“Well at any rate we are not troubled with the bog now!” Janey mused.
Across the fields rose high mountains.
“I wonder if we shall be able to find a path through the mountains!” Gran’pa said.
“I think those are the mountains bordering the City of Nite!” said the Princess. “And if that is the case we have not very much farther to travel.”
But the mountains were farther away than the travelers thought, for after walking for an hour they came to a rise in the ground from which they looked across miles and miles of beautiful valley country. Gran’ma and Gran’pa said it was almost as pretty as the country round the farm back home.
Down in the valley a little way they saw a tiny house and walked in that direction. When they came to the front gate and called no one answered, so they walked in and knocked at the door.
As no one answered the knock they walked around to the back door and looked inside the kitchen, for the door was open. There on the stove were pots and pans filled with food which was cooking; and as they watched, one of the pots raised itself from the stove and poured its contents into another pot. Then another pot moved across the stove and its lid came off and hung itself in the air, while a large spoon raised itself from the back of the stove and stirred the contents of the pot.
“Shall we go in?” Janey whispered, as they all hesitated on the step.
Gran’pa raised his cane and knocked three times on the door sill.
“What was that?” cried a man’s voice from the front part of the house.