ll me why that is," she said, leaning out of her heavy hair.

"Because--because," Nod answered slowly, and not daring to look into her
face--"because Queen Tishnar watches over me."

The Water-midden leaned her head. "But Tishnar watches over all," she
said.

"Why, then, O Midden, has, as your song said, Tishnar made you so sad?"

"Songs are but songs, Mulla-mulgar," she answered. "It is sad seeing
only my own small loneliness in the water. Would not the Mulgar himself
weary with only staring fish for company?"

"Are there, then, no other Water-middens in the river?" said Nod.

"Have you, then, seen any beside me?"

"None," said Nod.

The Water-midden turned away and stooped over the water. "Tell me," she
said, "why does the Queen Tishnar guard so closely _you_?"

"I am a Nizza-neela, Midden--Mulla-mulgar Ummanodda Nizza-neela
Eengenares--that is what I am called, speaking altogether. Other names,
too, I have, of course, mocking me. Who is there wise that was not once
foolish?"

"A Nizza-neela!" said the Midden, leaning back and glancing slyly out of
her dark eyes.

"Oh yes," said Nod gravely; "but besides that I carry with me...."

"Carry with you?" said she.

"Oh, only the Wonderstone," said Nod.

Then the Water-midden lifted both her hands, and scattered back her long
pale locks over her narrow shoulders. "The Wonderstone? What, then, is
that?"

Nod told her, though he felt angry with himself, all about the
Wonderstone, and what magic it had wrought.

"O most marvellous Mulla-mulgar," she said, "I think, if I could see but
once this Wonderstone--I think I should be never sad again."

Nod turned away, glancing over his shoulder to where, leaning amid the
stars, hung the distant darkness of Mulgarmeerez. He slowly unfastened
his ivory-buttoned pocket and groped for the Wonderstone. Holding it
tight in his bare brown palm, he scrambled down a little nearer to the
water, and unlatched his fingers to show it to the Midden. But now, to
his astonishment, instead of glooming pale as a little moon, it burned
angry as Antares.

The Water-midden peeped out between her hair, and laughed and clapped
her hands. "Oh, but if I might but hold it in my hand one moment, I
think that I should never even sigh again!" said she. Nod's fingers
closed on the Wonderstone again.

"I may not," he said.

"Then," said the Water-midden sorrowfully, "I will not ask."

"My mother told me," said Nod.

But the Water-midden