TRAVELSWITHOUTTHESUN"WHOsthere?"shoutedthethreetravellers.

    "IamtheWardenoftheMarchesofUnderland,andwithmestandahundredEarthmeninarms,"camethereply."TellmequicklywhoyouareandwhatisyourerrandintheDeepRealm?”

    "Wefelldownbyact,"saidPuddleglum,truthfullyenough.

    "Manyfalldown,aurntothesunlitlands,"saidthevoice."MakereadynowtoewithmetotheQueenoftheDeepRealm.”

    "Whatdoesshewantwithus?"askedScrubbcautiously.

    "Idonotknow,"saidthevoice."Herwillisnottobequestioobeyed.”

    Whilehesaidthesewordstherewasanoiselikeasoftexplosionandimmediatelyacoldlight,greywithalittleblueinit,floodedthecavern.Allhopethatthespeakerhadbeenidlyboastingwhenhespokeofhishundredarmedfollowersdiedatonce.Jillfoundherselfblinkingandstaringatadensecrowd.Theywereofallsizes,fromlittlegnomesbarelyafoothightostatelyfigurestallerthanmen.Allcarriedthree-prongedspearsintheirhands,andallweredreadfullypale,andallstoodasstillasstatues.Apartfromthat,theywereverydifferent;somehadtailsandothersnot,somewreatbeardsandothershadveryround,smoothfaces,bigaspumpkins.Therewerelong,pointednoses,andlong,softnoseslikesmalltrunks,ablobbynoses.Severalhadsinglehornsinthemiddleoftheirforeheads.Butinonerespecttheywereallalike:everyfathewholehundredwasassadasafacecouldbe.Theyweresosadthat,afterthefirstglance,Jillalmostfottobeafraidofthem.Shefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup.

    "Well!"saidPuddleglum,rubbinghishands."Th