"Little fellows, that are rowing towards our shore in a pigmy boat," says the first. When Maildun heard this, he hastily addressed the crew-- "Put back at once, but do not turn the curragh: reverse the sweep of your oars, and let her move stern forward, so that those giants may not perceive that we are flying!" The crew at once obey, and the boat begins to move away from the shore, stern forward, as he had commanded. The first smith again spoke. "Are they near enough to the shore?" said he to the man who was watching. "They seem to be at rest," answered the other; "for I cannot perceive that they are coming closer, and they have not turned their little boat to go back." In a short time the first smith asks again, "What are they doing now?" "I think," said the watcher, "they are flying; for it seems to me that they are now farther off than they were a while ago." At this the first smith rushed out of the forge--a huge, burly giant--holding, in the tongs which he grasped in his right hand, a vast mass of iron sparkling and glowing from the furnace; and, running down to the shore with long, heavy strides, he flung the red-hot mass with all his might after the curragh. It fell a little short, and plunged down just near the prow, causing the whole sea to hiss and boil and heave up around the boat. But they plied their oars, so that they quickly got beyond his reach, and sailed out into the open ocean. CHAPTER XXII. THE CRYSTAL SEA. After a time, they came to a sea like green crystal. It was so calm and transparent that they could see the sand at the bottom quite clearly, sparkling in the sunlight. And in this sea they saw neither monsters, nor ugly animals, nor rough rocks; nothing but the clear water and the sunshine and the bright sand. For a whole day they sailed over it, admiring its splendour and beauty. CHAPTER XXIII. A LOVELY COUNTRY BENEATH THE WAVES. After leaving this they entered on another sea, which seemed like a clear, thin cloud; and it was so transparent, and appeared so light, that they thought at first it would not bear up the weight of the curragh. Looking down, they could see, beneath the clear water, a beautiful country, with many mansions surrounded by groves and woods. In one place was a single tree; and, standing on its branches, they saw an animal fierce and terrible to look upon. Round about the tree was a great herd of oxen grazing, and a man stood near to guard them, armed with shield and spear and sword; but when he looked up and saw the animal on the tree, he turned anon and fled with the utmost speed. Then the monster stretched forth his neck, and, darting his head downward, plunged his fangs into the back of the largest ox of the whole herd, lifted him off the ground into the tree, and swallowed him down in the twinkling of an eye; whereupon the whole herd took to flight.