which the children did not remember having seen among
the flax. And they wondered.

But Eline only said "It is golden flax."

Whatever it was, it shone brightly in the sun until it looked like a ray
of real sunlight in the rope.

[Illustration: MAKING ROPE]

One little child said:

"It looks like a brother to the sun!"

"Perhaps it is," said Eline, and smiled.

The work grew apace. And the play grew apace, because the children
scarcely knew which was work and which was play. They seemed to have
found something better than both. Stone after stone, rock after rock,
was encircled with the cord and triumphantly drawn by that merry army of
children to the edge of the plain. Clearer and clearer grew the space.
Where before the stones had been, little pools of water formed, while
round them grew masses of beautiful flowers, among which was a new crop
of the little blue flax, stronger and better grown than any that had
been there before. Gradually there grew up a great wall of rock around
the plain where the boulders were drawn by the children, for each was
taken to its nearest boundary, as Eline told them this would be the
simplest way to clear the plain.

Some mighty rocks yet remained in the center of the plain but the
children had so seen the wisdom of their Leader that they doubted not
that these too would be removed without difficulty, although how this
was to be done they could not tell.

And as the work was nearing an end they did as their Leader bid them in
perfect trust. Actually they put their ropes around a rock which some
said was like a small mountain. They pulled with a will, but the rock
moved not.

Still they pulled willingly and with all their might, for now they had
grown strong until they scarcely knew their own powers.

From the great city, from the mountains, and from the country round
about, came sightseers and inquirers. At first they only laughed and
talked, and helped not at all. But among them came men of strange
countenance, strong men, wise in looks, men of kingly bearing.

[Illustration: CLEARING THE PLAIN]

These said: "It is not right that these children should work for ever
alone."

And they too, with strong grip of a strange sort, laid hold of the
golden ropes, seeing which, the idlers too came and helped until with a
mighty song of joy the children saw the great rock move, slowly at
first, then faster, faster, until with a run they had placed it in a far
corner of the great