In an instant the garden and lawn and everything else had vanished utterly , as if the earth had opened and swallowed them up , and as far as the eye could reach you could see nothing but water , which seemed at last to touch heaven itself . Only under their feet was a tiny dry spot . Then the girl placed the mussel shell on the water and took the fish scales in her hand . The mussel shell grew bigger and bigger , and turned into a pretty little boat , which would have held a dozen children . The girls stepped in , Elsa very cautiously , for which she was much laughed at by her friend , who used the fish scales for a rudder . The waves rocked the girls softly , as if they were lying in a cradle , and they floated on till they met other boats filled with men , singing and making merry . ` We must sing you a song in return , ' said the girl , but as Elsa did not know any songs , she had to sing by herself . Elsa could not understand any of the men 's songs , but one word , she noticed , came over and over again , and that was ` Kisika . ' Elsa asked what it meant , and the girl replied that it was her name . It was all so pleasant that they might have stayed there for ever had not a voice cried out to them , ` Children , it is time for you to come home ! ' So Kisika took the little box out of her pocket , with the piece of cloth lying in it , and dipped the cloth in the water , and lo ! they were standing close to a splendid house in the middle of the garden . Everything round them was dry and firm , and there was no water anywhere . The mussel shell and the fish scales were put back in the box , and the girls went in . They entered a large hall , where four and twenty richly dressed women were sitting round a table , looking as if they were about to attend a wedding . At the head of the table sat the lady of the house in a golden chair . Elsa did not know which way to look , for everything that met her eyes was more beautiful than she could have dreamed possible . But she sat down with the rest , and ate some delicious fruit , and thought she must be in heaven . The guests talked softly , but their speech was strange to Elsa , and she understood nothing of what was said . Then the hostess turned round and whispered something to a maid behind her chair , and the maid left the hall , and when she came back she brought a little old man with her , who had a beard longer than himself .
He bowed low XXXXX the lady and then stood quietly near the door .
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