first one and then another hopped
to the other end of the boat and flew away, till at last there was
only one left, and she appeared to be out of spirits, and did not
speak again till he spoke to her.

"Raven," said Jack, "there's something very cold and slippery lying
at the bottom of the boat. I touched it just now, and I don't like it
at all."

"It's a water-snake," said the raven; and she stooped and picked up a
long thing with her beak, which she threw out, and then looked over.
"The water swarms with them, wicked, murderous creatures; they smell
the young fairies, and they want to eat them."

Jack was so thrown off his guard that he snatched one fairy out, just
to make sure that it was safe. It was the one with the mustache; and,
alas! in one instant the raven flew at it, got it out of his hand, and
pecked off its head before it had time to wake or Jack to rescue it.
Then, as she slowly rose, she croaked, and said to Jack, "You'll catch
it for this, my young master!" and she flew to the bough of a tree,
where she finished eating the fairy, and threw his little empty coat
into the river.

On this Jack began to cry bitterly, and to think what a foolish boy he
had been. He was the more sorry because he did not even know that
poor little fellow's name. But he had heard the others calling by name
to their companions, and very grand names they were too. One was
Jovinian,--he was a very fierce-looking gentleman; the other two were
Roxaletta and Mopsa.

Presently, however, Jack forgot to be unhappy, for two of the moons
went down, and then the sun rose, and he was delighted to find that
however many moons there might be, there was only one sun, even in the
country of the wonderful river.

So on and on they went; but the river was very wide, and the waves
were boisterous. On the right brink was a thick forest of trees, with
such heavy foliage that a little way off they looked like a bank,
green, and smooth, and steep; but as the light became clearer, Jack
could see here and there the great stems, and see creatures like
foxes, wild boars, and deer, come stealing down to drink in the
river.

It was very hot here; not at all like the spring weather he had left
behind. And as the low sunbeams shone into Jack's face he said
hastily, without thinking of what would occur, "I wish I might land
among those lovely glades on the left bank."

No sooner said than the boat began to make for the left bank, and the
nearer they