But mortals can be cleverer than we ever
can when they are clever, and they can beat us every time if they know
how. And do you know why? Because they have what we have not--because
they have souls. I heard a school-master say once that the word
'mortal' was made from a word that meant death. And they call mortals
that, I'm thinkin', because they never die. But you will die, King,
and all your people, and I. We live on and on for thousands of years,
and men come and change and pass away, but at the last day we shall be
gone, as a bit of cloud up in the sky is gone when the sun shines on
it. That's why men will always be greater and finer and stronger than
us, with all our magic."
The fairies were all so terrified that they shrank away from Naggeneen
and clung together and shook, in their fright, for this fear of living
for a long time and then going out like a candle is their greatest
fear. There was not a bit of color left in the King's face now. It was
almost with a sob that he spoke again, and there was a kind of
beseeching in his tone as he said: "Naggeneen, don't talk like that to
us! We don't know it! It may be so, but we don't know it! We've tried
many a time to find out, but no one that knew would ever tell us! We
may have souls! We don't know that we've not! We may be saved!"
"You do know it!" Naggeneen cried.
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