154 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

“Tt is too late to go to the sea to-night,”
replied Wassa. “Go to bed now, sweet prince,
and in the morning I will take thee to the sea.”

The prince, however, insisted that he should
not go to bed until he had been to the sea and
played with the mermaids.

“But I do not know the way to the sea,”
replied Wassa ; “it must be very far.”

“The brook goes to the sea, they say.
My royal pa thou must obey,”

answered the naughty little prince.
“And must we follow the brook all that dis-
tance?” asked Wassa.

“The fairy of the brook will know
How to the mermaids we must go,”

replied the prince.

“But I do not know where to find the fairy
of the brook,” said Wassa, who had learned to
believe most fully in fairies.

The prince bent over the brook that flowed
quietly at their feet, and said :—

“Fairy of this stream so fair,
Wilt thou kindly tell me where,
How far distant it may be
To the waters of the sea?”