The eagle grumbled a little about its being so far. But he didn’t dare refuse the giant. So he took the bag in his beak, and flew with it up into the sky.
Jack cut a little hole in the side to look out of. But the eagle flew so fast and so high he could hardly see the earth at all. So they flew for a week or more before Jack felt the eagle going slower. He looked out of the hole again; and sure enough, straight ahead was a great crystal castle with waterfalls tumbling over the walls. Wherever he looked he could see rainbows gleaming through it in the morning sunshine. Beyond it there was nothing at all. So Jack knew he was at the ends of the earth at the castle of the giant Riverrath.
The eagle gave a hoarse scream, and Riverrath himself came out of the castle door. “Here’s a bag for you,” said the eagle shortly, setting it down; and flew away again.
So they flew for a week or more
Jack ripped the bag open with his sword, and stepped out at Riverrath’s feet. “Good morning,” he said, and couldn’t help smiling just to think that he had gotten there at last.
“Bursting bridges!” roared Riverrath, “if it isn’t Jack!” And he couldn’t help smiling too, just to think that Jack had found the way. So he gave a kind of yawn behind his hand that ended in a great gurgling laugh. “I knew I liked you, Jack,” said he, “and you’ll find that I’ll keep my word with you too. Now come and see the castle.”
So he took Jack up into the highest tower where he could see the rivers coming and going, and then down to the great middle court where was a fountain fed by all the rivers of the earth. And by that time Jack and the giant were joking together like the best friends in the world.
But the thing Jack liked best in all the castle was not the high fountain nor the wide view but the little slip of a girl who was Riverrath’s daughter. For she was as small as Riverrath was big, and as calm as he was boisterous. When Riverrath walked abroad, the rivers always rose up and roared to greet him; but before the girl, even the wildest and angriest of them would lie down quietly to let her pass over. And because she was so placid and at the same time so joyous, they called her the Daughter of the Fountain.