the country of pretty colours,
Cheri. You see it is the country of so many pretty things. If we lived
in it always, we should never see the end of the beautiful things there
are. Only----"

"Only what?" asked Hugh.

"I don't think it would be a good plan to live in it _always_. Just
sometimes is best, I think. Either the things wouldn't be so pretty, or
our eyes wouldn't see them so well after a while. But see, Cheri, the
trees are growing common-coloured again, and Houpet is stopping. We must
have got to the end of the Forest of the Rainbows."

"And where shall we be going to now?" asked Hugh. "Must we get out, do
you think, Jeanne? Oh, listen, I hear the sound of water! Do you hear
it, Jeanne? There must be a river near here. I wish the moonlight was a
little brighter. Now that the trees don't shine, it seems quite dull.
But oh, how plainly I hear the water. Listen, Jeanne, don't you hear it
too?"

"Yes," said Jeanne. "It must be----" but before she had time to say more
they suddenly came out of the enchanted forest; in an instant every
trace of the feathery trees had disappeared. Houpet pulled up his
steeds, the two chickens got down from behind, and stood one on each
side of the carriage door, waiting apparently for their master and
mistress to descend. And plainer and nearer than before came the sound
of fast-rushing water.

"You see we are to get down," said Hugh.

"Yes," said Jeanne again, looking round her a little timidly. "Cheri, do
you know, I feel just a very, very little bit frightened. It is such a
queer place, and I don't know what we should do. Don't you think we'd
better ask Houpet to take us back again?"

"Oh no," said Hugh. "I'm sure we'll be all right. You said you wanted to
have some fun, Jeanne, and you seemed to know all about it. You needn't
be frightened with _me_, Jeanne."

"No, of course not," said Jeanne, quite brightly again; "but let us
stand up a minute, Hugh, before we get out of the carriage, and look all
about us. _Isn't_ it a queer place?"

"It" was a wide, far-stretching plain, over which the moonlight shone
softly. Far or near not a shrub or tree was to be seen, yet it was not
like a desert, for the ground was entirely covered with most beautiful
moss, so fresh and green, even by the moonlight, that it was difficult
to believe the hot sunshine had ever glared upon it. And here and there,
all over this great plain--all over it, at least, as far as the children
could see--r