by the people of the mountain above, when they were feeding their
sheep
or catching their goats. And indeed it was only when the sun was away
that the outside of the mountain was sufficiently like their own dismal
regions to be endurable to their mole-eyes, so thoroughly had they
become disused to any light beyond that of their own fires and torches.
Curdie listened, and soon found that they were talking of himself.
"How long will it take?" asked Harelip.
"Not many days, I should think," answered the king. "They are poor
feeble creatures, those sun-people, and want to be always eating. _We_
can go a week at a time without food, and be all the better for it; but
I've been told _they_ eat two or three times every day! Can you believe
it?--They must be quite hollow inside--not at all like us, nine-tenths
of whose bulk is solid flesh and bone. Yes--I judge a week of starvation
will do for him."
"If I may be allowed a word," interposed the queen, "--and I think I
ought to have some voice in the matter--"
"The wretch is entirely at your disposal, my spouse," interrupted the
Madhuri Noah
C:\Users\MNoah\Documents\The Princess and the Goblin1.docx
Page 180 of 634