THE CAVE AND THE BLACK DOOR.

or
“I

“ Yes, it was certainly a pity,” said Clover.

Then he looked steadily wp at the door, and suddenly uttered a
surprised exclamation.

“There is nothing for us but to go back,” said Cowslip. “Oh, to
think that we must pass that dreadful snake again. He will be quite
certain to have awakened now. I never felt so frightened and miserable
in all my life before.”

“ Courage, courage,” said Clover. “ You won’t let me speak. I
have discovered something.”

Cowslip raised her tear-dimmed eyes, and looked full at her
brother.

“What is it?” she asked.

“ Look for yourself,” exclaimed the boy. ‘See what is written in
letters of gold on the door.”

Cowslip wiped her eyes and looked up.

tight across the whole breadth of the door, the children now
read the following words :—

“WHEN YOU COME 10 THE GREAT BLACK DOOR WITH No SIDES,
COME IN AND FEAR NOTHING.”

“ Nothing will induce me to go in,” said Cowslip. “ Besides, how
can we? J don’t see any key.”

“Yes, we can,” said Clover. “Come, Cowslip, if you are too
frightened to go on alone, take my hand, put your arms round my
neck, and I will carry you.”

“Oh, no, no, I will stay outside.”

“ Darling, do you think I could go in and leave you alone? No,
let us go through the door together. I am sure the moment we touch
it, that it will yield. Put courage into your heart. Those words
put a lot of courage into mine, I know. Look here, Cowslip, our
father used to tell us that if we spoke to the King as we were taking
our journey, he would hear us. I mean to say something to him now.”

Then Clover raised his head, looked up at the sky, which was
shining down on them both, blue and serene, and said aloud,
with great feeling and passion, “Oh, King of the beautiful country,
we are both very frightened—give us courage to go on.”