ ‘You want us to go to her empty-handed?’ ‘I wouldn’t call it that, Atreyu. What was your mission?’ ‘To discover the cause of her illness and find out what would cure it.’ ‘But,’ said Falkor, ‘nothing was said about your bringing her the cure.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Maybe it’s a mistake, trying to cross the border of Fantastica in search of a human.’ ‘I don’t see what you’re driving at, Falkor. Explain yourself.’

‘The Childlike Empress is dea...

because she needs a new name. Morla the Aged One told you that. But only a human, only a child of man from the Outer World can give her this name. Uyulala told you that. So you’ve actually completed your mission. It seems to me you should let the Childlike Empr...

‘unless I bring her the human who c...