“And now,” said Riverrath, feeling around in his huge pockets, “here are three presents I want you to leave for me with the three giants who helped you to find me.” So he handed Jack three neat white parcels tied with water-lilies.
“Good-by,” he roared, “good-by. And don’t forget the giant Riverrath. Sometimes I’ll come to visit you, and sometimes you’ll come to visit me.”
Inside was a tiny fountain.
And with that he blew against the sail, and the shell moved quietly out of the pool, through the green grottoes underneath the castle, and out down the rivers of the earth. When the rivers saw that it was the Daughter of the Fountain coming, they lay down and let the shell skim over them faster than any bird could fly.
In a little while Jack saw the great gold castle of the bird giant. He beat with his staff on the gate, and the giant came out to meet them. “Here is a present from the giant Riverrath,” cried Jack.
So the giant untied the water-lilies, and there inside was a tiny fountain which grew and grew until it was a mile wide,—big enough for all the birds of the air to bathe in.
“Thank you, thank you,” called the bird giant. “And good luck to you, Jack!”
In just a few minutes more the shell floated up to the bronze castle. And there was the history giant outside, waiting for them. Jack gave him his present from the giant Riverrath. As he untied it, a nice, wet spring bubbled out, and beside it was a card which read:
“A spring—to make history less dry reading.”