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Climate Change and Food
Security in Asia Pacific
Response and Resilience

Md Saidul Islam · Edson Kieu

 International Political Economy Series

Series Editor
Timothy M. Shaw , University of Massachusetts Boston,
Boston, USA;
Emeritus Professor, University of London, London, UK
The global political economy is in flux as a series of cumulative crises
impacts its organization and governance. The IPE series has tracked its
development in both analysis and structure over the last three decades.
It has always had a concentration on the global South. Now the South
increasingly challenges the North as the centre of development, also
reflected in a growing number of submissions and publications on
indebted Eurozone economies in Southern Europe. An indispensable
resource for scholars and researchers, the series examines a variety of capi-
talisms and connections by focusing on emerging economies, companies
and sectors, debates and policies. It informs diverse policy communities as
the established trans-Atlantic North declines and ‘the rest’, especially the
BRICS, rise. NOW INDEXED ON SCOPUS!

More information about this series at

http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/13996
 Md Saidul Islam · Edson Kieu

Climate Change
and Food Security
in Asia Pacific
Response and Resilience
Md Saidul Islam Edson Kieu
School of Social Science and Asian Singapore Management University
School of the Environment Singapore, Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore, Singapore

ISSN 2662-2483 ISSN 2662-2491 (electronic)

International Political Economy Series
ISBN 978-3-030-70752-1 ISBN 978-3-030-70753-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70753-8

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer
Nature Switzerland AG 2021
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc.
in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such
names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for
general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and informa-
tion in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither
the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with
respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been
made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps
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Cover credit: © Rob Friedman/iStockphoto.com

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature
Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
 To my lovely and only daughter, Ulfat Tahseen, and wonderful sons,
Rawsab Said and Musab Said, who feel pain for the hungry people and
climate refugees in this planet.
—Md Saidul Islam

To my family, Yen Shing, Eileen, and Edgar, for their unconditional love
and immeasurable support in all my pursuits.
—Edson Kieu
 Acknowledgments

Climate Change and Food Security in Asia-Pacific: Response and Resilience

was made possible by Tier-1 grants from the Ministry of Education, Singa-
pore. We acknowledge our debt to Nanyang Technological University
Singapore, Singapore Management University, and Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology. We are grateful to the Series Editor, Commissioning
Editor, and Editorial Assistants of Palgrave Macmillan for their crucial and
diligent support and timely response to every phase of this publication.
Special thanks to Balaji Varadharaju and the production team.
We are thankful to our interviewees who voluntarily and enthusiasti-
cally participated in this study and shared their deep insights with us. A
special “thank you” to all the research assistants who worked for the Tier-
1 and URECA projects namely Nigel Selvanathen, Yeo Kai Qing Joanne,
Yuvaranjini D/O Mathiazakan, Teng Kuan Yung, Teo Xin Yi Belicia,
Furqan Akram Khan, Mangharam, Shrutika Ajit, Andrea Ting Wong, and
few more.
Our family members and friends have been a constant source of encour-
agement and enthusiasm throughout our life, particularly during this
study. We believe, this work could not be made possible without the
continued emotional support from our family members. We are also
grateful to Palgrave Macmillan for publishing this book.

vii
 Praise for Climate Change and Food
Security in Asia Pacific

“In this ground-breaking work, Islam and Kieu examine the power of
regional initiatives in meeting the threats of climate change and food
insecurity. Indeed, these challenges are fundamentally regional: they are
nearly identical for adjacent nations, but widely differing at the global
scale. Regional alliances enhance the political and financial leverage of
their members, while holding a tighter focus is possible for global alliance.
Islam and Kieu apply the analytical methodology of multi-sited ethnog-
raphy, through case studies of specific Asia-Pacific initiatives. This work
will be valued by policy makers and practitioners tackling the two greatest
challenges of our age.”
—Professor John H. Lienhard, V, Director, Abdul Latif Jameel Water
and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology

“The authors provide a very detailed and insightful analysis of the complex
relationships between climate change and food (in)security in the large
Asia-Pacific region, going beyond common efforts to demonstrate how
the former is impacting the latter by also focusing on the impact of food
systems on climate change. They do this via in-depth analyses of three
large Asian-Pacific Initiatives aimed at promoting food security across
differing parts of the region, as well as paying special attention to China
and India, urban food security and the role of green movements in
achieving equitable as well as sustainable food security. With a keen eye

ix
x PRAISE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY IN ASIA PACIFIC

toward policy implications, they help point the way to a more sustainable
food system in this vital region.”
—Riley E. Dunlap, Past-President, Research Committee on Environment
and Society, International Sociological Association

“Climate Change and Food Security in Asia-Pacific: Response and

Resilience is a very timely volume with a focus on one of the key regions
in the new global economy. Providing insights on regional initiatives for
mitigations and resilience to climate change and food security in Asia
Pacific, this book is key not only for those who are interested in the
responses to climate change to address food security concerns, but also for
international relations and politics experts who are interested in this strate-
gically very important geography. Authors warn us about the dangers of
“resource wars” among the have and have not nations, threats of green-
washing by some of the key actors who are not genuine in their efforts
to address the threats and speak of the necessity of robust public policies
and participation of the poor to make meaningful changes towards food
security.”
—Mustafa Koc, Professor, Department of Sociology and the Centre for
Studies in Food Security, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada

“A very timely book. Climate change, food security and resilience are
central to the challenge of addressing food insecurity in some of the fragile
economies of Asia Pacific. The two dominant countries of the region—
China and India—present an interesting contrast.”
—Chandra A. Madramootoo P.Eng., James McGill Professor, Faculty of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Canada

“Climate Change and Food Security in Asia Pacific: Response and

Resilience is a timely contribution for a better understanding of how
regional organizations can shape climate change mitigation policies in
view of ensuring food security. Md Saidul Islam and Edson Kieu provide
key insights on the possible pathways for a sustainable food system in the
Asia-Pacific region.”
—Stefano Ponte, Professor of International Political Economy and the
Director of the Centre for Business & Development Studies, Copenhagen
Business School, Denmark
 Contents

1 Tackling Regional Climate Change and Food Security

Issues: An Introduction 1
2 Climate Change and Food (In)Security Nexus 17
3 Climate Change and Food Security in ASEAN 43
4 Climate Change and Food Security in SAARC 73
5 Climate Change and Food Security in PIF 99
6 Climate Change and the Environment: The Chindia
(China and India) Dilemma 127
7 Urban Food Security and Sustainability in Asian Cities 153
8 China and India’s Involvement in Land and Water
Grabs 177
9 Green Movements, Food Justice, and Sovereignty
in Asia 205
10 Toward a Sustainable Food System in Asia-Pacific
Amid Climate Crises 223

Index 235

xi
 Acronyms

ACCI ASEAN Climate Change Initiative

ACEF All-China Environment Federation
ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
ADB Asian Development Bank
ADLI Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization
AEC ASEAN Economic Community
AFCD Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department
AFED Arab Forum for Environment and Development
AFSIS ASEAN Food Security Information System
AFSRB ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board
AIFS ASEAN Integrated Food Security
AIPP Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact
AMAF ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry
AMIS Agricultural Market Information System
AMME ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
ANGOC Asian NGO Coalition
APEC Association of Protection of Environment and Culture
APN Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
APTERR ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve
ASCC ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
AusAID Australian Aid
AVA Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
AWGCC ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change
C Carbon
CCA Climate Change Adaptation

xiii
xiv ACRONYMS

CCP Chinese Communist Party

CDM Clean Development Mechanisms
CEC Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines
CESDI Center for Environment and Sustainable Development
CF Contract Farming
CIDP Community Initiatives for Development in Pakistan
CIF Climate Investment Fund
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
COP Conference of the Parties
CROP Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific
CSISA Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia
CSO Civil Society Organizations
CUTS Consumer Unity and Trust Society
DAFO District Agricultural and Forestry Office
DRR Disaster Risk Reduction
DWA Dalit Welfare Association
EASEP East Amman Society for Environment Protection
ECOT Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism
ECTET Ecumenical Coalition on Third World Tourism
EDA Emirates Diving Association
EEG Emirates Environmental Group
EFS Environment Friends Society
EGA USAID’s Economic Growth and Agriculture
ENSO El Niño-Southern Oscillation
ESDF Environmental and Societal Development Foundation
ESDO Environmental and Social Development Organization
ESO Environmental Society of Oman
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FFA Forum Fisheries
FSPWG Food Secure Pacific Working Group
FTA Foreign Trade Agreements
GAIA Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
GBS Gram Bharati Samiti
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEF Global Environment Facility
GEIDCO Global Energy Interconnection Development and
Co-operation Organization
GHG Greenhouse Gases
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GV Global Voices
HEAD Human Environmental Association for Development
HRS Household Responsibility System
 ACRONYMS xv

HSA Health Sciences Authority

IAPH International Association of Ports and Harbours
IC Inorganic Carbon
ICEJ International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
IGEG.CC Inter-governmental Expert Group on Climate Change
IHRC International Human Rights Commission
IICI Indo OIC Islamic chamber of commerce and industry
ILEC International Lake Environment Committee Foundation
IMAECSED International Movement for Advancement of Education
Culture Social and Economic Development
IMF International Monetary Fund
INTACH Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPFSP Industry Partners for a Food Secure Pacific
IRRI International Rice Research Institute
ITP Industrial Tree Plantation
JES Jordan Environment Society
MAC Marine Aquaculture Centre
MEP Minimum Export Prices
MEWR Ministry of Environment and Water Resource
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MRV Measurement, Reporting and Verification
MSP Minimum Support Prices
MSW Municipal Solid Waste
MWC Mahindra World City
N Nitrogen
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NAMAs Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions
NARS National Agricultural Research System
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCCC National Committee on Climate Change
NDRC National Development and Reform Commission
NEA National Environment Agency
NFN NGO Federation of Nepal
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NPO Non-Profit Organization
NTU Nanyang Technological University
NWHO New World Hope Organisation
NYAA National Youth Achievement Award
OWTF Organic Waste Treatment Facilities
PCCR Pacific Climate Change Roundtable
xvi ACRONYMS

PDS Public Distribution System

PICTs Pacific Island Countries and Territories
PIF Pacific Island Forum
PIFS The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Centre
RADP Rural Area Development Programme
REDWO Rural Educational Development and Welfare Organization
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SAFE South Asian Forum for Environment
SCOPE Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment
SEE Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology
SEZ Special Economic Zone
SFA Singapore Food Agency
SINAM Sadayanodai Ilaignar Narpani Mandran
SIS Pacific Islands Forum’s Smaller Island States
SLR Sea-level Rise
SPA-FS Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security for the ASEAN
Region
SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community
SPNL Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon
SPREP Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
SPTO South Pacific Tourism Organization
SRI System of Rice Intensification
SRS Sembawang Research Station
SSJFZ Sino-Singapore Jilin Food Zone
TAC Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
TEBTEBBA Tebtebba Foundation Indigenous Peoples International Policy
Research and Education
TEI Thailand Environment Institute
TLL Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory
UAE United Arab Emirates
UFSS Urban Food Systems Strategies
UK United Kingdom
UN United Nations
UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNDESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UPA Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
US United States (of America)
USA United States of America
USAID United States Agency for International Aid
USAID United States Agency for International Development
 ACRONYMS xvii

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

WB World Bank
WHO World Health Organization
WMC World Muslim Congress
WOCAN Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural
Resource Management
 List of Figures

Fig. 3.1 Environmental cooperation institutional framework

for ASEAN (Source ASEAN Cooperation on Environment
(2015) [public document; no copyright issue]) 52
Fig. 3.2 ASEAN regional cooperation architecture (Credit
Vichitlekarn (2011) [public document; no copyright issue]) 55
Fig. 3.3 The AIFS framework and its components (Source ASEAN
(2009) [public document; no copyright issue]) 57
Fig. 5.1 Conceptual model of food security in the Pacific (Source
Secretariat of the Pacific Community [2011] [public
document; no copyright issue]) 117
Fig. 7.1 Study framework [Authors’ own; no copyright issue] 157
Fig. 7.2 Major food items imported by Singapore in 2017–2018
(AVA 2018) [public document; no copyright issue] 160
Fig. 7.3 Hong Kong food import map (Credit Jensen Choy)
[no copyright issue] 162
Fig. 7.4 Hong Kong food import figures (Credit Jensen Choy)
[no copyright issue] 162
Fig. 7.5 Food waste and yard waste plan for Hong Kong
2014–2022 HKSAR Environment Bureau 2014 (EB
2014) [no copyright issue] 169
Fig. 9.1 Tensions of justice, dependencies, the environment,
and development (Source Authors’ own) 206

xix
 List of Tables

Table 1.1 Critical functions of regional organizations 9

Table 3.1 Gross domestic product per capita in ASEAN, at current
prices (nominal), in US dollars (as of August 2016) 46
Table 3.2 2011 ASEAN Plus 3 Emergency Rice Reserve 61
Table 3.3 Evaluation criteria for ASEAN initiatives and programs 63
Table 3.4 Summary table for ASEAN initiatives efficacy 67
Table 4.1 GDP of SAARC nations, in US dollars (2007–2011) 76
Table 4.2 Products of coastal/aquatic ecosystems in South Asia 80
Table 4.3 SAARC improvements in non-climate change areas
to be addressed 80
Table 4.4 Six thematic areas for the SAARC action plan on climate
change 84
Table 4.5 The Thimphu Statement on Climate Change endorses
and agrees to undertake the following points 86
Table 4.6 Assessed shares of food grains for the SAARC food
reserve 87
Table 4.7 Evaluation criteria for SAARC initiatives and programs 91
Table 4.8 Summary table for SAARC initiatives’ efficacy 94
Table 5.1 Gross domestic product per capita in PIF at current
prices (nominal) in US dollars (as of September 2017) 102
Table 5.2 Pacific regional climate change and food security project
listings 110
Table 5.3 Six themes to improve food security: the PIF framework
for action 116

xxi
xxii LIST OF TABLES

Table 5.4 Summary of national and bilateral initiatives undertaken

by PICTs 119
Table 5.5 Summary table for PIF regional initiatives’ efficacy 121
Table 5.6 Summary table for PIF initiatives’ efficacy 124
Table 6.1 Selected milestones for China and India 136
Table 6.2 Major policies for China’s fisheries 140
Table 6.3 Calorie deprivation by state 1983–1999/2000 141
Table 6.4 Main policy instruments adopted by India 142
Table 7.1 Trends related to future agriculture and food system 155
Table 7.2 Challenges for urban food security 156
Table 8.1 Comparative analysis of land & water grabbing by India
and China 197
Table 9.1 National, regional, and International CSOs 212
Table 9.2 Singapore’s sustainability scene—food and agriculture 218
Table 10.1 Regional response to climate change and food security 229
 CHAPTER 1

Tackling Regional Climate Change and Food

Security Issues: An Introduction

The world population now stands at 7.8 billion and one in seven of
these people is hungry. By 2050, the population is expected to reach 9.9
billion (IISD 2020; WFP 2011). What does that mean for food secu-
rity and hunger? The number of hungry people in the world remains
unacceptably high with over one billion people reported to be chroni-
cally undernourished. This situation is further exacerbated by the global
COVID-19 pandemic that accentuated the plight of the underprivileged.
Most of these people are ironically found in Asia (FAO et al. 2019; FAO
2012). From the regional impacts of the 2008 food crisis, it is clear
that one central challenge for the Asia-Pacific region is how to “make
progress in guaranteeing food security in a context where the production
of food will be increasingly stressed in the face of decreasing resources
pitched against continually expanding demand” (Mukherjee 2009: 1).
The growing impacts of climate change have exacerbated this challenge
even further (Economist Intelligence Unit 2014).
Despite Asia’s unprecedented economic growth and advances in
science and technology, there has been an increase in poverty and stagna-
tion in average crop yields. The problem of food security remains a major
challenge because of destabilizing factors such as competition for land,
rural–urban migration, rapid urbanization, population growth, climate
change, and the increasing shortages of energy and water. Currently, the

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature 1

Switzerland AG 2021
M. S. Islam and E. Kieu, Climate Change and Food Security
in Asia Pacific, International Political Economy Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70753-8_1
2 M. S. ISLAM AND E. KIEU

region is home to two-thirds of the world’s poor, with 947 million living
on less than US$ 1.25 per day (Teng 2010: 6). To feed the growing
population, the region may need to raise productivity by 70% by 2050.
However, the attempt to increase food production has become a major
food security challenge, which is now compounded by climate change.
Similar to food security, climate change is a multidimensional issue.
Therefore, the impacts of climate change on the four dimensions of food
security, namely, availability, physical and economic access, and utilization,
are complex as these impacts are also linked to other factors influencing
the changing climate (Public Forum 2010; Rayfuse and Weisfelt 2012;
Islam and Kieu 2020).
On the historical impacts of climate change on food production, scien-
tific findings have shown that rising temperatures increasingly affect crops.
It is projected that, based on a scenario of an increase of 2 degrees Celsius,
without taking into account changes in rainfall patterns, production of
major crops would decline. Climate change produces several challenges.
First, there will be regional changes in available water and in rainfall
patterns, causing changes in land productivity due to the reduced avail-
ability of both surface water and groundwater for irrigation in some
regions as well as increased competition and demand. Second, the compe-
tition for land will intensify due to biofuel production and products for
livestock. Third, elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels will have inter-
active impacts on temperature, rainfall, pollution, pests, diseases, and
weeds especially for non-key cereal grains and for developing nations.
Fourth, there is a lack of knowledge on available adaptation options,
modes of resilience, and their costs and benefits. Although climate change
is happening faster than anticipated, adaptation policies still lack clear
directions. The incorporation of basic knowledge and science into adap-
tation measures for food production, which would likely provide a great
return on investment, is still nascent. Finally, lack of regional and global
initiatives to face these challenges will likely to generate “tragedy of the
commons” (Public Forum 2010; Pearson 2012; Vyas 2005; Rayfuse and
Weisfelt 2012; Tookey 2007). These compelling scenarios have given rise
to a number of pressing questions: How can we address the complex
issue of food security which is complicated by other issues such as
climate change? Is solution lies in science and technological develop-
ments such as biotechnological (or gene) revolution as well as supply
chain management? More production with fewer resources? More effec-
tive distributive mechanisms? How are individual countries addressing this
Another random document with
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 SORROW-SINGING

ONE BRIGHT SUMMER’S NIGHT A NUMBER OF

FAERIES FLEW INTO THE ROOM

THERE was once a poor woman who lived in a little village many,
many years ago, when the world was much younger than it is now,
and when the destinies of mortals were often controlled by the
faeries. This woman, whose name was Eldina, had lost her husband,
who had fallen in a great battle while fighting the enemies of his king,
and a month after she heard of his death, Eldina became the mother
of a beautiful little son, which event was a great comfort to her.
The truth was that, seeing she was so miserable and lonely since the
death of her husband, the kind faeries had given her this little baby
to cheer her heart, and when it was born they took it under their own
special protection. It was necessary to inform Eldina of this, so one
bright summer’s night a number of faeries flew into the room where
the child was lying and stood in a circle round the cradle.
Eldina was engaged in some household work, but having faery blood
in her veins, she had a very delicate sense of hearing, and
immediately knew by the rustle of the faeries’ wings that they had
arrived. She made herself neat and clean to do honour to her
illustrious visitors, and went into the room to hear what they had to
say about the child.
The cradle was quite covered with the most lovely flowers, which the
enchantments of the faeries had caused to bloom on the brick floor
of the cottage, and in the centre of the exquisite blossoms slept the
smiling baby, on whose face shone a bright moonbeam.
“Eldina,” said the Faery Titania, who is Queen
of the Faeries, “we have come to bestow our
gifts upon your child, whom we have taken
under our special protection—is there any gift
you would like him to possess?”
“Yes, your Majesty,” cried Eldina eagerly; “the
gift of happiness.”
All the faeries looked grave at this request, and a sigh sounded
through the room, while Titania gazed sadly on the child.
“We cannot give happiness,” she said sorrowfully. “Every mortal can
only find happiness in his own actions, but we will do the best we
can—I will give the child the gift of song, which is the greatest of all
gifts.”
So saying, she touched the child’s lips with her wand, and retired,
while the Faery Laurina stepped forward with a wreath of laurel
leaves.
“I give this child the gift of fame,” she said, placing the laurel wreath
on the baby’s head; “his songs will make him famous throughout the
world.”
“From me he receives the gift of beauty,” cried another faery, whose
name was Venusina.
“From me the gift of wisdom,” said the Faery Minervetta.
“From me the gift of a kind heart,” observed a smiling fay, who had
kind blue eyes.
Then all the other faeries bestowed their gifts in turn—wealth,
honour, grandeur, cleverness, strength. Everything that human
beings most desire was given to this lucky baby, on whom the name
of Lanis was now bestowed by the universal voice of all the faeries
present.
“All these are beautiful gifts,” said Eldina, weeping, although she half
smiled through her tears, “but they do not bring happiness.”
“They bring happiness if wisely used,” cried Titania.
“Then give him the power to use them wisely,” pleaded the poor
mother.
“We cannot—we cannot,” sighed the faeries; “the power rests with
himself.”
“Will he never find happiness?” cried Eldina in despair.
“Yes, when he arrives at the Kingdom of Shadows, and enters it
through the golden gate.”
“But how will he find the golden gate?”
“By being a good man. If he misuses his gifts and becomes wicked,
he will go through the iron gate into the Kingdom of Fire.”
Then the beams of the moon grew brighter, until the whole chamber
glowed with silver light, and the faeries commenced to dance
gracefully round the cradle, singing this song, while the baby Lanis
slept peacefully, with the crown of green laurel leaves on his head:
“Great blessings on thy head will fall,
 In this thy natal hour;
But ah! the greatest gift of all,
We have not in our power.

We give thee wealth, we give thee fame,

We give thee hate of wrong,
The splendour of an honoured name,
The mighty power of song.

These gifts are idle as the wind,

Tho’ by them thou art blest,
Unless thro’ seeking thou canst find
The gift we deem the best.”

Then all the faeries melted away in the thin moonshine, the blooming
flowers vanished through the floor, the laurel wreath disappeared
from the baby’s head, and Eldina almost thought that she had been
dreaming.
She had not been dreaming, however, as she soon found out, for, as
the years rolled by, and Lanis grew up into a tall, handsome boy, he
became the wonder of the countryside, owing to his beautiful voice
and his marvellous songs. Eldina had found a golden lyre left by the
faeries when Lanis grew old enough to play it, and with this in his
hand he was accustomed to wander about the country singing his
lovely melodies. All the country folk used to make Lanis sing to them
at their merrymakings, but when he lifted up his voice, the dancers
would cease to dance, the talkers to chatter, and they would sit with
awestruck faces listening to the wonderful stories he told them.
It was a curious thing that, in spite of what the faeries had said about
not giving him the gift of happiness, the lad’s songs were of the most
joyous description, and made the hearts of all rejoice. Eldina was
delighted at this, as she thought Lanis would now be happy, in spite
of the prophecy of the faeries, when at one merrymaking she heard
an old man say,—
“Ah, he sings fine, no doubt; but he’ll sing better when his heart is
broken.”
“What do you mean?” she asked in great dread.
“Joy-singing is beautiful,” replied the old man, “but sorrow-singing is
better; your lad knows nothing of the bitterness of life, and sings like
a delighted child. Wait till he breaks his heart, and he will be a
famous singer indeed.”
“But will he be happy?” she asked quickly, as the old man turned to
go.
“No: genius is the gift of heaven, but it always brings sorrow to its
possessor; the laurel wreath is a sign of honour, but the leaves are
bitter.”
Eldina looked steadily into the eyes of the old man, and saw that he
was a faery who had come to warn her of approaching sorrow. She
strove to detain him and learn more, but the faery had vanished, and
her hands only grasped the rags of a scarecrow which stood in the
fields.
That night she died, and Lanis, who was deeply attached to her,
wept bitterly as they buried her under the cool green turf. Before she
died, Eldina called him to her bedside, and told him all about the
faeries, bidding him wander through the world and seek the one gift
which they could not bestow. Lanis wept, and although he could not
understand what she meant, still a vague idea of her real meaning
came to him as he sat by her grave under the silent stars and sang a
farewell. There was a note in his voice which had not been there
before, and the simple people in the village awoke at midnight to
hear his sad voice float through the still air of the summer’s night.
“It is sorrow-singing,” they said to one another. “Lanis will never be
happy again.”
And they were right, for Lanis now started to wander through the
world and find out how cruel and hard it can be to those who have
sensitive souls and childlike faith. He was full of belief in human
goodness and kindness of heart, for he had received nothing else
but kindness in his country home; but now his mother was dead, the
spell was broken, and he set forth to find the gift of happiness.
Many months he wandered, singing his songs, sometimes sad,
sometimes joyful, but in all there sounded the weary note of longing
for what he was seeking.
“Where can I find happiness?” he asked an old beggar who lay by
the wayside.
“In the Kingdom of Shadows,” replied the old man, without raising his
eyes.
So Lanis pursued his weary way over mountains, plains, and seas,
always asking his one question, and always receiving the same
answer.
Once he came to a great city, and sang in the streets so beautifully
of the green country and silver moonlight, that all the tired citizens
crowded around to hear. A man who was among the crowd came up
to him as he ceased his song and touched him on the sleeve.
“Come with me,” he said eagerly, “and I will make you rich.”
“I don’t want to be rich,” replied Lanis.
“That is a foolish thing to say,” said the man, who had a crafty face;
“gold is the finest thing in the world.”
So oily was his speech that he persuaded Lanis to come with him,
and took him to a great hall to sing, where he stood at the door
himself, making the people pay broad gold pieces to hear this
wonderful poet who sang about such noble things. Lanis felt a
longing for wealth in his heart, and sang about the power of gold to
make or mar life, of the good it could do, of the evil that arose
through its misuse; and all the people in the hall, mostly fat, wealthy
merchants, chuckled with delight.
“Ah! this is a sensible fellow,” they said to each other; “he sings
about sensible things.”
“I think his song about the beautiful green woods was finer,” sighed a
poor boy who listened outside, but then no one took any notice of
such a silly observation.
When Lanis had done singing, he came out of the hall, and found the
man who had tempted him with wealth sitting before a table heaped
high with gold.
“Is all that mine?” asked Lanis in a breathless tone.
“All that yours!” echoed the man in an indignant voice; “no, indeed—
it’s my money—here is your share,” and he pushed two pieces of
gold towards Lanis out of the great heap.
“But I earned it,” said Lanis indignantly; “I earned it with my voice.”
“And did I do nothing?” cried the man angrily. “Do you think I can
give my time and services to you for nothing? I should think not. If I
hadn’t put you into this hall to sing, and charged for people to hear
you, why, you would have been singing for nothing in the streets,
instead of getting two gold pieces.”
“But you have a hundred gold pieces.”
“Of course—that’s my share.”
“I did half the work, and I ought to have half the money.”
“Not at all,” replied the man, putting the gold in his pocket; “if you
wanted half you should have said so before you sang.”
“But I trusted you,” cried Lanis.
“More fool you,” retorted the man carelessly; “but I saw you were a
fool when you sang.”
“You are doing a wicked thing.”
“It’s only business,” shrieked the man; “you ought to be pleased at
my giving a beggarly poet like you anything, instead of trying to steal
the money I’ve worked for so hard.”
Then the man ran about the city telling all the people that he had
done a great kindness to Lanis, and been shamefully treated for
doing so. All the citizens, who quite agreed with the man’s way of
doing business, fell upon Lanis, and, driving him out of the city, shut
their gates against him.
In this way, therefore, did Lanis gain his first experience of the
world’s unkindness when there is any question between right and
might. Picking up his lyre, he walked on, leaving the city wherein he
had been so cruelly deceived far behind him, and as he went he
sang sadly:
“In the school of life
Is the lesson taught,
That with harshest strife
Is our knowledge bought.

We are bought and sold

In our joy and grief;
I have lost my gold,
I have lost belief.

Ah, by cruel Fate

We are onward led;
I have learned to hate,
And my faith is dead.”

Lanis certainly should not have sung so bitterly when such a

beautiful world bloomed around him; after all, being deceived by one
man does not mean that every one else is as cruel; but then Lanis
was very sensitive, and the unjust way in which he had been treated
made him very sad, so that all his songs now spoke but of the
sorrows of life and the sadness of despair.
As he wandered on for many months in this dismal mood, he met
with many adventures, but, alas! nothing which could give him back
his former childlike belief in human kindness, and he was very
anxious to get to the Kingdom of Shadows and find once more his
lost happiness.
Once he came to a great city which was the capital of a very rich
kingdom, and here found the citizens in a state of great dismay, for
their King, whom every one loved, had gone out of his mind. No one
could cure him of his madness, so it had been proclaimed that
whomsoever should do so would become the husband of the lovely
Princess Iris, who was the King’s daughter. Lanis saw the Princess,
and she was so beautiful that he at once fell deeply in love with her,
and, forgetting all his former experience of ingratitude, he thought
that if he cured her father, she would grow to love him, and he would
thus discover his happiness without looking any more for the
Kingdom of Shadows.
With this idea he went to the royal palace of
the King, and there told the Lord High
Chamberlain that he would cure the mad
monarch by the power of song. The Lord High
Chamberlain did not believe much in what
Lanis said, still he was anxious that every
means should be tried to cure the King, so let
Lanis go into the dark room where he was
sitting.
The King was a noble-looking old man, who
looked very sad and sorrowful, but Lanis saw
at once that he was not really mad, but sad
and despondent, owing to the treachery and unkindness he had
found upon every hand. His dearest friends had betrayed him, his
subjects were rebellious, and the poor King so despaired of ever
making his people wise and noble that he had thus fallen into this
deeply sorrowful state which the Lord High Chamberlain mistook for
madness.
Lanis ordered the curtains of the great window to be drawn aside,
and, when the bright sunlight streamed in through the painted glass,
he sat down in the centre of all the gorgeous colours, and, taking his
lyre, began to sing of noble deeds in order to rouse the despairing
King from his lethargy:
“The world is fair
With beauty rare,
Then why despair,
Oh monarch great?
He is not wise
Who never tries
Sublime to rise
O’er adverse Fate.

The summer flowers

Re-bloom in bowers,
Tho’ winter’s hours
 May kill with frost.
Beneath the sun
As quick years run;
All thou hast done
Is never lost.”

The King lifted up his head as he heard these comforting words, and
looked at the noble face of the minstrel, for the silvery song bade him
not despair, although no good appeared to come of all his work; and
Lanis, seeing a ray of hope beam in the King’s eyes, went on singing
joyfully:
“Put on thy crown,
And boldly frown
Thy sadness down,
Tho’ keen the smart.

Thy burden take

Of office great,
And rule the State
With dauntless heart.

A coward he
Who thus would flee
Despairingly,
In time of need.
Tho’ evils lurk
In darkness murk,
Resume thy work—
Thou wilt succeed.”

Then the King, whose face now was shining with hope and strong
resolve, put on his royal crown, took his golden sceptre in his hand,
and went forth to take his seat upon the throne to do justice to his
subjects.
“Thou art a wise youth,” said he to Lanis, “and thy words are noble. It
is foolish to desert one’s post when there is work to be done, and I
will not forget thy rebuke. Now, thou wilt stay with me and marry my
daughter.”
 Lanis was only too glad to do so, for he now
loved the Princess with all his might, but,
seeing her leave the great feast which the
King had given in honour of his recovery, he
followed her secretly, and found her weeping.
“Why do you weep, beautiful Princess?” he
asked.
“Because I have to marry you,” said Iris sadly,
“and I love another.”
Lanis felt a pang at his heart as she said this,
and on turning round saw a handsome young man holding the
beautiful Princess in his arms.
“Do you love one another?” asked Lanis, with tears in his eyes.
“Yes; it would be death for us to part,” they both replied.
Then Lanis saw that once more he had failed to find happiness, but
still it was in his power to bestow it upon others, so he took the
Princess and her lover to the old King, and obtained his consent to
their marriage. The lovers thanked him heartily, and after Lanis saw
them married, he once more started away to wander through the
world. The King offered him gold and jewels to stay, but Lanis
refused.
“Gold and jewels are good things,” he said sadly; “but happiness is
better, therefore I go to find it.”
“And where will you find it?” asked the King.
“In the Kingdom of Shadows,” answered Lanis, and he departed,
singing his sorrow-song:
“Ah me, what treasure
To taste the pleasure
Of love’s caress.
Oh, idle lover,
Wilt thou discover
Heart’s happiness.

Nay! folly this is;

 I gain no kisses
From sweet Princess.
Of him she’s fonder,
So forth I wander
In sad distress.”

It would take a long time to tell how many adventures Lanis met with
in his wanderings through the world. The years rolled by, and he
travelled onward, never pausing, always hoping to find happiness,
but, alas! no one could tell him where to look for the Kingdom of
Shadows, and he seemed farther off his object than when he set
forth. He freed many princesses from the durance of cruel
magicians, but though they all thanked him for his kindness, they
loved some one else, and he found no one in the world who cared at
all about him. He was honoured far and wide for his gift of song, and
did much good in all lands, but no one loved him for himself, and
although he was the cause of happiness to others, he never felt
happiness in his own heart.
At last, after many years of weary travel, when he had grown a
white-haired old man, with bent form and sad heart, he found himself
on the shore of a great sea, beyond which he knew lay the most
wonderful countries. A boat was rocking on the waves near the
shore, so Lanis determined to sail over this mysterious ocean, and
thought that perhaps far away in the darkness he might find the
Kingdom of Shadows, for which he had sought so long and ardently.
He knew that if he once sailed over this ocean, he would never be
able to return to earth again, so he sang a last farewell to the
beautiful world wherein he had done so much good, and then
stepped into the boat.
It was a fairy boat, and moved rapidly onward over the waves
without sails or oars. The mists gathered thickly round him and hid
the green shore from his view, so sitting in the boat he saw nothing
but the grey sky above, the grey mists around, and beneath him the
cruel black waters. He was not afraid, however, for he knew he had
done no harm, and, seizing his harp, sang his last sorrow-song:
“Grey mist around me,
 Grey sky above me;
Sorrow hath crowned me—
No one will love me.

Brave spirit, quail not;

All will be bright yet.
At thy fate rail not;
God will make right yet.

Still do thy duty,

Tho’ all deceive thee,
Splendour and beauty
Now will receive thee.”

As he sang the last words, the strings of his lyre snapped with a loud
crash, and, leaping out of his nerveless hands, it fell into the grey
waves of the sea. Lanis did not grieve, for he now knew he was done
with his sorrow-singing for evermore, and as the boat sailed onward
he saw a red glow to the left.
“That is the gate of iron,” he whispered to himself, “it leads to the
Kingdom of Fire. Ah! I would never find any happiness there.”
The waves were foaming angrily round the little boat, and the red
glare from the open portals of the iron gate looked like an angry
sunset, but still Lanis felt no fear. After a time the red glare died
away, and now on every side of him was a soft golden light, while the
waves beneath the boat were of a delicate blue, and the sky above
of the same soft tint. Lanis looked around, and saw a soft green
shore, to which his boat drifted gently, and he sprang out on to the
yellow sand of the beach. As he did so, his travel-worn clothes fell off
him, and he found himself arrayed in a long white robe.
A tall man, also in a white robe, approached, and, smiling gently on
Lanis, gave him a golden harp.
“Is this my old harp?” asked Lanis, taking it.
“No; it is better than the old harp.”
“Is it for sorrow-singing?”
“Nay; it is for songs of joy.”
“And is this Faeryland?”
“Nay; it is a nobler place than Faeryland.”
“Is it The Kingdom of Shadows?”
“So we called it on earth, but now we know it as the Kingdom of
Eternal Light.”
Lanis looked at the tall man as he said this, and saw it was the old
king he had helped—now no longer old and frail, but in the prime of
life.
“You are the King!” he cried gladly.
“Yes, I was the King. You pointed out my duty to me, and I did it;
otherwise I never would have reached here.”
“And the Princess?”
“Is quite happy,” replied the King. “She rules my realm with her
husband, and both are wise.”
“Have you found happiness?” asked Lanis.
“Yes!—and so will you, when you strike your harp,” answered the
King.
Lanis struck the golden strings of his harp, and immediately all his
weariness and sorrow passed away, and he felt glad and joyful. At
the sound of the music, he changed from an old man into a noble-
looking youth—the same Lanis who had sung to the King.
“Ah, I have indeed found happiness,” he cried; “but still, I feel I want
something more.”
“I know what you want,” said the King. “Look!”
And Lanis, looking up, saw his mother, with a calm expression of joy
upon her face, coming towards him, with outstretched arms. All the
white-robed spirits around struck their golden harps and sang the
most beautiful songs that were ever heard, while mother and son
embraced, and far off the palace of the great King shone like a bright
star.
Lanis also struck his harp, and, with the earthly monarch and his
mother, went singing onward through the lovely fields, to kneel
before the King, who had thus drawn him onward, through sorrow
and sadness, to find his happiness at length in the land which we
mortals call the Kingdom of Shadows but which wise men know as
the Kingdom of Eternal Light.
THE GOLDEN GOBLIN
 I.

RING MAGIC.

KELCH was a handsome young man who lived in a little village

which was near a great black forest, and he thought himself the most
miserable being in the world. It was very curious that he should do
so, for he was young, good-looking, and healthy, but he did not value
any of these gifts, because he was in love with Filina, the prettiest
girl in the whole country, and her father wanted her to marry a very
rich man called Hocky, for whom she did not in the least care.
Now Filina was also in love with Kelch, and hated the idea of
marrying ugly old Hocky, but, as he was rich and Kelch poor, her
father would not let her wed as she wished. Kelch had a little cottage
near the wood, which had been left to him by his mother, and earned
his livelihood by cutting firewood, which, to be sure, was not a very
aristocratic occupation. Still, in those days people did not care much
for rank, and pretty Filina loved Kelch tenderly in spite of his humble
calling. She nearly wept her eyes out when her father said she was
to become the bride of Hocky. He was an avaricious old dwarf who
only cared for gold, and wanted to marry Filina, not for her beauty,
but because he knew she would some day be left money when her
father died. When Kelch heard of the proposed marriage, he went to
Filina’s father and told of his love, but the cruel parent laughed at his
request.
“You marry my daughter!” he said mockingly. “What an idea!—you
can give her no money.”
“But I can give her love,” said Kelch sturdily, “and that is much better
than money.”
“I don’t think so,” retorted Filina’s father. “Any one can make love, but
few can make money, so go back to your wood-cutting, and don’t
come to me with such silly requests.”
“Is there no chance for me?” cried Kelch in despair.
“Yes—one,” answered the old man mockingly. “Become as rich as
Hocky, and you shall marry my daughter.”
Poor Kelch went away with tears in his eyes, because old Hocky was
known to be very wealthy, and how could an unknown youth hope to
become rich when he had no one to help him? It was no good feeling
sad, however, for sorrow would not help him to win Filina, so Kelch
determined to go to the castle of the Wicked Baron who lived in the
centre of the forest, and ask him to make him a present of some
gold.
The Wicked Baron was a famous miser, and his castle was said to
be full of gold, so, in spite of his bad character, Kelch thought he
would not refuse to give him a little out of his plenty. So early one
morning, after saying good-bye to Filina, he went into the forest to
search for the Wicked Baron’s castle, and ask its owner to give him
some gold.
Kelch wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, which became
wilder and more savage as he advanced, but still he did not come
across the looked-for castle. Night was coming on, and the wood
was full of sombre shadows, while behind the trees flushed the fierce
red light of the setting sun. It was a faery forest, and all the ground
was covered with soft grass, and strange flowers which only
bloomed at night-time; while overhead the nightingales sang most
deliciously in the trees, and at intervals the wise owls hooted in the
most unexpected manner.
As it was now quite dark, Kelch thought he would sleep under a
great oak tree until the morning, and then once more set out upon
his travels; so he ate some food he had brought with him, drank from
a stream which sparkled by, and after saying his prayers,—for he
was a good lad,—rested his head upon his knapsack and went fast
asleep.
In the middle of the night, however, he woke suddenly under the
influence of enchantment, for the whole of the forest was flooded
with the silver moonlight, and on every side the faeries were holding
their revels. Having drank of the waters of the brook, Kelch had
come under the charm of faery power, and, to his surprise, was able
to understand the talk of two elves who sat chattering to one another
on the broad white cup of a lily.
“Who is this youth lying asleep?” asked the first elf, never thinking for
a moment Kelch was awake, and only kept his eyes closed in order
to hear what they had to say.
“He is called Kelch,” said the other elf, “and loves Filina, who is to
marry old Hocky. He is now searching for the castle of the Wicked
Baron, to ask for gold.”
“He’ll never find it,” observed the first faery, “unless he asks the Owl
who lives in the oak tree under which he sleeps.”
“Then I will ask the Owl,” cried Kelch, sitting up, whereupon both
faeries flew away in great alarm, much to his regret, as he wanted to
make inquiries about the Owl.
He looked up at the tree, but could see nothing save the branches
interlaced against the clear sky, and now and then a gleam of
moonlight on the rough bark of the trunk. As Kelch had often heard
that song was the only way to invoke faeries, he thought he would try
the same means with the owl. So, springing to his feet, he began to
sing, making up the words as he went along:
“Fairy Owl,
Clever fowl,
Please tell me
Where to see
The castle old,
Where Baron bold
Hoards up his gold.”

The words were not very good, but they told exactly what he wanted
to know, and the Owl put her head out of a hole in the tree with a
wild hoot, her eyes glowing red like burning coals.
“Go away, boy,” croaked the Owl angrily, “and do not disturb me in
my grief. The Baron is dead, and I am in mourning for him.”
“The Baron dead!” cried Kelch in dismay. “Oh dear! then I won’t be
able to get any gold. I don’t know, though—he can’t have taken his
gold with him, so it must be there still. Owl!—Owl!—where’s the
castle?”
The Owl hooted crossly, and then replied:
“Follow the brook
To open ground,
Then upward look,
And all around.
Jump water cold,
Then you will see
The castle old
Frown o’er the lea.”

The Owl drew back her head into the hole, and Kelch, taking her
advice, followed the windings of the brook through the forest. There