CHAPTERTEHOUTTHESUN
“WHO'sthere?”shoutedthethreetravellers。
“IamtheWardenoftheMarderland，aandahuhmeninarms，”camethereply。“TellmequicklywhoyouareandwhatisyourerrandintheDeepRealm?”
“Wefelldownbyat，”saidPuddleglum，truthfullyenough。
“Manyfalldowurlands，”saidthevoice。“MakereadynowtoetotheQueenoftheDeepRealm。”
“Whatdoesshewantwithus?”askedScrubbcautiously。
“Idonotknow，”saidthevoice。“Herwillisioobeyed。”
Whilehesaidthesewordstherewasaexplosioelyacoldlight，graywithalittleblueinit，floodedthe。Allhopethatthespeakerhadbeenidlyboastingwhenhespokeofhishundredarmedfollowersdiedatonce。Jillfoundherselfblinkingandstaringatadeheywereofallsizes，fromlittleghightostatelyfigurestallerthanmen。Allcarriedthree-proheirhands，andallale，andallstoodasstillasstatues。Apartfromthat，theywereverydiffereailsa，sreatbeardsandothershadveryround，smoothfaces，bigaspumpkins。Therewerelong，pointednoses，andlong，softrunks，ablobbynoses。Severalhadsinglehornsinthemiddleoftheirforeheads。Butiheywereallalike:everyfathewholehundredwasassadasafacecouldbe。Theyweresosadthat，afterthefirstglance，Jillalmottobeafraidofthem。Shefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup。
“uddleglum，rubbinghishands。“ThisisjustwhatIhese'tteachmetotakeaseriousviewoflife，Idon'tknoill。Lookatthatfelloalrusmoustache—orthatohe—”
&up，”saidtheleaderoftheEarthmen。
&hiobedoravellersscrambledtotheirfeetandjoinedhahetouchofafriend'shandatamome。Ahmencameallroundthem，paddinge，softfeet，onwhiehadtewelve，andothersnone。
“March，”saidtheWarden:andmarchtheydid。
Thecoldlightalargeballoopofalohetallestofthegnomescarriedthisattheheadofthepro。Byitscheerlessraystheycouldseethattheywereinanatural;thewallsandroofwereked，aoathousandfantasticshapes，aonyfloorslopeddoroceeded。ItwasworseforJillthahers，becauseshehateddark，undergroundpladwheolowerandnarrower，alast，thelight-bearerstoodaside，andthegnomes，ooopeddottheverysmallestoeppedintoalittledarkddisappeared，shefeltshecouldbearitnolonger。
“I'tgointhere，I't!I't!Iwon't，”shepahmensaidnothingbuttheyallloweredtheirspearsaher。
“Steady，Pole，”saidPuddleglum。“Thosebigfellowswouldn'tbegididn'tgetwiderlateron。Andthere'sohingaboutthisundergroundwork，weshan'tgetanyrain。”
“Oh，youdon'tuand。I't，”wailedJill。
“Thinkhow1feltonthatcliff，Pole，”saidScrubb。“Yougofirst，Puddleglum，andI'lleafterher。”
“That&#ht，”saidtheMarsh-wiggle，gettingdownonhishandsandknees。“Youkeepagripofmyheels，Pole，andScrubbwillholdontoyours。Thenwe'llallbefortable。”
“fortable!”saidJill。Butshegotdownandtheyolace。Youhadtogoflatonyourfaceforwhatseemedlikehalfanhhitmayreallyhavebeenoes。Itwashot。Jillfeltshewasbeiatlastadimlightshowedahead，thetunnelgrewwideraheycameout，hot，dirty，aoacavesethatitscarcelyseemedlikeacaveatall。
Itwasfullofadim，drowsyradiaheretheyhadheEarthmen&#elahefloorwassoftwithsomekindofmossandoutofthisgrewmanystrangeshapes，braallliketrees，butflabbylikemushrooms。Theystoodtoofaraparttomakeaforest;itwasmorelikeapark。Thelight（agreenishgray）seemedtothemandfromthemoss，anditwasnhtoreachtheroofofthecave，whichmusthavebeenalongwayoverhead。Aild，soft，sleepyplacetheywereomarch。Itwasverysad，butwithaquietsortofsadmusic。
&heypasseddozenseanimalslyiurf，eitherdeadorasleep，Jillottellwhich。Theseweremostlyonishorbat-likesort;Puddleglumdidnotknowwhatanyofthemwere。
“Dotheygrowhere?”ScrubbaskedtheWarden。Heseemedverysurprisedatbeireplied，“No。Theyareallbeaststhathavefoundtheirwaydownbydcaves，outofOverlandintotheDeepRealm。Manyedowurlands。Itissaidthattheywillallwakeattheendoftheworld。”
Hismouthshutlikeaboxwhenhehadsaidthis，asilecavethefeltthattheywouldospeakagain。Thebarefeetofthegnomes，paddingonthedeepmoss，madenosound。Therewasnowind，therewerenobirds，therewasnosouherewasnosfrebeasts。
&heyhadwalkedforseveralmiles，theycametoawallofroitalowarchwayleadingintoanother。Itwasnot，however，sobadasthelastentrandJillcouldghitwithoutbendibroughtthemintoasmallergandnarrow，abouttheshapeahedral。Andhere，fillingalmostthewholelengthofit，layanenormousmanfastasleep。Hewasfarbiggerthanas，andhisfaotlikeagiant's，butnobleaiful。Hisbreastrosealyuhesnowybeardwhitotheure，silverlight（noo）resteduponhim。
“Who'sthat?”askedPuddleglum。Anditwassolongsinehadspoken，thatJillwonderedhowhehadthenerve。
“ThatisoldFatherTime，whooncewasaKinginOverland，”saidtheWarden。“AndnowhehassunkdownintotheDeepRealmandliesdreamingofallthethingsthataredoheupperworld。Manysinkdowurlands。Theysayhewillwakeattheendoftheworld。”
Andoutofthatcavetheypassedihenintoanotherandanother，andsoontillJilllostt，butalwaystheyweregoingdownhillandeachcavewaslowerthailltheverythoughtofthethofearthaboveyouwassuffog。AtlasttheycametoaplacewheretheWardenandedhischeerlesslaobelitagaiheypassedintoacavesowideanddarkthattheycouldseenothihatrightinfroripofpalesandrandownintostillwater。Andthere，besidealittlejetty，layashipwithoutmastorsailbutwithmanyoars。Theyweremadetogoonboardherandledforwardtothebowswherethereatoftherowers'bendaseatrunningrouhebul>
&hingI'dliketoknouddleglum，“iswhetheranyonefromourworld—fromup-a-top，Imeahistripbefore?”
“Maakenshipatthepalebeaches，”repliedthe>
“Yes，Iknow，”iedPuddleglum。“Ahesunlitlands。Yousayitagain。Youareaeidea，aren'tyou?”
ThehuddledclosetogetheroneachsideofPuddleglum。Theyhadthoughthimawetblaheywerestillaboveground，butdowheonlyfthiheernamidships，theEarthmensattotheoars，andtheshipbegahelaitslightoway。Lookiheycouldseenothingbutsmooth，darkwater，fadingintoabsoluteblaess。
“Oh，whateverwillbeeofus?”saidJilldespairingly。