I50 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

said the king, whereupon the fairy prince
screamed louder than ever.

At last the king evidently became tired of
listening to the child’s screams, and ordered
Wassa to pick up the prince and take him to
bed, and Wassa endeavored to obey,

Not so minded was the fairy prince, how-

ever.
“To the fishes’ cave, I say!

With them I wish awhile to play,”

commanded the prince, and Wassa dared not
oppose him. So, taking him in her arms, she
sought the cave, where, on her former visit, she
had seen the ugly reptiles wriggling their way
through the dark water. On that night the
cave was dark, but now all Fairyland was
ablaze with light. In the grotto the water of
the pond was now clear as crystal, and gold
and silver fishes sported through it, exactly as
Mona had described it.

Wassa set the fairy prince on the ground,
and he amused himself by reaching far over the
edge of the pond and trying to catch the fishes
as they swam by. This caused Wassa great
uneasiness for fear he might tumble in, and
she dreaded the consequences that would fol-