172 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

“Oh! I must go back,” cried Wassa in des-
peration ; “ pray take me home again.”

No sooner was this wish uttered than the
well-known voice answered: —

“« By fairy spells here art thou bound.
Thy wilful charge must first be found.
In Fairyland thou needs must stay
Till set free by the man in gray.
Be patient, maid, thou shalt find soon
The land where shines the mid-day moon.”

“ There is nothing for me to do but to wait
until the little man in gray chooses to let me
go,” thought Wassa desparingly, “but if I have
to stay here much longer I will devise some
means of escape.”

No sooner was this thought formed than
the voice answered : —

“ My child, thou’lt learn that no one can
Succeed without the little gray man.”

So Wassa found that it was useless to lay
plans for the future, and that the first thing to
be done was to find the fairy prince as speedily
as possible.

The kelp meanwhile continued its course,
and after a time Wassa’s eyes fell on a white