THE LITTLE GRAY MAN’S DECISION. 231

“No, no! I won’t go home, I say!
T’ll scream until thou lett’st me stay.”

“There he is! There is the fairy prince,”
cried Wassa as she recognized her former
wilful charge.

With an exclamation of joy, Cloudcatcher
scooped up the mischievous elf and Wassa,
thrust them hurriedly into his hood, and
started with his longest strides for home.

Wassa was more terrified than ever as she
found herself borne away in the dark hood;
for now that she was in the power of the
giants, how much more she had to dread than
when with the gnomes! Her cries to be re-
released were of no avail, but seemed only to
have the effect of increasing the giant’s speed,
for he splashed through the ocean, and strode
over hills, and jumped across valleys with such
swiftness that in a very short time he stood
before the high wall of rock that shut in the
gnomes’ domains. Then, carefully opening
his hood, he picked Wassa out and placed her
upon a tree in front of him, that he might keep
one eye on her. Then he carefully took up the
elf and held him before his eyes for a moment,
to assure himself that this time no mistake had
been made.