The Blazing World

While traveling in a foreign land, a merchant sailor falls in love with a wealthy Lady. The merchant abducts her, which angers the gods. The gods send a giant storm that sweeps the ship to the northern pole of their world. The cold causes the merchant and crew to freeze, but the Lady’s youth and beauty, combined with the gods’ protection, keep her safe. At the northern pole, the Lady’s planet connects to another world, which is not usually visible because the sun blocks it out.

The merchant’s boat sails into this adjoining world. The Lady sees creatures that resemble bears, except they walk on two legs and speak a language that is unintelligible to her. The creatures board the ship and, upon noticing the stench of the rotting crew, rescue the Lady, sink the boat, and carry her to their underground cave city. While the Lady is initially frightened, the creatures treat her kindly. Soon, the bear-men take the Lady to a warmer island, as they realize she isn’t acclimatized to the freezing temperatures.

This island is populated by fox-men. The bear-men and the fox-men decide to bring the Lady to their Emperor. On their journey across many rivers, they meet gooselike bird-men, satyrs, and people the color of green grass.