Here one side of the mountain had a great hole in it, like the mouth
of a cavern, and the stairs stopped at the near edge of the floor and
commenced ascending again at the opposite edge.

The opening in the mountain was on the side opposite to the Valley of
Voe, and our travellers looked out upon a strange scene. Below them
was a vast space, at the bottom of which was a black sea with rolling
billows, through which little tongues of flame constantly shot up.
Just above them, and almost on a level with their platform, were banks
of rolling clouds which constantly shifted position and changed color.
The blues and greys were very beautiful, and Dorothy noticed that on
the cloud banks sat or reclined fleecy, shadowy forms of beautiful
beings who must have been the Cloud Fairies. Mortals who stand upon
the earth and look up at the sky cannot often distinguish these forms,
but our friends were now so near to the clouds that they observed the
dainty fairies very clearly.

"Are they real?" asked Zeb, in an awed voice.

"Of course," replied Dorothy, softly. "They are the Cloud Fairies."

"They seem like open-work," remarked the boy, gazing intently. "If I
should squeeze one, there wouldn't be anything left of it."

In the open space between the clouds and the black, bubbling sea far
beneath, could be seen an occasional strange bird winging its way
swiftly through the air. These birds were of enormous size, and
reminded Zeb of the rocs he had read about in the Arabian Nights. They
had fierce eyes and sharp talons and beaks, and the children hoped