aring a golden heart-shaped locket, with a crown and the letter M upon
it in diamonds. So the dwarf called the little girl Marianna.

Seventeen years passed, and Marianna grew to be quite the loveliest lass
in all the world. Her hair was as black as the raven's wing, her eyes
were as blue as the midsummer sea, and her skin was fair as the petal of
a rose. One spring morning a little yellow bird flew into the cedar
grove, and gave the dwarf a letter which it held in its beak.

The dwarf read the letter, and said to Marianna, "Little Marianna, the
Emperor of the Elves has bidden me come to the great assembly of the
dwarfs which is to be held next year on the Golden Mountain. Alas, what
are we to do? I can not take you with me, dear child, for it is
forbidden on pain of death to bring mortals to the assembly, nor can I
leave you here in this lonely wood."

To this Marianna replied, "Do not fear, dear father. Give me but yon
crystal flask of the water of healing, and I shall go forth into the
world until it is time for you to return again. Perhaps I shall discover
somebody who can tell me the meaning of this locket, or the history of
my dear mother."

So the dwarf took his knotted staff, and went away over hill, over dale
to the Golden Mountain.

Then Marianna took the crystal flask of the water of healing, and walked
boldly out of the wood into the wide, wide world. It was the middle of
the spring, the ice and snow had all disappeared; the trees were putting
forth their leaves, and there were clusters of primroses by the
roadside. In the swaying, rustling heart of a great elm tree, a little
thrush was singing. Through cities and towns went lovely Marianna,
bringing good cheer to the helpless and the sick, and curing all who
came to her, rich and poor, with the wonderful water of healing. But
never did she find anybody who could tell her about the gold heart with
the diamond crown.

Now it came to pass that, as Marianna was one day walking through a
village in the heart of the Adamant Mountains, a ragged old woman
besought her with tears to come to a hamlet which stood at the head of a
high and dangerous path. Touched by the old woman's supplication,
Marianna followed her to the hamlet, and found in a wretched hut, lying
on a wretched bed, a beautiful young peasant girl dying of a fever. So
Marianna touched the girl with the water of healing, and in an instant
she became well and strong.

"Dear lady," said the peasa