“After the Sun people had reserved the country, the Earth people never remained long on that spot; they recognized the law and accepted it, only making short visits to the marvellous place. Sometimes, if one mortal, more daring than the rest, determined to live there, and built him a house, he was promptly punished, for the fairies at once opened a geyser directly under the carefully chosen home and destroyed it entirely. So this beautiful valley of yellow stones and brilliant lights and rushing waters is left to the Sun Princess and her people. It is certainly a valley of enchantment, for it is never very cold and never very hot there, but is an ideal workshop for a Prince. The geysers and boiling pools are just the escaping gas and steam of his big furnaces; for the fires in his furnaces under the earth are kept burning day and night. It is all very mysterious. In one part he has a big hot lake, and in another an ice-cold one. The cold lake is shaped like a human hand, and near it is a big fountain that dashes up clouds of white spray, hundreds of feet high, flecking the green surface of the water with foam. “Nothing can be more beautiful than this enchanted valley. The fairies are busy beautifying it all the time. They have painted the colors of the rainbow in the rocks, and the great canyon looks now as if millions of jewels were piled up there. For it is a bewildering mass of color. Amethyst, topaz, and emerald tints sparkle everywhere, and when the sunshine pours down on it you feel as if all the wealth of the world must be hidden in the rocks, for they sparkle like diamonds and rubies. As the years go on the valley grows more beautiful, for the Sun Prince and his bride watch it by day,—and of course as the fairies have charge at night it is never neglected. “When the Sun Prince has finished his great labors and solved his problem, of course, he will close his workshop, and with his lovely bride go back to their home in the Golden Palace of the Sun. But until then his workshop fires will burn. The geysers and fountains will spout up great volumes of water and steam, making the valley one of the wonders of the world. And all the Earth mortals who go there will be made welcome by the fairies.” CHAPTER VII THE STORY OF THE JEWELLED BEACH [Illustration: (unlabelled)] “Do you wonder that I love the story?” said Princess Ethelda, as the guide finished. “Oh,” replied the Moon maidens, almost in one voice, “it is an enchanting history, indeed.” “See,” replied the guide messenger, pointing in the distance to a high mountain, “beyond that mountain lies the Beautiful Valley of which I have just told you.”