it eerie too； and full of good magic as the witchs thrumming had been full of bad magic … made her feel it all the more。
all this takes a long time to tell； but of course it took a very short time to see。 jill turned almost at once to shout down to the others； 〃i say！ its all right。 were out； and were home。〃 but the reason she never got further than 〃i say〃 was this。 circling round and round the dancers was a ring of dwarfs； all dressed in their finest clothes； mostly scarlet with fur…lined hoods and golden tassels and big furry top…boots。 as they circled round they were all diligently throwing snowballs。 （those were the white things that jill had
seen flying through the air。） they werent throwing them at the dancers as silly boys might have been doing in england。 they were throwing them through the dance in such perfect time with the music and with such perfect aim that if all the dancers were in exactly the right places at exactly the right moments； no one would be hit。 this is called the great snow dance and it is done every year in narnia on the first moonlit night when there is snow on the ground。 of course it is a kind of game as well as a dance； because every now and then some dancer will be the least little bit wrong and get a snowball in the face； and then everyone laughs。 but a good team of dancers； dwarfs； and musicians will keep it up for hours without a single hit。 on fine nights when the cold and the drum…taps； and the hooting of the owls； and the moonlight； have got into their wild； woodland blood and made it even wilder； they will dance till daybreak。 i wish you could see it for yourselves。
what had stopped jill when she got as far as the say of 〃i say〃 was of course simply a fine big snowball that came sailing through the dance from a dwarf on the far side and got her fair and square in the mouth。 she didnt in the least mind； twenty snowballs would not have damped her spirits at that moment。 but however happy you are feeling； you cant talk with your mouth full of snow。 and when； after considerable spluttering； she could speak again； she quite forgot in her excitement that the others； down in the dark； behind her； still didnt know the good news。 she simply leaned as far out of the hole as she could； and yelled to the dancers。
〃help！ help！ were buried in the hill。 e and dig us out。”
the narnians； who had not even noticed the little hole in the hillside； were of course very surprised； and looked about in several wrong directions before they found out where the voice was ing from。 but when they caught sight of jill they all came running towards her； and as many as could scrambled up the bank； and a dozen or more hands were stretched up to help her。 and jill caught hold of them and thus got out of the hole and came slithering down the bank head first； and then picked herself up and said： 〃oh； do go and dig the others out。 there are three others； besides the horses。 and one of them is prince rilian。”
she was already in the middle of a crowd when she said this； for besides the dancers all sorts of people who had been watching the dance； and whom she had not seen at first； came running up。 squirrels came out of the trees in showers； and so did owls。 hedgehogs came waddling as fast as their short legs would carry them。 bears and badgers followed at a slower pace。 a great panther； twitching its tail in excitement； was the last to join the party。
but as soon as they understood what jill was saying； they all became active。 〃pick and shovel； boys； pick and shovel。 off for our tools！〃 said the dwarfs； and dashed away into the woods at top speed。 〃wake up some moles； theyre the chaps for digging。 theyre quite as good as dwarfs；〃 said a voice。 〃what was that she said about prince rilian？〃 said another。 〃hush！〃 said the panther。 〃the poor childs crazed； and no wonder after being
lost inside the hill。 she doesnt know what shes saying。〃 〃thats right；〃 said an old bear。
〃why； she said prince rilian was a horse！〃 〃no； she didnt；〃 said a squirrel； very pert。
〃yes； she did；〃 said another squirrel； even perter。
〃its quite t…t…t…true。 d…d…dont be so silly；〃 said jill。 she spoke like that because her teeth were now chattering with the cold。
immediately one of the dryads flung round her a furry cloak which some dwarf had dropped when he rushed to fetch his mining tools； and an obliging faun trotted off among the trees to a place where jill could see firelight in the mouth of a cave； to get her a hot drink。 but before it came； all the dwarfs reappeared with spades and pick… axes and charged at the hillside。 then jill heard cries of 〃hi！ what are you doing？ put that sword down；〃 and 〃now； young un： none of that；〃 and； 〃hes a vicious one； now； isnt he？〃 jill hurried to the spot and didnt know whether to laugh or cry when she saw eustaces face； very pale and dirty； projecting from the blackness of the hole； and eustaces right hand brandishing a sword with which he made lunges at anyone who came near him。
for of course eustace had been having a very different time from jill during the last few minutes。 he had heard jill cry out and seen her disappear into the unknown。 like the prince and puddleglum； he thought that some enemies had caught her。 and from down below he didnt see that the pale； blueish light was moonlight。 he thought the hole would lead only into some other cave； lit by some ghostly phosphorescence and filled with goodness…knows…what evil creatures of the underworld。 so that when he had persuaded puddleglum to give him a back； and drawn his sword； and poked out his head； he had really been doing a very brave thing。 the others would have done it first if they could； but the hole was too small for them to climb through。 eustace was a little bigger； and a lot clumsier； than jill； so that when he looked out he bumped his head against the top of the hole and brought a small avalanche of snow down on his face。 and so； when he could see again； and saw dozens of figures ing at him as hard as they could run； it is not surprising that he tried to ward them off。
〃stop； eustace； stop；〃 cried jill。 〃theyre all friends。 cant you see？ weve e up in narnia。 everythings all right。”
then eustace did see； and apologized to the dwarfs （and the dwarfs said not to mention it）； and dozens of thick； hairy； dwarfish hands helped him out just as they had helped jill out a few minutes before。 then jill scrambled up the bank and put her head in at the dark opening and shouted the good news in to the prisoners。 as she turned away she heard puddleglum mutter。 〃ah； poor pole。 its been too much for her； this last bit。 turned her head； i shouldnt wonder。 shes beginning to see things。”
jill rejoined eustace and they shook one another by both hands and took in great deep breaths of the free midnight air。 and a warm cloak was brought for eustace and hot drinks； for both。 while they were sipping it； the dwarfs had already got all the snow and all the sods off a large strip of the hillside round the original hole； and the pickaxes and spades were now going as merrily as the feet of fauns and dryads had been going in the
dance ten minutes before。 only ten minutes！ yet already it felt to jill and eustace as if all their dangers in the dark and heat and general smotheriness of the earth must have been only a dream。 out here； in the cold； with the moon and the huge stars overhead （narnian stars are nearer than stars in our world） and with kind； merry faces all round them； one couldnt quite believe in underland。
before they had finished their hot drinks； a dozen or so moles； newly waked and still very sleepy； and not well pleased； had arrived。 but as soon as they understood what it was all about； they joined in with a will。 even the fauns made themselves useful by carting away the earth in little barrows； and the squirrels danced and leaped to and fro in great excitement； though jill never found out exactly what they thought they were doing。
the bears and owls contented themselves with giving advice； and kept on asking the children if they wouldnt like to e into the cave （that was where jill had seen the firelight） and get warm and have supper。 but the children couldnt bear to go without seeing their friends set free。
no one in our world can work at a job of that sort as dwarfs and talking moles work in narnia； but then； of course； moles and dwarfs dont look on it as work。 they like digging。 it was therefore not really long before they had opened a great black chasm in the hillside。 and out from the blackness into the moonlight … this would have been rather dreadful if one hadnt known who they were came； first； the long； leggy； steeple…hatted figure of the marsh…wiggle； and then； leading two great horses； rilian the prince himself。
as puddleglum appeared shouts broke out on every side： 〃why； its a wiggle … why； its old puddleglum … old puddleglum from the eastern marshes … what ever have you been doing； puddleglum？ … thereve been search…parties out for you … the lord trumpkin has been putting up notices theres a reward offered！〃 but all this died away； all in one moment； into dead silence； as quickly as the noise di