Stranica 78 [78]
OCR
LABOULAY Es) FAT RY BOOK that my grandmother may live forever. Appear, Fairy of the Woods! I wish that my grandmother may live forever." And behold! the water bubbled, bubbled, bubbled; the bowl grew to a great basin, which the walls of the hut could scarcely hold, and from the bottom of the basin Graceful saw two beautiful young women rise, whom he knew directly from their wands to be fairies. One wore a crown of holly leaves mixed with red berries, and diamond ear-rings resembling acorns in their cups; she was dressed in a robe of olive green, over which a speckled skin was knotted like a scarf across the right shoulder—this was the Fairy of the Woods. As to the Fairy of the Waters, she wore a garland of reeds on her head, with a white robe trimmed with the feathers of aquatic birds, and a blue scarf, which now and then rose above her head and fluttered like the sail of a ship. Great ladies as they were, they looked smilingly at Graceful, who had taken refuge in his grandmother's arms, and trembled with fear and admiration. “Here we are, my child,” said the Fairy of the Waters, who spoke first, as the eldest. " We have heard what you said, and your wish does you honor; but, though we can help you in the plan which you have conceived, you alone can execute it. We can, indeed, prolong your grandmother’s life for some time, but, for her to live forever, you must go the Castle of Life, four long days’ journey from here, on the coast of Sicily. There you will find the 52
