And as they got nearer, they saw at every window heads leaning out; every battlement, every terrace, was crowded with figures.

And when they were quite near, by throwing their heads very far back, so that their necks felt quite stiff for quite a long time afterwards, the children could see that all those people seemed quite young, and seemed to have very odd and delightful clothes--just a garment from shoulder to knee made, as it seemed, of dark fur.
[Illustration: Slowly they came to the great gate of the castle.] 'What lots of them there are,' said Philip; 'where did they come from ?' 'Out of a book,' said the parrot; 'but the authorities were very prompt that time.

Only a line and a half got out.
'Happy troops Of gentle islanders.
Those are the islanders.' 'Then why,' asked Philip naturally, 'aren't they on an island ?' 'There's only one island, and no one is allowed on that except two people who never go there.

But the islanders are happy even if they don't live on an island--always happy, except for the great fear.' Here the travellers began to cross one of the bridges across the moat, the bridge, in fact, which led to the biggest arch of all.

It was a very rough arch, like the entrance to a cave.
And from out its dark mouth came a little crowd of people.
'They're savages,' said Lucy, shrinking till she seemed only an extra hump on the camel's back.
They were indeed of a dark complexion, sunburnt in fact, but their faces were handsome and kindly.