“Now,” said the fireman, “climb over the bars, and see how you like it.”
Jack scrambled over the fender, and helping himself with the fire-irons, climbed on to the first bar. The red man leant down, and gave him his hand to help him. What a hot hand it was! It burnt like flame. Jack felt inclined to drop it, but he was afraid of seeming impolite, so he bit his lips, to prevent himself screaming, and scrambled over the bars right into the midst of the fire.
On looking round, he thought he was in a new world. He stood in the middle of rich, red-glowing hills, from which sprouted jets of flame, like trees. Here and there was a black mountain, which smoked and hissed most alarmingly. But how hot it was! At first Jack felt as if he were going to faint, and could not breathe.
“Well,” said the red man, who now seemed to Jack quite full-size, “how do you feel now?”
“It’s warm,” murmured poor Jack.
“If you can’t bear this, you won’t be able to stand Fireland. Better not come any farther,” said the fairy.
“I’m all right,” said Jack, making an effort. “I daresay soon I shall feel quite used to it. How does one get to Fireland?”
“I’ll show you,” said the man, taking a thin piece of stick from his pocket. This he took in both hands, and dug into the coal beneath his feet till he had made a good-sized hole. Then he took from his pocket some little marbles, and dropped them one by one into the hole, which gradually began to grow larger and larger, until it was an immense black gulf in the coal in front of him.
“Now come along,” said the red man, sitting on the edge, with his legs swinging over. “Get on to my shoulders, and put your legs round my neck, and give me your hands, and I’ll take you quite safely. Only don’t scream or call out, or I shall drop you.”
Jack did as he was bid, and seated himself firmly on his companion’s shoulders, holding on round his neck. He could not help feeling frightened when, without a word, his guide sprang into the hole, and began to fly through the darkness so fast that he felt giddy. They went down—down—down. It was pitch dark, and poor. Jack felt quite sick with the quick motion. He would have called out for them to stop, only he feared that the red man would keep his threat of letting him fall.
At last, a long way beneath them, he saw a faint red light, growing larger and brighter every moment.
“There’s Fireland,” said his guide, stopping for a minute, “and we shall be there in a few seconds now.” And on they went again quicker than before towards the light, which now grew so brilliant that Jack could scarcely bear to look at it.
“Here we are!” said the little man, as they passed from the darkness into the light through a kind of archway. Then he quietly shook Jack from his shoulders on to the ground, and sat down to rest beside him. When he had a little recovered from his giddiness and fright, Jack raised himself, and looked about him. It was quite as strange as the fire had seemed to him. There were great hills, and they were of every shade of red and orange, some pale, some bright, and on the hillsides were lakes of fire. The sky was one mass of flame, and many of the hills smoked.
“Well, what do you think of it?” asked the fire-fairy.
“It’s certainly very odd,” said Jack, fearful of saying what he really thought, lest he might be thought rude. “But where do you live? I don’t see any houses.”
“The towns are farther. If you want to see them, you must get on my shoulders again,” said Jack’s friend, taking him again on his back as he spoke.
On they went again, passing over the ground so quickly that Jack could not see half enough of the strange country through which they passed.
At last they came in sight of a large city, with tall spires and bridges, and a little way out of it stood a palace made of red-hot iron, and glistening with precious stones.
“That’s the King’s palace,” said the fireman; “and as it’s the thing most worth seeing in the whole place, we’d better go there first.”
“Shall I see the Princess?” asked Jack, eagerly.
“Most likely she’ll be in the garden, and then you can see her as much as you like.”
They stopped in front of the garden gate, and the fire-fairy, pushing it open, told Jack he could go in, but he must not make a noise. It was the queerest palace and garden. Jack now saw that what he had at first supposed to be precious stones was nothing but different-coloured fire, spouting out all over the palace. There was blue fire, and red fire, and green fire, and yellow fire, shining against the palace walls just like jewels.
At first Jack thought that the garden was full of beautiful flowers, but when he drew near to them he saw that they were only fireworks in the forms of flowers. There was every sort of catherine-wheel turning round as fast as possible, throwing off sparks; and every now and then a brilliant rocket went up into the air, and fell in shining stars.
Jack ran from one thing to the other, examining it with delight, when his companion, seizing his arm, drew him on one side, saying, “The Princess!” and pointed to where a group of ladies were coming slowly down the path. In their midst walked the Princess, who, Jack thought, was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen.
Her long bright golden hair fell almost to her feet. Her face was very pale, and she walked very slowly and kept her eyes on the ground, with a very sad expression.
She wore a shining flame-coloured dress, with a long train, and
