“When this next year is done,” he said to himself, “I shall be eight years old. Mother says I am very small of my years. I wonder if I shall be bigger then.”
“Little Jack,” called a low sighing voice from the grate.
Jack started, and ran to the fireplace. The fire was almost out. There was only a dull red glare in the coals, but kneeling in it, holding on to the bars, was the fire Princess. She was paler than before, and looked quite transparent. Jack could see the coals plainly through her.
“Put on some more coal,” she said, shivering. “There is not enough for me to burn here, and if I don’t keep up a good blaze I shall go out altogether.”
Jack did as he was bid, and then sat down on the hearthrug, staring at the Princess with all his might. Her long bright hair fell over the bars, and though her face looked very small and pale, her eyes were immense, and glittered like diamonds.
“How beautiful you are!” he said at last.
“Am I?” said the Princess with a sigh. “So my Prince said. It was with the greatest difficulty I managed to get here tonight, but I was determined to come. Ever since I saw you, I have thought of you so much.”
“Have you?” said Jack, still staring.
“Yes, you were so sorry for me, and all my people are so unkind. Now I want you to do me a favour.”
“What is it?” asked Jack.
“Let the Prince come here and speak to me.”
“How am I to bring him?” said Jack.
“I will show you. Is it raining tonight?”
“Yes, fast.”
“That is very lucky; some of his people are sure to be about. Then all you must do is, to open the window and wait.”
“But the rain will come into the room,” said Jack.
“No, it will not, and if it does it will not do you any harm. You can’t be quenched with water. Bea good boy, and do as I tell you.”
So Jack threw open one of the windows. A great gust of wind blew into the room, and blew the cold wet rain into his face. The fire around the Princess broke out into a blaze, and then sank away, but she did not move, but called to Jack to stand between her and the window to keep off the draught and wet. He did as she bade him, and then she began to sing.
First she sang in a low voice, then her song grew louder and louder, and clearer and clearer. At last she stopped and said—
“Now, little Jack, look on the windowsill and tell me what you see.”
Jack ran to the window, and just outside, seated on the sill, in a little pool of water, was a tiny man dressed in a dull green dress. He had long wavy hair, that looked heavy and wet, and his clothes were shiny with water. He eyed Jack very crossly for a minute or two, then he said—
“Who are you, and what do you want?”
“Tell him,” whispered the Princess, “that he must bring Prince Fluvius here;” and Jack repeated to the water-fairy what she said.
“And who are you who dares to ask me to bring the Prince?” said he. “Do you think our Prince is to be taken about anywhere—and everywhere, just because mortals want him.” But, on hearing this, the Princess began to sing again in the same soft voice, growing louder and louder, till the water-fairy sprang up, promising to bring Prince Fluvius, or do anything else Jack wished, if only the song would cease, as he could not endure the heat, for it was a spell the Princess sang, and if she had gone on he would have been dried up altogether.
Then the Princess leaned back amongst the coals in silence. The water-fairy at once disappeared, and Jack stood at the window watching for what would come with great interest.
The rain fell in torrents, and suddenly the room began to grow very dark. When the Princess saw this she raised her head.
“He is coming,” she said; and immediately there shot out from her, on all sides, a brilliant golden light, in the midst of which she looked even more beautiful than before. Then there floated up outside the window a white cloud, which rested on the sill. The cloud opened, and from it stepped the figure of a young man, gorgeously dressed in silver and green. He was about the size of the Princess, and next to her Jack thought he was the most beautiful little creature he had ever seen. He had long dark curls hanging down, and a sweet pale face, with eyes of a deep blue, just the colour of the sea.
At sight of Princess Pyra he started, and would have dashed right up to the bars, had she not begged him for both their sakes not to come inside the window.
“It is you, my darling,” he said, leaning into the room. “And I believed I should never see you again. Oh, let me only once take you in my arms!”
“Do not think of such a thing,” called the Princess. “It would be fatal to us both.”
“At any rate, we should perish together,” said Prince Fluvius.
“And how much better to live together!” said the Princess.
“If that were possible,” said the Prince, sighing.
“And it is possible,” said the Princess. “Since I last saw you I have learnt that there is only one person in the world who can help us, and that is the old man who sits on the North Pole. He knows everything, and could we but send to him and ask his advice, he would tell us what to do.”
“But how are we to send to him?” said the Prince. “If you
