'
'Good-bye, good-bye.' Cyril's buzz has softened to a hum. 'I wish you
well.'
'Cyril's voice changes to a rasp. 'Be warned,' the Spider says, 'soon you
must prove that you deserve to leave this enchanted, tangled forest. You
must deserve!'
''There it is again,' the Princess says, her voice now exasperated. 'I'm
warned again about deserving to leave this enchanted, tangled forest, and
that I must be ready. What does that mean, Cyril?'
'But Cyril doesn't answer. He is watching the trail again. We're now
behind his web and Cyril will say no more.
'We turn away from Cyril and move on along the twisty trail. It leaves
the narrow space between the high rocks. Once again we are in the deep
shade of closely packed leaves, fighting our way through drippy, thorny
vines and thick underbrush.
'We walk for hours. Ahead, we see a steep hill. The trail zig zags up the
hill, and disappears into a dark tunnel.
'We stop. We must follow the trail through the dark tunnel if we want to
reach the cove where our gallant ship waits.'
The Little Old Man stops. He looks round at the waiting faces.
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