She had pale pink cheeks and flying hair, and a silver gown with rainbow lights in the folds. And when it came to a race she could usually beat Jack. For he would be so taken up with looking at her that he never could bear to get ahead. So all day long they played together, and at the end they would climb up on Riverrath’s high shoulders and make him take them for a walk. And Jack thought he never in all his life had had so good a time.
But one morning Riverrath came to him. “Jack,” said he, quite soberly, “do you know what to-day is?”
“Why, no,” answered Jack, not much caring.
“Well,” said Riverrath, “to-day your time is up. It’s a year and a day since you started out to find me, and now you must be going back to your father and your mother.”
Then Jack looked sober too, for though he knew quite well that the giant was right, he couldn’t bear to think of going.
“Come, come, Jack,” cried Riverrath kindly. “Don’t be downhearted. If you must go, you must, and that’s the end of it. Come down to the court in just an hour’s time, and you’ll find a boat waiting to take you home. And because I like you, Jack, I’ll give you a guide besides.”
So Jack went and said good-by to the Daughter of the Fountain, got his hat and his staff, and came down to the court just as the giant had told him. Sure enough, there in the pool at the edge of the fountain, was a boat made of a great scallop shell, with a gossamer sail shining silver in the morning sunshine. But there was something silvery in the boat too. Jack looked, but he couldn’t believe his eyes, for there sat the Daughter of the Fountain, looking as roguish and contented as if she were there to stay.
Riverrath beamed all over his great joyous face. “There is your guide in the boat,” said he. And he gathered Jack up with a hug of his big fingers, and put him down in the shell right beside the Daughter of the Fountain.