eat hall, where wine and fruit were always waiting, and on
the table lay the magic knife, left there by Houarn. Unseen by the
Groac'h, Bellah hid it in a pocket of her green coat, and then followed
her hostess into the garden, and to the pond which contained the fish,
their sides shining with a thousand different colours.

'Oh! what beautiful, beautiful creatures!' said she. 'I'm sure I should
never be tired of watching them.' And she sat down on the bank, with her
elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, her eyes fixed on the
fishes as they flashed past.

'Would you not like to stay here always?' asked the Groac'h; and Bellah
answered that she desired nothing better.

'Then you have only to marry me,' said the Groac'h. 'Oh! don't say no,
for I have fallen deeply in love with you.'

'Well, I won't say "No,"' replied Bellah, with a laugh, 'but you must
promise first to let me catch one of those lovely fish in your net.'

'It is not so easy as it looks,' rejoined the Groac'h, smiling, 'but
take it, and try your luck.'

Bellah took the net which the Groac'h held out, and, turning rapidly,
flung it over the witch's head.

'Become in body what you are in soul!' cried she, and in an instant the
lovely fairy of the sea was a toad, horrible to look upon. She struggled
hard to tear the net asunder, but it was no use. Bellah only drew it the
tighter, and, flinging the sorceress into a pit, she rolled a great
stone across the mouth, and left her.

As she drew near the pond she saw a great procession of fishes advancing
to meet her, crying in hoarse tones:

'This is our lord and master, who has saved us from the net of steel and
the pot of gold!'

'And who will restore you to your proper shapes,' said Bellah, drawing
the knife from her pocket. But just as she was going to touch the
foremost fish, her eyes fell on a green frog on his knees beside her,
his little paws crossed over his little heart. Bellah felt as if
fingers were tightening round her throat, but she managed to cry:

'Is this you, my Houarn? Is this you?'

'It is I,' croaked the little frog; and as the knife touched him he was
a man again, and, springing up, he clasped her in his arms.

* * * * *

'But we must not forget the others,' she said at last, and began to
transform the fishes to their proper shapes. There were so many of them
that it took quite a long time. Just as she had finished there arrived
the little