“‘She is helpless upon the land, and though she can look down at the foot of the mountains and see the curling waters of her home, she cannot reach it. Her lover sits below, encouraging her with words of love, but he is helpless to reach her. Miserable and longing for home, she watches all the ships that pass, and with her lute sings the most wonderful songs, begging the sailors to rescue her. Many have tried, and the mountain-side is white with the bones of those who have perished in the attempt. For the Gnome King makes mad those who try to save her; they lose their way and die.
“‘Alas, kind friends, unless you will help us, we fear she is lost to us for ever.’
“The kind-hearted Moon sprites were certainly touched by this pathetic tale, and they determined among themselves that they would form a plan to outwit the cruel Gnome King, and rescue the sea maid. Of course to do this they would have to delay a little the planting of the Moon ladder, but they felt that her Imperial Majesty would certainly have consented to delay in such a case. So, gathering up their precious burden, they climbed the mountain to seek the sea maid.
“Knowing that she could never reach her sisters alone, and enchanting all the mortals who tried to rescue her, the Gnome King had no guard to watch the maiden. She was left entirely alone upon a big rock overlooking the ocean. The wicked king came at rare intervals to see if she would consent to marry him, but otherwise she was left undisturbed.
[Illustration: “_A glimmering figure sitting on a high cliff._” (Page 106)]
“The Moon sprites, however, were not affected by the King’s enchantments, so they had no difficulty in reaching her. Suddenly the mermaid saw a gleam of brilliant silver flooding the darkness behind her, and in a moment she was surrounded by a thousand little silver-dressed creatures. At the same moment the Moon sprites caught sight of a glimmering figure of matchless beauty sitting on a high cliff. The maiden was a vision of loveliness. Long, waving, golden hair floated about her, and her eyes were the color of the sea. She held a lute in her hand; as her fingers moved softly across it, it gave forth a weird but beautiful sound, and to this accompaniment she sang charmingly. Quickly the Moon sprites told her of the plan for rescuing her, and joyfully she listened.