her Parsnip-man with a little lantern in his hand,
which he turned on Peter's face, and then nodded to him in a friendly
way. After which he unhooked the rope-ladder and drew it up.

The two Parsnip-men now took Peter between them, each holding a hand.
They went through long dark passages, and then they began to go
down-stairs. Peter counted a hundred steps, but still they went down,
down, and he could count no more.

All at once he heard music, which sounded as if it came from a distance.
They were now at the bottom of the steps, and walking on level ground.
The further they went the louder grew the music, and at last the
Parsnip-men came to a standstill.

The one who held the lantern threw its light upon the wall till it
disclosed a knob, on which he pressed. Then he put out his lantern, and
all was dark. But the music sounded louder than before.

Suddenly the wall parted and moved aside, and Peter could hardly
restrain his cries of astonishment, for what he now saw was like nothing
he had ever seen before. He was looking into a great big hall. It was as
light as day. Dazzling lustres of crystal, with thousands and thousands
of wax tapers, whose flames were reflected from the mirrors suspended
round the room, hung from the roof. Strange music shook the walls, and
to the time of this music hundreds and hundreds of little Parsnip-men
twirled and danced. All of them were dressed in yellow coats and green
hats, and many of them wore long white beards. And oh, how they chirped
and smirked, and laughed and jumped about, as if they were mad!

For a long time Peter stood bewildered. At last the little Parsnip-men
who had brought him so far led him right into the room, and the wall
closed behind them.

"Now for the Queen!" whispered one of them. "Come along."

They went down the side of the room, against the wall of which were
ranged chairs with grand purple coverings and gilded arms. Once or twice
Peter nearly slipped, so polished was the floor. From time to time some
little Parsnip-man in the company nodded to him; otherwise no one paid
much attention to him.

In this way they reached the farther end of the hall, where there was a
throne, raised on a dais and covered by a canopy hung with purple. It
was something like the throne Peter once saw when his aunt took him with
her to the palace. A few steps led up to the throne, with a wonderfully
elaborate balustrade made of gold.

The little mannikins seized his hands