Tom was frightened at the notion of a school-mistress ; for he thought she would certainly come with a birch-rod or a cane ; but he comforted himself , at last , that she might be something like the old woman in Vendale -- which she was not in the least ; for , when the fairy brought her , she was the most beautiful little girl that ever was seen , with long curls floating behind her like a golden cloud , and long robes floating all round her like a silver one . `` There he is , '' said the fairy ; `` and you must teach him to be good , whether you like or not . '' `` I know , '' said the little girl ; but she did not seem quite to like , for she put her finger in her mouth , and looked at Tom under her brows ; and Tom put his finger in his mouth , and looked at her under his brows , for he was horribly ashamed of himself . The little girl seemed hardly to know how to begin ; and perhaps she would never have begun at all if poor Tom had not burst out crying , and begged her to teach him to be good and help him to cure his prickles ; and at that she grew so tender-hearted that she began teaching him as prettily as ever child was taught in the world . And what did the little girl teach Tom ? She taught him , first , what you have been taught ever since you said your first prayers at your mother 's knees ; but she taught him much more simply . For the lessons in that world , my child , have no such hard words in them as the lessons in this , and therefore the water-babies like them better than you like your lessons , and long to learn them more and more ; and grown men can not puzzle nor quarrel over their meaning , as they do here on land ; for those lessons all rise clear and pure , like the Test out of Overton Pool , out of the everlasting ground of all life and truth . So she taught Tom every day in the week ; only on Sundays she always went away home , and the kind fairy took her place . And before she had taught Tom many Sundays , his prickles had vanished quite away , and his skin was smooth and clean again . `` Dear me ! '' said the little girl ; `` why , I know you now . You are the very same little chimney-sweep who came into my bedroom . '' `` Dear me ! '' cried Tom . `` And I know you , too , now . You are the very little white lady whom I saw in bed . '' And he jumped at her , and longed to hug and kiss her ; but did not , remembering that she was a lady born ; so he only jumped round and round her till he was quite tired . And then they began telling each other all their story -- how he had got into the water , and she had fallen over the rock ; and how he had swum down to the sea , and how she had flown out of the window ; and how this , that , and the other , till it was all talked out : and then they both began over again , and I ca n't say which of the two talked fastest . And then they set to work at their lessons again , and both liked them so well that they went on well till seven full years were past and gone . You may fancy that Tom was quite content and happy all those seven years ; but the truth is , he was not .
He had always one thing on his mind , and that was -- where little Ellie went , when she went home XXXXX Sundays .
For as in like of on so that till whether