Page 601 - Child's own book

bottom of the Well, but no one had ever seen them ; yet If
any one called out “ Harry *J against one of the windows, an
answer would be immediately returned,14 H ar-iy,J—or if a
girl cried “ Louisa/' the name “ Lou-i-sa ” was directly heard,
“ Who can live in this queer old place ? v said Maia one day
as she stretched her head through one of the holes— ct Are any
children there % n cried she— iL Any chiidren there ” was tile
reply, and then she amused herself with asking more questions,
and always the last words were returned.
In the meantime Harry had ran further into the wood to
gather blackberries and after he had eaten as many as he
wished he laid himself down under an oak-tree and fell fast
asleep. When he awoke it was in the twilight of evening;
he had been dreaming that he had lost his sister Maia> and now
he called to her in every direction; but Maia could not hear
him, for curious to know who gave her the answers in the well,
the poor child had reached too far and fallen headlong in.
For a few minutes she was insensible, but by degrees she came
to herself, and found that she was lying in a splendid hall
covered with carpets of every beautiful colour. There were no
windows, yet it was as light as the sunniest day on earth—
thousands of sparkling stones glittered in the high-arched roof
and shed forth their brilliancy. Pleasant flowers gTew npon
the walls, and climbing plants hung in festoons from every
projection of the ceiling. When she had quite recovered her
consciousness, Maia found that a lady and two young children
stood before her.
“ Thou hast been too curious, my child," said the lady, in a
gentle voice, u Too much curiosity generally brings its punish­
ment. See thine arm is hurt, come with me, 1 will bandage
it and give thee a. new dress*'1 And the lady led tittle Maia
into a charming room, and bound red ribbon round her arm and