So they alighted and tied their horses to trees and went on into the thick wood on foot. And as soon as they had entered it Queen Susan said，“Fair friends， here is a great marvel， for I seem to see a tree of iron.”
“Madam，” said King Edmund， “if you look well upon it you shall see it is a pillar of iron with a lantern set on the top thereof.”
“By the Lion’s Mane， a strange device，” said King Peter， “to set a lantern here where the trees cluster so thick about it and so high above it that if it were lit it should give light to no man！”
“Sir，” said Queen Lucy. “By likelihood when this post and this lamp were set here there were smaller trees in the place， or fewer， or none. For this is a young wood and the iron post is old.” And they stood looking upon it.
Then said King Edmund， “I know not how it is， but this lamp on the post worketh upon me strangely. It runs in my mind that I have seen the like before； as it were in a dream， or in the dream of a dream.”
“Sir，” answered they all， “it is even so with us also.”
“And more，” said Queen Lucy， “for it will not go out of my mind that if we pass this post and lantern either we shall find strange adventures or else some great change of our fortunes.”
