iry and the crystal hall.

All the next day they counted the minutes, until they saw the shadows
thronging from the glen and scaling the mountain side. And, at last,
they saw the door springing open, and the nine little pipers marching
down.

They waited until the pipers had crossed the meadow and were about to
enter the wood. And then they followed them, the pipers marching on
before them and playing all the time. It was not long until they had
passed through the wood, and then, what should the children see rising
up before them but another mountain, smaller than their own, but, like
their own, clad more than half-way up with purple heather, and whose
top was bare and sharp-pointed, and gleaming like a golden spear.

Up through the heather climbed the pipers, up through the heather the
children clambered after them, and the moment the pipers passed the
heather a door opened and they marched in, the children following, and
the door closed behind them.

Connla and Nora were so dazzled by the light that hit their eyes, when
they had crossed the threshold, that they had to shade them with
their hands; but, after a moment or two, they became able to bear the
splendour, and when they looked around they saw that they were in a
noble hall, whose crystal roof was supported by two rows of crystal
pillars rising from a crystal floor; and the walls were of crystal,
and along the walls were crystal couches, with coverings and cushions
of sapphire silk with silver tassels.

Over the crystal floor the little pipers marched; over the crystal
floor the children followed, and when a door at the end of the hall
was opened to let the pipers pass, a crowd of colours came rushing in,
and floor, and ceiling, and stately pillars, and glancing couches, and
shining walls, were stained with a thousand dazzling hues.

Out through the door the pipers marched; out through the door the
children followed, and when they crossed the threshold they were
treading on clouds of amber, of purple, and of gold.

"Oh, Connla," said Nora, "we have walked into the sunset!"

And around and about them everywhere were soft, fleecy clouds, and
over their heads was the glowing sky, and the stars were shining
through it, as a lady's eyes shine through a veil of gossamer. And the
sky and stars seemed so near that Connla thought he could almost touch
them with his hand.

When they had gone some distance, the pipers disappeared, and when
Connla and Nora came u