178 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

with some sinking of heart, and even one or two frightened little
cries, let himself be borne along on its bosom.

He had never learnt to swim, and he expected to sink each
moment; but what Mrs. Patience had said was quite true: the
water was neither so cold nor so deep as it looked. There was a
great buoyancy about it, and Buttercup felt himself borne on its
waves quite safely and easily to the shores of Summer Land.

He had scarcely landed before Sweet-Content rushed to him and
covered him with kisses, and threw a great garland of flowers over
him, and then he was met by numbers and numbers of other
children, who shouted and sang.

These were the words with which they welcomed Buttercup to
Summer Land:

“In Summer Land, in Summer Land,

How sweet the children’s song!

There is no sad or tired heart
In all our merry throng.

The golden sunbeams flood the earth,
The winds are full of glee,

The flowers laugh with fairy mirth,
The leaves dance on the tree ;

No shadows dim the blue above,
But gladness fills the air,

And all is perfect peace and love
In Summer Land so fair !

“In Summer Land, in Summer Land,
Who would not love to dwell?
For here there are a thousand joys
That tongue could never tell.

By ferny dells and woodland bowers,
Where silver fountains play,

Through fields for ever bright with flowers
The happy children stray.

Safe-sheltered from the wintry blast,
And every cloud and care,

Our days like golden dreams go past
In Summer Land so fair!”