ost faithfully above it,
she said farewell, and floated bravely forth, on her long, unknown
journey, far away.

"I will search the broad earth till I find a path up to the sun,
or some kind friend who will carry me; for, alas! I have no wings,
and cannot glide through the blue air as through the sea," said Ripple
to herself, as she went dancing over the waves, which bore her swiftly
onward towards a distant shore.

Long she journeyed through the pathless ocean, with no friends
to cheer her, save the white sea-birds who went sweeping by, and
only stayed to dip their wide wings at her side, and then flew
silently away. Sometimes great ships sailed by, and then with
longing eyes did the little Spirit gaze up at the faces that looked
down upon the sea; for often they were kind and pleasant ones, and
she gladly would have called to them and asked them to be friends.
But they would never understand the strange, sweet language that
she spoke, or even see the lovely face that smiled at them above the
waves; her blue, transparent garments were but water to their eyes,
and the pearl chains in her hair but foam and sparkling spray; so,
hoping that the sea would be most gentle with them, silently she
floated on her way, and left them far behind.

At length green hills were seen, and the waves gladly bore the little
Spirit on, till, rippling gently over soft white sand, they left her
on the pleasant shore.

"Ah, what a lovely place it is!" said Ripple, as she passed through
sunny valleys, where flowers began to bloom, and young leaves rustled
on the trees.

"Why are you all so gay, dear birds?" she asked, as their cheerful
voices sounded far and near; "is there a festival over the earth,
that all is so beautiful and bright?"

"Do you not know that Spring is coming? The warm winds whispered it
days ago, and we are learning the sweetest songs, to welcome her
when she shall come," sang the lark, soaring away as the music gushed
from his little throat.

"And shall I see her, Violet, as she journeys over the earth?" asked
Ripple again.

"Yes, you will meet her soon, for the sunlight told me she was near;
tell her we long to see her again, and are waiting to welcome her
back," said the blue flower, dancing for joy on her stem, as she
nodded and smiled on the Spirit.

"I will ask Spring where the Fire-Spirits dwell; she travels over
the earth each year, and surely can show me the way," thought Ripple,
as she went journeying