"In much less time than it has taken to refresh ourselves here under the tree, the two children beheld a beautiful barque bearing rapidly down upon them from far across the foam; and, as it approached, they noticed it was drawn by a pair of blue dolphins, guided by two mermaids who far exceeded in beauty any that accompanied the craft of the dolls. "The Queen summoned Kimbo, and by the time he had lifted them down from the top of the tall rock, and they had dismounted from his hand upon the shore, the boat was ready to receive them. "The Queen assisted the children on board, and they proceeded to examine the boat. Arthur said he had never beheld a real mermaid before, while little Maud declared that the closest she had ever been to one was in a picture-book. They kept their eyes turning from one mermaid to the other as the Queen said, by way of explanation: "'You will notice that one of the mermaids has beautiful, long, golden hair that you might liken to sunlight, while that of the other is as black and glossy as the wing of a raven. Now, you see, it is no trouble to tell them apart, although it is a matter of mere taste as to which is the more beautiful. This one,' she continued, 'we call Day, and that one Night.' "Day and Night gathered up their long golden reins as if ready to start, and the dolphins rolled impatiently in the tide. "A word of command came from the lips of each mermaid, then a wild, spasmodic splash of the dolphins' tails, followed by a quick, forward motion of the boat, and they were away on their journey. "They sped rapidly along, and the children could not help marvelling, as they sank into the soft-cushioned seats of the boat. Seeming to notice their appreciation of its beauty, the Queen said: "'This barque, my darlings, though not nearly so large as the one on which the dolls from the village embarked, is much more swift, and is never used by anyone except myself and Santa Claus.' "While she was speaking, the Island of Dreams came into full view. The ride was simply delightful. The dolphins lunged forward at such a rapid pace that a cool, soft breeze sprang up and fanned them. As they journeyed rapidly toward the island, they glanced up occasionally to admire its charming outlines. "The entire shore of the island seemed lined with tall, weeping willow trees, the long arms of which, with longer tendrils, hung everywhere far down to the ground, as if they, too, had partaken of the drowsy influence of the place and were half asleep. Not a breath of air stirred across the broad island to disturb their slumbering repose. "As they drew near the shore, the children noticed that the surface of the lake was covered with broad leaves of water-lilies, that grew upward from deep down in the tide and held their yellow and white blossoms aloft to be admired. These water-lilies were so plentiful, that the dolphins had some difficulty in working the boat through them to the shore.