Page 78 [78]
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 grand¬
mother’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