me of themselves. Just at that very moment they
saw coming towards them from the sinking sun a little white horse, with
flowing mane and tail and golden hoofs. On the horse's back was a little
man dressed in shining green silk. When the horse galloped on to the
strand the little man doffed his hat, and said to the children:

"Would you like to follow the nine little pipers?" The children said,
"yes."

"Well, then," said the little man, "come up here behind me; you, Nora,
first, and Connla after."

Connla helped up Nora, and then climbed on to the little steed himself;
and as soon as they were properly seated the little man said "swish,"
and away went the steed, galloping over the sea without wetting hair or
hoof. But fast as he galloped the nine little pipers were always ahead
of him, although they seemed to be going only at a walking pace. When
at last he came up rather close to the hindmost of them the nine little
pipers disappeared, but the children heard the music playing beneath
the waters. The white steed pulled up suddenly, and wouldn't move a
step further.

"Now," said the little man to the children, "clasp me tight, Nora, and
do you, Connla, cling on to Nora, and both of you shut your eyes."

The children did as they were bidden, and the little man cried:

"Swish! swash!"

And the steed went down and down until at last his feet struck the
bottom.

"Now open your eyes," said the little man.

And when the children did so they saw beneath the horse's feet a golden
strand, and above their heads the sea like a transparent cloud between
them and the sky. And once more they heard the fairy music, and marching
on the strand before them were the nine little pipers.

"You must get off now," said the little man, "I can go no farther
with you."

The children scrambled down, and the little man cried "swish," and
himself and the steed shot up through the sea, and they saw him no more.
Then they set out after the nine little pipers, and it wasn't long until
they saw rising up from the golden strand and pushing their heads up
into the sea above, a mass of dark gray rocks. And as they were gazing
at them they saw the rocks opening, and the nine little pipers
disappearing through them.

The children hurried on, and when they came up close to the rocks they
saw sitting on a flat and polished stone a mermaid combing her golden
hair, and singing a strange sweet song that brought the tears to their
eyes, and by the m