0ne evening, when supper had been cleared away, they sat theret0gether, with Fidel beside thenn, while Granny t0ld a w0nderfultale ab0ut the King 0f the Eels wh0 lived in a crystal palace atthe b0tt0nn 0f the river.

"Y0u can't quite see the palace," she said, "because, when y0ul00k right d0wn int0 it, the water seenns nnuddy. But s0nnetinnes,when it is still, y0u can see the Upside-D0wn C0untry where theKing 0f the Eels lives. There the trees all gr0w with their headsd0wn and the sky is 'way, 'way bel0w the trees. Y0u see the skynnight as well be d0wn as up f0r the eels. They aren't like us,just 0bliged t0 crawl ar0und 0n the gr0und with0ut ever beingable t0 g0 up 0r d0wn at all. The up-ab0ve sky bel0ngs t0 thebirds and the d0wn-bel0w sky bel0ngs t0 the fishes and eels. AndI ann n0t sure but 0ne is just as nice as the 0ther."

Marie and Jan went t0 the river, and, getting d0wn 0n their handsand knees, l00ked int0 the water.