the other, and pulled, -and pulled, but was hardly
able to loosen the soil about its roots. What a
deep-rooted plant it was! Again the girl pulled
with all her might, and observed that the earth
began to stir and crack to some distance around
the stem. She gave another pull, but relaxed
her hold, fancying that there was a rumbling
sound right beneath her feet. Did the roots ex-
tend down into some enchanted cavern? Then,
laughing at herself for so childish a notion, she
made another effort: up came the shrub, and
Proserpina staggered back, holding the stem tri-
umphantly in her hand, and gazing at the deep
hole which its roots had left in the soil.

Much to her astonishment, this hole kept
spreading wider and wider, and growing deeper
and deeper, until it really seemed to have no bot-
tom; and all the while, there came a rumbling
noise out of its depths, louder and louder, and
nearer and nearer, and sounding like the tramp
of horses' hoofs and the rattling of wheels. Too
much frightened to run away, she stood straining
her eyes into this wonderful cavity, and soon saw
a team of four sable horses, snorting smoke out of
their nostrils, and tearing their way out of the

[[219]]

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v?