-- I shall lose her ; but perhaps she will be happier in the sea : so I will let her go . '' Mounting her rock , Fancy waited to see her work destroyed . But the sea seemed to pity her ; and wave after wave came up , without doing any harm . At last one broke quite over the mermaid , and Fancy thought that would be the end of her . But , no : instead of scattering shells , stones , and weeds , the waves lifted the whole figure , without displacing any thing , and gently bore it back into the sea . `` Good by ! good by ! '' cried Fancy , as the little figure floated away ; then , as it disappeared , she put her hands before her face , -- for she loved her mermaid , and had given all her treasures to adorn her ; and now to lose her so soon seemed hard , -- and Fancy 's eyes were full of tears . Another great wave came rolling in ; but she did not look up to see it break , and , a minute after , she heard steps tripping toward her over the sand . Still she did not stir ; for , just then , none of her playmates could take the place of her new friend , and she did n't want to see them . `` Fancy ! Fancy ! '' called a breezy voice , sweeter than any she had ever heard . But she did not raise her head , nor care to know who called . The steps came quite close ; and the touch of a cold , wet hand fell on her own . Then she looked up , and saw a strange little girl standing by her , who smiled , showing teeth like little pearls , and said , in the breezy voice : `` You wanted me to play with you , so I came . '' `` Who are you ? '' asked Fancy , wondering where she had seen the child before . `` I 'm your mermaid , '' said the child . `` But the water carried her away , '' cried Fancy .
`` The waves only XXXXX me out for the sea to give me life , and then brought me back to you , '' answered the new comer .
asked bore came carried disappeared lose said saw seemed wanted