"Now," said the Fish, "here you are, and yon's the stair; climb up, if
you can, but hold on fast. I'll warrant you find the stair easier at
home than by such a way; 't was ne'er meant for lassies' feet to
travel;" and off he splashed through the water.
So she clomb and she clomb and she clomb, but ne'er a step higher did
she get: the light was before her and around her, and the water behind
her, and the more she struggled the more she was forced down into the
dark and the cold, and the more she clomb the deeper she fell.
But she clomb and she clomb, till she got dizzy in the light and
shivered with the cold, and dazed with the fear; but still she clomb,
till at last, quite dazed and silly-like, she let clean go, and sank
down--down--down.
And bang she came on to the hard boards, and found herself sitting,
weeping and wailing, by the bedside at home all alone.
News!
MR. G. Ha! Steward, how are you, my old boy? How do things go on at
home?
STEWARD.
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