"Believe me, it is bad luck to have the sun shine on you. It nearly
put my eyes out; and I have had the headache ever since."
Now, there was a young girl, named Moneta, who listened very eagerly
to the old gnome's stories of the earth, and thought she would like to
see it for herself. She was a kind little maiden, as playful as a
kitten; and her friends were not willing she should go. But Moneta had
somewhere heard that fairies who marry mortals receive the gift of a
human soul: so, in spite of all objections, she was resolved to take
the journey; for she had in her dark mind some vague aspirations after
a higher state of being.
Then the gnome-family declared, that, if she once went away, they
would never allow her to return; for they highly disapproved of
running backward and forward between the two worlds, gossiping.
"Have you no love of country," cried they, "that you would willingly
cast your lot among silly creatures who look down upon your race?"
The old gnome, who had travelled, took the romantic maiden one side,
and said,--
"My dear Moneta, since you _will_ go, I must tell you a secret; for
you remember I have seen the world, and know all about it. Mortals are
a higher race than ourselves, it is true; but that is only because
they live atop o' the earth, while we are under their feet. They make
a great parade about their little ticking jewel they call Conscience;
but, after all, they will any of them sell it for one of our
ear-rings! I assure you they love money better than their own souls;
and I would advise you, as a friend that has seen the world, to load
yourself with as much gold as you can carry."
So Moneta donned a heavy dress of spun gold, which was woven in such a
manner, that, at every motion she made, it let fall a shower of
gold-dust. She filled the sleeves with sardonyx, almandine, and
amethyst; and hid in her bosom diamonds and sapphires enough to
purchase a kingdom.
Then she went up a steep ladder, and knocked on the alabaster ceiling,
using the charm which the gnome had given her:--
"Mother Earth, Mother Earth, set me free!"
At her words there was a sound as of an earthquake, and a little space
was made, just large enough for her to crawl through. When she had
reached the top, the earth closed again, and she was left seated upon
a rock; and the light of the sun was so dazzling, that she hid her
face in her hands.
Thus she sat for a long time, not knowing whither to go, till a young
man chanced to come that way, who said, "What do you here?"
She raised her face at his words, and could not speak, so great was
her surprise at the beauty of the strange youth. He, for his part,
could not help smiling; for she was as yellow as an orange; and an
uglier little creature he had never beheld: but he said in a kind
voice,--
"Come with me to my mother's house, and you shall be refreshed with
cake and wine."
She arose to follow him; and, as she walked, a bright shower of
gold-dust sprinkled the earth at every step.
The young man held out his hands eagerly to catch the shining spray,
thinking he would like such a rarely-gifted damsel for his wife; and,
in truth, he smiled so sweetly, and dropped such winning words, that
in time he won her heart and she became his bride.
"And, when she cam' into the kirk,
She shimmered like the sun;
The belt that was about her waist
Was a' with pearles bedone."
So great was her love for him, that she forgot her lost home under the
earth; and every day, when she bade her husband "good-morning," she
placed in his hand a precious stone; and he kissed her, calling her
his "dear Moneta," his "heart's jewel." But at last the diamonds,
sapphires, and rubies were all gone; and she was also losing the power
of shedding gold-dust. Then her husband frowned on her, and no longer
called her his "heart's jewel," or his "dear Moneta."
At length she presented him with a little daughter as lovely as a
water-sprite, with hair like threads of gold. Now the father watched
the babe with a greedy eye; for its mother had wept precious tears of
molten gold before she received the gift of human grief, and he hoped
her child would do the same; but, when he found it was only a common
mortal, he shut his heart against the babe. Moneta was no longer
yellow and ugly, but very beautiful; with deep eyes, out of which
looked a sweet soul: yet she had lost her fairy gifts, and her husband
had ceased to love her. The good woman mourned in secret; and would
have wished to die, only her precious child comforted her heart.
One day, as she was sitting by the shore of the lake, a water-kelpie
saw her weeping, and came to her in the form of a white-haired old
man, saying,--
"Charming lady! why do you weep? Come with me to my kingdom under the
waters. My people are always happy."
Then she looked where he bade her, and saw, afar down under the
waters, a beautiful city, whose streets were paved with red and white
coral.