They passed through dense groves of giant mushrooms and at times these were so thick they had to bend them to one side in order to pass.
When they grew hungry the children told Gran’ma and Gran’pa that the mushrooms were cake, so they ate of these.
After leaving the forest of mushrooms the path led through very rocky country and as they turned a cliff the party came upon a spring bubbling from the rocks and splashing down into a small stream far below.
There were a number of cups near the spring, so the children ran up and took a drink. “Oh hurry!” they cried, “It’s a soda water spring!”
After drinking all they wished they again set out upon their journey. When they finally left the rocky country and came upon a level stretch of road they saw approaching them an Old Woman.
Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey had dismounted from the back of the Soft-Voiced Cow, for they did not wish to tire her.
When the Old Woman came up to them, she caught the Soft-Voiced Cow by the tail and began dragging her back the way the party had come.
Gran’pa was for making her let go of the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail, but the Soft-Voiced Cow spoke gently and said, “Let her be; she is evidently an ill mannered person or she would not treat a stranger in this manner!”
However, the Old Woman dragged the Soft-Voiced Cow down the road so fast the friction of the cow’s feet upon the roadway made them burn.
So the Soft-Voiced Cow turned to the Old Woman and said, “I wish you would please let go of my tail! I do not care to travel in the direction you are taking me and besides you are making my feet burn.”