“Oh, I saw it from Spring’s shoulder,” Ivra cried—­she really thought she had—­“But mother, mother, what a wonderful surprise you had for us!”

They began to run in their eagerness.  But Helma held them back.  “It’s a day’s journey yet,” she said.  And so they walked as patiently as they could down a long, long slope through dark firs and hemlocks.

It was noon of the following day when they finally came to the sea.  They had struggled through a thick undergrowth of thorned bushes where the great arms of the firs shut out everything ahead.  Then suddenly they were out of it, in the open, on the shore with the waves almost lapping their toes.  It was high tide.  The blue sea stretched away to the blue sky.

Eric’s legs gave way under him, and he knelt on the white sand, just looking and looking at the bigness of it, the splendor of it, the color of it, and listening to the music of it.  Ivra ran right out into the foam brought in by the breakers, up to her waist, where she splashed the water with her palms until her hair and face were drenched with salt spray.  Helma stood looking away to foreign countries which she could almost see.

But they were not left long to themselves.  The heads of a little girl and boy and a young woman appeared over the crest of a great wave, and the three were swept up to the shore.  They grabbed Ivra and drew her along with them as they passed, laughing musically.  Ivra did not like it at first, and sprang away from them the minute she could shake herself free.  But when she saw their merry faces and heard them laugh, she returned shyly.

The children were about Eric’s and Ivra’s ages, and the young woman was their mother.  The children’s names were Nan and Dan, and the woman’s name was Sally.  But though they had Earth names they were of the fairy-kind,—­called in the Forest “Blue Water People.”

Just peer into a clear pool or stream, almost any bright day, and you will be pretty sure to see one of them looking up at you.  They are the sauciest and most mischievous of all fairies.  Only stare at them a little, and they will mock you to your face with smiles and pouts, and will not go away as long as you stay.  For they have no fear of you or any Earth People.  They follow their streams right into towns and cities, under bridges and over dams.  You are as likely to find one in your city park as in the Forest.

Helma spoke to Sally, while the children eyed each other curiously.  She said, “How happy you Blue Water People must be now Spring has freed you at last!”

Sally dropped down on the beach, her dark hair flung like a shadow on the sand.  Her laughing face looked straight up into the sky.  She stretched her arms above her head.

“He came just in time.  Another day—­and we would have had to break through the ice ourselves.  Truly.  We’ve never had such a long winter.  Why, a month ago we began to look for Spring.  We lay with our faces pressed against the cold ice for hours at a time, watching.  We could just see light through, and shadows now and then.”