th sky. It
flows on and on, growing broad and strong farther down, to turn the mill
wheel. But here in the meadow, you can see far off on the other side,
and hear the cows ripping off the tender grass, and smell the perfume of
wild plums.

Boy Blue lay in the long cool grass watching the water. How sleepily it
moved, and what a pretty song it sang! How clear! he could count the
pebbles at the bottom; and there, swimming straight toward him, came a
tiny fish, making little darts from one side to another, and snapping at
the tadpoles on the way. Then he stopped just in front of him.

"Oh, dear!" said a voice; and the little boy could not tell whether it
was the fish, or the tomtit scolding on the elder bush. "Dear me!" came
the voice again; and the little fish sighed, making a bubble on the top
of the water, and rings that grew and grew till they reached the other
bank.

"What's the matter?" asked Boy Blue.

"I'd like a new play and new playmates," sighed the fish. "I'm so tired
of the old ones!"

"Oh," said the boy, and was just about to ask, "Would I do?" when there
came floating along in the air a beautiful butterfly, floating, floating
like a ship in full sail.

"Oh!" cried the fish, "how beautiful! how beautiful! Come let us play
together--let us play."

The butterfly rested on a thistle bloom and stirred her pale wings
thoughtfully. "Play?" she said.

"Yes, let us play. How beautiful thou art!"

"And thou!" said the butterfly; "all the shine of the sun and sea gleams
in thy armor. Let us play together."

"Let us play."

"Come then," said the butterfly; "come up into the fresh morning air and
the sunlight, where everything smiles this sweet May day."

"There?" cried the fish; "I would die there; I would die! There is no
life for me in your sunshine world. But come with me into this
glittering stream; here swimming against the swift current is strong
life. Come, let us play here."

But the butterfly trembled. "There?" she cried; "if I touched one single
little wave I should be swept out and away forever. There is no life for
me in the glittering stream."

They looked across at each other.

"But see," said the butterfly, "I will come as near as I dare to your
water world;" and she spread her beautiful wings and floated down to the
edge of the water. The fish with a great stroke swam toward her. But
they could only touch the same bit of earth, and the waves always bore
him back.

"Ah," he cried at