d see
nothing but water, which seemed at last to touch heaven itself. Only
under their feet was a tiny dry spot. Then the girl placed the mussel
shell on the water and took the fish scales in her hand. The mussel
shell grew bigger and bigger, and turned into a pretty little boat,
which would have held a dozen children. The girls stepped in, Elsa very
cautiously, for which she was much laughed at by her friend, who used
the fish scales for a rudder. The waves rocked the girls softly, as if
they were lying in a cradle, and they floated on till they met other
boats filled with men, singing and making merry.

'We must sing you a song in return,' said the girl, but as Elsa did not
know any songs, she had to sing by herself. Elsa could not understand
any of the men's songs, but one word, she noticed, came over and over
again, and that was 'Kisika.' Elsa asked what it meant, and the girl
replied that it was her name.

It was all so pleasant that they might have stayed there for ever had
not a voice cried out to them, 'Children, it is time for you to come
home!'

So Kisika took the little box out of her pocket, with the piece of
cloth lying in it, and dipped the cloth in the water, and lo! they
were standing close to a splendid house in the middle of the garden.
Everything round them was dry and firm, and there was no water anywhere.
The mussel shell and the fish scales were put back in the box, and the
girls went in.

They entered a large hall, where four and twenty richly dressed women
were sitting round a table, looking as if they were about to attend a
wedding. At the head of the table sat the lady of the house in a golden
chair.

Elsa did not know which way to look, for everything that met her eyes
was more beautiful than she could have dreamed possible. But she sat
down with the rest, and ate some delicious fruit, and thought she must
be in heaven. The guests talked softly, but their speech was strange
to Elsa, and she understood nothing of what was said. Then the hostess
turned round and whispered something to a maid behind her chair, and the
maid left the hall, and when she came back she brought a little old man
with her, who had a beard longer than himself. He bowed low to the lady
and then stood quietly near the door.

'Do you see this girl?' said the lady of the house, pointing to Elsa. 'I
wish to adopt her for my daughter. Make me a copy of her, which we can
send to her native village instead of herself.'