THROUGH THE FIRE.
*Jack was a little boy.He lived in England.
He could not walk because he had a bad back.
His back had always been bad.He could not walk his back so bad.
He sat by the fire.He was very sad.His mother had gone out.
He said:" I do not like being alone.I have no friend with me."
Then he heard someone speak:"I am here."
He looked at and he saw a small red fairy sitting on the fire.He said:"Who are you?".
He said :"I am a Fire-fairy."
"Oh," said *Jack," are there Fire-fairies?"
"Yes," said the fairy, "there are Fire-fairies and there are Water-fairies.
Do you want to see the Fire-country?"
"Oh,yes!" said *jack.
"Give me your hand," said the fairy.
But *Jack said:"I shall be burned if I go into the fire."
"No," said the fairy,"you will not be burned.Give me your hand."
*Jack took the hand of the fairy.
As *Jack held the fairy's hand he became smaller and smaller.
The fire looked bigger and bigger.The fairy took the *Jack into the fire.
On all sides *Jack saw great hills burning.
The fairy said:"Come with me.
We will go down into the fire.We will see the Fire-King's house."
They went down through a hole in the fire. 
and they came to a beautiful garden.All the flowers in the garden were made of fire.
They were  like fireworks.
There was a big house in the garden.Its walls were red and burning;
and its doors and windows were made of fire.
The Fire-fairy went away.*Jack sat in the garden of the king of the Fire-country.
Then he saw a beautiful princess walking in the garden.She 
had burning eyes .And her hair was very red like fire.
She was very beautiful; but her face was very sad.
She came near *Jack.*Jack said :
"Oh ,Princess, why are you so sad?"
She said:"I am sad because I love the Water-prince."
"Why do you not marry the Water-prince." said *Jack.
She said :"I do not marry the Water-prince .
because; if I take his hand   we shall die;
the fire kills water ;And the water kills fire."
Just then the Fire-fairy came back.He said:
"You must not speak to the Princess .Because she loves the Water-prince.
If the King is told that you have spoken to the Princess,he will be very angry.
He wants her to marry a Fire-prince.
Come quickly.
Then the Fire-fairy took *Jack's hand.And they ran away very quickly.
They ran up through the fire .*Jack shut his eyes...
When *Jack opened his eyes; he was in front of the fire.
*Jack looked at the fire for many days.
He wanted to see the Fire-fairy again,but no Fire-Fairy came.
There was rain.*Jack looked at the rain falling outside.He wanted to see 
a Water-fairy,but he did not see one.
Then one night , *Jack was sleeping in front of the fire.
He heard someone speak.He opened his eyes and looked.
He saw the Fire-princess sitting on top of the fire.There was fire all over her.
She looked very beautiful."Put some more wood on the fire," she said.
"I am cold."
"You are very beautiful," said *Jack.
"Am I?" said the Princess...
"I want you to do something for me."
"Yes," said *Jack,"I will do anything for you."
"I want you tell the Water-prince to come and see me," said the Fireprincess.
"How shall I find him?" said *Jack.
"Open the window and wait," said the Princess.
*Jack opened the window.The rain came into the room.
Then the Princess began to call.
She called to the Water-prince.Then much rain came through the window.
And out of the rain came the Water-prince.His eyes were blue like the sea.
His hair was blue, his clothes were blue like the blue water of the river.
When he saw the Fire-princess, he ran to the fire.
"Do not come too near! " cried the Princess,
"or we shall die.There is one person who can help us - the Snow Man.
He lives very , very far away in a country where there is always snow.
We must send someone to him."
"Who can go to him?" said the water-prince.
"ı cann not go.If I go to that country I shall become snow and die."
"I cannot go," said the Princess."For if I go to that country I shall go out,
fire goes out in the snow."
"I will go," said *Jack."But how can I get there?"
The water-prince said:"I will call Wind-fairy.
The wind-fairy will take you to the Snow  Man."
Then the Water-prince called.A cold wind came into the room:
and out of the wind came a little fairy.
"This is a Wind-fairy," said the Water-prince.
The Wind-fairy took *Jack's hand and he jumped up.
*Jack went with him.They went out of the window.
They went over the tops of the houses.They came to fields and hills.
They went over the sea and they came to another land.
They went over forests and rivers and cities.It became colder and colder.
They came to a great white sea.They went over the sea.
Then they came to a far country.It was covered with snow.
Then the Wind-fairy went down -down-down.On the top of a hill 
the Snow Man was sitting.
The Wind-fairy said to *jack:You may ask the Snow Man one thing.
Do not ask him more than one thing.If you ask him more than one thing ,
he will kill you.He is a very bad man;but he knows everything."
*Jack went to the Snow Man.The Snow Man said:"who are you?
You hasve come to ask something.Everyone who comes to me ask something.
Do you want to know what to do for your bad back?
Do you want to know what you must do so as to walk and run like other boys?"
"No, I do not want to ask that," said *jack.
"I come from the Fire-princess.She wants to marry the Water-prince,
but if they marry they will die.For water kills fire and fire kills water."
"oh, no,no,no," said the Snow Man."if they marry they will not die."
"What must they do?" said *Jack.
The Snow Man said:"Tell theWater-princeto take
 the Fire-princess's hand in his hands and to say,"I love you."
Then he will not die and she will not die.Now ask me some other thing."
"No," said *Jack, "I will not ask any other thing."
Then the Snow Man was very angry.*Jack ran away.
He took the Wind-fairy's hand and they went up--up--up.
They went over seas and countries and hills and rivers and forests, 
and they came back to *Jack's room.
The Fire-princess was sitting on top of the fire.The Water-prince was standing near.
"What must we do?" said the Fire-princess.
"Tell me what we must do."
Then *Jack said to the Water-prince:"You must take her hands in your hands 
and you must say, "I love you." Then you will not die."
"But we shall die!" said  the Princess."Water puts out of the fire and fire puts out water."
"No," said the Prince. "We shall each of us be changed, but we shall not die."
Then the Princess came down from the fire;
and the Prince went to the Princess and took her hands and said:
"I love you." There was a great noise and *Jack looked and
 saw the Prince and the Princess standing there.
The princess's eyes were not like fire.
They were like woman's eyes.Her hair was not so red .
It was like a woman's red hair.The Prince's eyes were not blue like water.
They were like a man's eyes.
They said: "Thank you,*Jack.We shall remember."
And hand in hand they walked to the window and went out into night.
*Jack looked at the fire each night.He wanted to see a Fire-fairy.
But he did not see one.He looked at the rain.
He wanted to see a Water-fairy.But he did not see one.
One night he was in his bed.He had been sleeping.
The window was open.He looked at the window, and saw the Fire-princess 
and the Water-prince:They came through the window into the room.
They said :" *Jack, we have come back.We brought you something.
We have brought you a coat.We made this coat for you.
a wizard  showed us how to make it.(a magician).
If you put on this coat you will walk and run like other boys."
Then *Jack put on the coat.When he put on the coat he could not see the coat any more.
because it was a fairy coat.His back was not bad any more.
He could walk and run.He was very happy.
He said to the Fire-princess and the Water-prince:"Thank you.Thank you very much." 
They said :" Do not thank us.We thank you.We are very happy."
Then hand in hand , the Fire-princess and the Water-prince went to the window.
And they went  out into the night.