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Every rose that fell from the table to the floor, someone, whom Curdie could not plainly see for the brightness, lifted and laid burning upon the king's face, until at length his face too was covered with the live roses, and he lay all within the fire, moaning still, with now and then a shuddering sob.
By the time Peter returned the storm was nearly over, but the streams were so fierce and so swollen that it was not only out of the question for the princess to go down the mountain, but most dangerous for Peter even or Curdie to make the attempt in the gathering darkness. 'They will be dreadfully frightened about you, said Peter to the princess, 'but we cannot help it.
It was at the foot of a short flight of steps. They ascended, and at the top Curdie found himself in a space which, from the echo to his stamp, appeared of some size, though of what sort he could not at first tell, for his hands, feeling about, came upon nothing. Presently, however, they fell on a great thing: it was a wine cask.
You are an out-of-doors labourer. You are a nobody. You carry a pickaxe. I carry the keys at my girdle. See! 'But you must not call one a nobody to whom the king has spoken, said Curdie.
The same instant the king awoke also and sat up beside her. 'Run, Irene! cried Curdie, for though he was not now in the least afraid for himself, he was for the princess. Irene looked once round, saw the fearful creatures awake, and like the wise princess she was, dashed the torch on the ground and extinguished it, crying out: 'Here, Curdie, take my hand.
Irene clasped Curdie's hand yet faster, and Curdie began to sing again: 'One, two Hit and hew! Three, four Blast and bore! Five, six There's a fix! Seven, eight Hold it straight! Nine, ten Hit again! Hurry! scurry! Bother! smother! There's a toad In the road! Smash it! Squash it! Fry it! Dry it! You're another! Up and off! There's enough! Huuuuuh!
'To be sure there might: we are not out of it yet, acknowledged Curdie. 'But what do you mean by the king and queen? asked the princess. 'I should never call such creatures as those a king and a queen. 'Their own people do, though, answered Curdie.
As to the feel of them, each of his own hands, he said, was hard and horny enough for two, and it must be the fault of the dullness of his own thick skin that he felt no change on Curdie's palms. 'Here, Curdie, said his mother, 'try my hand, and see what beast's paw lies inside it.
When he told his father, he made no objection, for he had great confidence in his boy's courage and resources. 'I'm sorry I can't stay with you, said Peter; 'but I want to go and pay the parson a visit this evening, and besides I've had a bit of a headache all day. 'I'm sorry for that, father, said Curdie. 'Oh, it's not much. You'll be sure to take care of yourself, won't you?
And the glow of the red fire died away, and the glow of the white fire grew grey, and the light was gone, and on the table all was black except the face of the king, which shone from under the burnt roses like a diamond in the ashes of a furnace. Then Curdie, no longer dazzled, saw and knew the old princess.
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