as flying on a staff; but everything
was so silent and lonely that it made one sad to look on. As Jack and
Mopsa drew near they trod as gently as they could, and did not say a
word.

All the windows were shut, but there was a great door in the centre of
the building, and they went towards it, hand in hand.

What a beautiful hall! The great door stood wide open, and they could
see what a delightful place this must be to live in: it was paved with
squares of blue and white marble, and here and there carpets were
spread, with chairs and tables upon them. They looked and saw a great
dome overhead, filled with windows of colored glass, and they cast
down blue and golden and rosy reflections.

"There is my home that I shall live in," said Mopsa; and she came
close to the door, and they both looked in, till at last she let go of
Jack's hand, and stepped over the threshold.

The bell in the tower sounded again more sweetly than ever, and the
instant Mopsa was inside there came from behind the fluted columns,
which rose up on every side, the brown doe, followed by troops of deer
and fawns!

"Mopsa! Mopsa!" cried Jack, "come away! come back!" But Mopsa was too
much astonished to stir, and something seemed to hold Jack from
following; but he looked and looked, till, as the brown doe advanced,
the door of the castle closed,--Mopsa was shut in, and Jack was left
outside.

So Mopsa had come straight to the place she thought she had ran away
from.

"But I am determined to get her away from those creatures," thought
Jack; "she does not want to reign over deer." And he began to look
about him, hoping to get in. It was of no use: all the windows in that
front of the castle were high, and when he tried to go round, he came
to a high wall with battlements. Against some parts of this wall the
ivy grew, and looked as if it might have grown there for ages; its
stems were thicker than his waist, and its branches were spread over
the surface like network; so by means of them he hoped to climb to the
top.

He immediately began to try. Oh, how high the wall was! First he came
to several sparrows' nests, and very much frightened the sparrows
were; then he reached starlings' nests, and very angry the starlings
were; but at last, just under the coping, he came to jackdaws' nests,
and these birds were very friendly, and pointed out to him the best
little holes for him to put his feet into. At last he reached the top,
and found to his deli