told Dorothy how she could again see her son Yanechek, and could release him from the water palace. Upon this she promised to let the Water Demon free, and full of hope, started on her way.
Searching for her son the mother came to the bank of the pool, and there, carrying out the instructions of the Water Demon, she repeated the following words,—
"Mother Well! Mother Well! Listen to what the master says: open thy waters to the bottom!"
As soon as she had uttered these words the waters opened, and there appeared before her stairs leading down into the depths of the pool. These stairs Dorothy courageously descended, while the crystal waters grew up higher and higher as she went down. Gradually the stairs and the passage became narrower, so that the withered form of the widow could only pass through with difficulty. At last her farther progress was stopped by a large, green frog. Then Dorothy, remembering the instructions of the Water Demon, said these words,—
"Oh, Frog! Frog! Hear what the master says, open a passage for me!"
As soon as she had said this the mouth of the frog opened like a large gate, its body changed into pillars like bright emeralds, and above them shone the eyes of the frog like two suns. Through this gate the widow
