postcard from fairy land

Today I vacuumed, picked flowers, cooked, and read. And sometimes I'd devote a few moments to writing my paper and working on my stack of research approval forms.

And now it's lunch time and I'm back to reading ^____^

"How far have you got?" asked Curdie.

"I've got about the half away, but the other half is ever so much bigger."

"I don't think you will have to move the lower half.  Do you see the slab laid up against the wall?"

Irene looked, and felt about with her hands, and soon perceived the outlines of the slab.

"Yes," she answered, "I do."

"Then, I think," rejoined Curdie, "when you have cleared the slab about halfway down, or a bit more, I shall be able to push it over."

"I must follow my thread," returned Irene, "whatever I do."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Curdie.  "You will see when you get out," answered the princess, and went on harder than ever.

But soon she was satisfied that what Curdie wanted done and what the thread wanted done were one and the same thing.  For she not only saw that by following the turns of the thread she had been clearing the face of the slab, but that, a little more than halfway down, the thread went through the chink between the slab and the wall into the place where Curdie was confined, so that she could not follow it until the slab was out of her way.  As soon as she found this, she said in a right joyous whisper:

"Now, Curdie, I think if you were to give a great push, the slab would tumble over."

"Stand quite clear of it, then," said Curdie, "and let me know when you are ready."

Irene got off the heap, and stood one side of it. "Now Curdie!" she cried.

Curdie gave a great rush with his shoulder against it.  Out tumbled the slab on the heap, and out crept Curdie over the top of it.

"You saved my life, Irene!" he whispered.

"Oh, Curdie, I'm so glad!  Let's get out of this horrid place as fast as we can."

The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald