“Look at the rivers of the sky!” said Mara. “See how they come down to wake up the waters under the earth! Soon will the rivers be flowing everywhere, merry and loud, like thousands and thousands of happy children. Oh, how glad they will make you, Little Ones! You have never seen any, and do not know how lovely is the water!” “That will be the glad of the ground that the princess is grown good,” said Odu. “See the glad of the sky!” “Are the rivers the glad of the princess?” asked Luva. “They are not her juice, for they are not red!” “They are the juice inside the juice,” answered Mara. Odu put one finger to his eye, looked at it, and shook his head. “Princess will not bite now!” said Luva. “No; she will never do that again,” replied Mara. “--But now we must take her nearer home.” “Is that a nest?” asked Sozo. “Yes; a very big nest. But we must take her to another place first.” “What is that?” “It is the biggest room in all this world.--But I think it is going to be pulled down: it will soon be too full of little nests.--Go and get your clumsies.” “Please are there any cats in it?” “Not one. The nests are too full of lovely dreams for one cat to get in.” “We shall be ready in a minute,” said Odu, and ran out, followed by all except Luva. Lilith was now awake, and listening with a sad smile. “But her rivers are running so fast!” said Luva, who stood by her side and seemed unable to take her eyes from her face. “Her robe is all--I don’t know what. Clumsies won’t like it!” “They won’t mind it,” answered Mara. “Those rivers are so clean that they make the whole world clean.” I had fallen asleep by the fire, but for some time had been awake and listening, and now rose. “It is time to mount, Mr. Vane,” said our hostess. “Tell me, please,” I said, “is there not a way by which to avoid the channels and the den of monsters?” “There is an easy way across the river-bed, which I will show you,” she answered; “but you must pass once more through the monsters.” “I fear for the children,” I said. “Fear will not once come nigh them,” she rejoined. We left the cottage. The beasts stood waiting about the door. Odu was already on the neck of one of the two that were to carry the princess. I mounted Lona’s horse; Mara brought her body, and gave it me in my arms. When she came out again with the princess, a cry of delight arose from the children: she was no longer muffled! Gazing at her, and entranced with her loveliness, the boys forgot to receive the princess from her; but the elephants took Lilith tenderly with their trunks, one round her body and one round her knees, and, Mara helping, laid her along between them. “Why does the princess want to go?” asked a small boy. “She would keep good if she staid here!” “She wants to go, and she does not want to go: we are helping her,” answered Mara. “She will not keep good here.” “What are you helping her to do?” he went on.