e saw a deep
tank, the sides of which were filled with green plants, which had
flowers of all colours. There was a roof over it like the roof of the
cottage. It was filled with beautiful clear water, in which swam a
multitude of such fishes as the one that had led her to the cottage. It
was the light their colours gave that showed the place in which they
were.

The lady spoke some words Tangle could not understand, and threw her
into the tank.

The fishes came crowding about her. Two or three of them got under her
head and kept it up. The rest of them rubbed themselves all over her,
and with their wet feathers washed her quite clean. Then the lady, who
had been looking on all the time, spoke again; whereupon some thirty or
forty of the fishes rose out of the water underneath Tangle, and so
bore her up to the arms the lady held out to take her. She carried her
back to the fire, and, having dried her well, opened a chest, and
taking out the finest linen garments, smelling of grass and lavender,
put them upon her, and over all a green dress, just like her own,
shining like hers, and soft like hers, and going into just such lovely
folds from the waist, where it was tied with a brown cord, to her bare
feet.

"Won't you give me a pair of shoes too, Grandmother?" said Tangle.

"No, my dear; no shoes. Look here. I wear no shoes."

So saying she lifted her dress a little, and there were the loveliest
white feet, but no shoes. Then Tangle was content to go without shoes
too. And the lady sat down with her again, and combed her hair, and
brushed it, and then left it to dry while she got the supper.

First she got bread out of one hole in the wall; then milk out of
another; then several kinds of fruit out of a third; and then she went
to the pot on the fire, and took out the fish, now nicely cooked, and,
as soon as she had pulled off its feathered skin, ready to be eaten.

"But," exclaimed Tangle. And she stared at the fish, and could say no
more.

"I know what you mean," returned the lady. "You do not like to eat the
messenger that brought you home. But it is the kindest return you can
make. The creature was afraid to go until it saw me put the pot on, and
heard me promise it should be boiled the moment it returned with you.
Then it darted out of the door at once. You saw it go into the pot of
itself the moment it entered, did you not?"

"I did," answered Tangle, "and I thought it very strange; but then I
saw you, and