160 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

caused them to shine with rainbow hues. The
shrouds were of the finest cobwebs, and the
airy craft floated on the water like thistle down.

Silently the prince and Wassa_ stepped
aboard the magic boat, and it bore them down
the stream. After a while the stream grew
broader and broader, and light waves rippled
its surface, but the fairy bark glided lightly
over them without any perceptible motion.
Rapids, too, there were, down which the bark
shot with hardly a tremor of its frail sides, and
as they proceeded, a light, fresh breeze, fra-
grant with sea odors, was wafted toward them.

All this time the fairy prince had been quite
silent, sitting with one hand hanging over
the boat’s side and dangling in the al water;
but before long the desire to dip both hands
in seized the wilful prince, and he ery
plunged the other hand in.

Thinking her venturesome charge would
lose his balance and fall headlong into the
water, Wassa suddenly seized him, and tried to
draw him back, but with an angry scream the
prince exclaimed :—

“ Put both hands in I must and will,
Naughty Wassa, so keep still! ”