Thus the child's spirit was led back in imagination to her home. She saw herself once more in the ship on which she had been born, and fancied herself sitting beside her mother, listening to pleasant stories told by the dear gentle voice, and as she dreamed she forgot the impassable gulf which separated her from the living ones above the stream.
Then the sound of a bell fell gently on her ear. She had been so absorbed in her dreams that she started in alarm at the unexpected sound, and it was a moment or two before she could collect her thoughts to think. Then she remembered her request, of which this was evidently the fulfilment, so she struck softly against the inside of the bell as a sign that she had heard her friend's greeting.
Then the edge of her prison was gently lifted, and with a cry of joy she slipped out into the water. There stood the little water-sprite.
"Will you go up with me to the surface of the stream?" asked she. "Would you like to float up and down on my lily-raft?"
"Indeed I should," answered the little soul. "What do I want but freedom, air, and light? Oh yes, take me with you!"
The lovely nymph took the child's hand, and a little shining wave bore them upwards as on the wings of a swan.
Now they are standing on the surface of the water. The little water-sprite beckoned, and from far and near swam the water-lilies and anemones to make a boat of flowers for their young mistress and her dear little pale companion.
They glided down the stream. Oh, how beautiful it was!
THE WATER-ELF AND THE LITTLE SOUL ON THE RAFT OF WATER-LILIES.