e. "I _beg_ your pardon," I said, "of course. Thank you
very much;" and the water went on saying "_Gather gather, all right, dip
dip_."

After thinking how best to greet it, I went back to the oak, stood in
front of it and said (of course baring my head):

"Oak, I humbly desire your good leave to gather the green plant which
grows between your roots. If an acorn falls into this my right hand"
(which I held out) "I will count it that you answer yes--and give you
thanks." The acorn fell straight into the palm of my hand. I said, "I
thank you, Oak: good growth to you. I will lay this your acorn in the
place whence I gather the plant."

Then very carefully I took hold of the stalk of the plant (which was
very short, for, as I said, it grew rather flat on the ground) and
pulled, and to my surprise it came up as easily as a mushroom. It had a
clean round bulb without any rootlets and left a smooth neat hole in the
ground, in which, according to promise, I laid the acorn, and covered it
in with earth. I think it very likely that it will turn into a second
plant.

Then I remembered the last word of the spring and went back to dip the
plant in it. I had a shock when I did so, and it was lucky I was holding
it firm, for when it touched the water it struggled in my hand like a
fish or a newt and almost slipped out. I dipped it three times and
thought I felt it growing smaller in my hand: and indeed when I looked
at it I found it had shut up its leaves and curled them in quite close,
so that the whole thing was little more than a bulb. As I looked at it I
thought the water changed its note and said, "_That'll do, that'll do_."

I thought it was time to thank the spring for all it had done for me,
though, as you may suppose, I did not yet know in the least what was to
be done with the plant, or what use it was going to be.

So I went over and said in the politest words I could how much I was
obliged, and if there was anything I had or could do which would be
agreeable, how glad I should be. Then I listened carefully, for it
seemed by this time quite natural that I should get some sort of answer.
It came. There was a sudden change in the sound, and the water said
clearly and rapidly, "_Silver silver silver silver_." I felt in my
pocket. Luckily I had several shillings, sixpences and half-crowns. I
thought the best way was to offer them all, so I put them in the palm of
my right hand and held it under the water, open, just over