What are you doing ?' 'Clearing away a huge heap of stones.' 'There's a princess!' exclaimed Curdie, in a tone of delight, but still speaking in little more than a whisper.

'I can't think how you got here, though.' 'My grandmother sent me after her thread.' 'I don't know what you mean,' said Curdie; 'but so you're there, it doesn't much matter.' 'Oh, yes, it does!' returned Irene.

'I should never have been here but for her.' 'You can tell me all about it when we get out, then.

There's no time to lose now,'said Curdie.
And Irene went to work, as fresh as when she began.
'There's such a lot of stones!' she said.

'It will take me a long time to get them all away.' 'How far on have you got ?' asked Curdie.
'I've got about the half away, but the other half is ever so much bigger.' 'I don't think you will have to move the lower half.