Felix dropped the switch, put his hands in his pockets, and stared at both the birds.
"Come," said the gander, spreading out his wings; "get on my back, and
Away we'll sail
Down the river in the vale,
Away to the pinewoods, away, away."
Splash, splash, such a spluttering in the water, and Felix, holding on by the gander's neck, shivered as the water touched him, for it was very cold; which much surprised him, as the day was hot, and the sun was shining.
IT HISSED LOUDLY.
How large the gander had grown! he had seemed a large gander before, but now he seemed quite monstrous. And the river grew wider, and the trees appeared to reach the sky, and the flags and bulrushes were like young palm-trees, and the flowers shot up to a great size. There was one clump of lilies of the valley much taller than Felix, and quite overshadowing a girl in a large cap with a blue ribbon in it, who seemed to be gathering some flowers growing in the water.
As Felix approached the bank the lily bells swayed to and fro with a melodious sound as if bells of the purest silver were ringing.
"Welcoming us to Elfland," observed the gander.
"Isn't it the Pinewood?" asked Felix.