FAIRY WELL AND PLOT OF GNOMES. 57

blue dragon-fly of herself. No, she could not
have been, for there was the newly hewn well
full of clear water.”

“Now, if envious Wassa could look in,
what a picture she would see!” thought the
blue dragon-fly.

A distant rumbling was now heard.

“ There are no clouds in the sky, so it can’t
be thunder,” said the blué dragon-fly to her-
self. “It must be the giants laughing. It is for-
tunate for me that they are in a good humor.”

Nearer and nearer came the rumbling, and
soon the blue dragon-fly could distinguish the
loud * ha—ha—ha!” of the big fellows, and
before long their great forms came into view.
The dragon-fly watched them as, one by one,
they jumped across the pond that lay in their
path, and a few strides brought them to the hill.

As the giants strode up the hill, the blue
dragon-fly flew toward them, and lighted on
the hand of the foremost.

“Ho, ho! my little lady, is that you?” roared
King Cloudcatcher, holding the tiny creature
before him, and as he spoke his breath raised
such a breeze that she was nearly blown off his
huge hand.