THE FAIRY PRINCE AND THE MERMAIDS. 169

say to me if anything should happen to thee?
Do come back.”
“T’]] not come back. Ta-ta, ta-ta!
Give my love to my royal pa!”

called out the naughty little prince, waving his
hand in adieu to Wassa as the dolphins steered
for the open sea.

Wassa, in her distress, ran distractedly up
and down, wringing her hands and moaning.

“What will the king say to me? The least
he can do will be to chop my head off!” cried
poor Wassa. “Oh! what shall Ido? Oh! if
somebody would only tell me what I am to do!”

“The mid-day moon beneath the sea
Shines in the realms of mermaids free,”

chanted a voice that sounded like a gentle
breeze blowing through a grove of pines.

“But I have no idea where the mermaids
live, or how to reach the land,’ answered Wassa
sadly.

Again the voice repeated : —

“The mid-day moon beneath the sea
Shines in the realms of mermaids free.”

“T-never heard of a mid-day moon,” said

poor Wassa, “but I don’t know why there