In this land the sun shone longer than it does with us, because it often stopped for a while to rest during the course of the day. In this land all the birds wore hats and spurs. In this land an orchestra of swallows played always at noonday. In this land earthworms wore spectacles on their noses and swords at their sides. In this land such things as bricks, iron, wood, stone, and steel were unknown. In this land, after one had finished dinner, one ate the plates and dishes, for they were made of sugar. In this land nearly every inhabitant was made of slices of cake, held together with pudding, sweetmeats, nougat, and chocolate. In a word, there were to be found in this curious country a great many things that were strange and wonderful and good to eat. Smaly and Redy knocked at the door of this wonderful land, but for some time no one came to answer them. "Bother this door!" said Smaly, at last, kicking at it with his new boots, and hitting it with his red cane. "Why, it's made of chocolate!" cried Redy, who had sucked her fingers after touching it. "I will eat the latch away!" decided Smaly. "And I'll eat the hinges," said Redy. She seized a hinge and he tore off the latch. The next moment the tears were pouring down their faces. "Oh, oh, it's burning me!" cried poor Redy. "It must be made of red pepper and spice!" wept Smaly. [Illustration: REDY'S HANDS WERE CRYING WITH FRIGHT] They had certainly burnt their tongues. They held hands and ran away, uttering little moans of pain. The path took an abrupt turn, then another, then a third, and yet a fourth, till it had described a complete circle. Smaly and Redy found themselves once again opposite the door. * * * * * There was no longer any way out, for a thick hedge now surrounded the two travellers, and they found themselves in a sort of green arena. Quite a pretty arena, but all the same, it was rather alarming to find themselves there, without a word of warning. And the thick green hedge around the arena grew with such a horrible rapidity. Very soon it was so high that the place became as dark as night. [Illustration: BUT HE FOUND HE, TOO, HAD A BEAK] Smaly, in his alarm, had seized both Redy's hands in his, and now he suddenly noticed that they were all wet. For one dreadful moment Smaly thought they must be wet with blood, but the fact was that poor Redy's hands were crying with fright. * * * * * For a little while Smaly and Redy wept bitterly, but they soon grew too tired to cry. They shut their mouths firmly, and tried to leave off sobbing when they left off weeping, but their sobs kept on and on in spite of them, for all the world like a tap that keeps on going "glug-glug!" when one has forgotten to turn it off. Smaly put up his hand, meaning to lay it gently over Redy's mouth.