'Do,' said the king.
Curdie gathered the men-at-arms, and took them over the garden wall, and so to the stables.They found their horses in terror;the water was rising fast around them, and it was quite time they were got out.But there was no way to get them out, except by riding them through the stream, which was now pouring from the lower windows as well as the door.As one horse was quite enough for any man to manage through such a torrent, Curdie got on the king's white charger and, leading the way, brought them all in safety to the rising ground.
'Look, look, Curdie!' cried Irene, the moment that, having dismounted, he led the horse up to the king.
Curdie did look, and saw, high in the air, somewhere about the top of the king's house, a great globe of light shining like the purest silver.
'Oh!' he cried in some consternation, 'that is your grandmother's lamp! We must get her out.I will go an find her.The house may fall, you know.'
'My grandmother is in no danger,' said Irene, smiling.
'Here, Curdie, take the princess while I get on my horse,' said the king.
Curdie took the princess again, and both turned their eyes to the globe of light.The same moment there shot from it a white bird, which, descending with outstretched wings, made one circle round the king an Curdie and the princess, and then glided up again.The light and the pigeon vanished together.
'Now, Curdie!' said the princess, as he lifted her to her father's arms, 'you see my grandmother knows all about it, and isn't frightened.I believe she could walk through that water and it wouldn't wet her a bit.'