22 The treasure at last!
　　The four children stared breathlessly through the open door. They saw something that made themfeel very creepy.
　　In the dim light figures stood about all over the place. Their eyes gleamed queerly and theirteeth shone in the darkness. Their arms and necks flashed and glittered with jewels.
　　The children clutched one another in fright. Who were these strange, silent folk, standing¹ aboutwith gleaming eyes, covered with jewels?
　　The people in the cave did not move. They did not speak a word either. Not one of them wassitting. All were standing. They stood there, some turned towards the frightened children, someturned away. Why didn’t they speak? Why didn’t they point to the children and say, ‘Look –who’s there?’
　　Lucy-Ann began to shiver. ‘Let’s go back. I don’t like them. They’re not alive. Only their eyesare.’
　　Kiki suddenly gave a squawk, left Jack²’s shoulder, and flew to the shoulder of one of the nearbyfigures, a woman dressed in clothes that glowed richly in the half-light of the cave.
　　Still the woman did not move. How strange! The children suddenly felt much better when theysaw that Kiki did not seem in the least afraid of the queer company.
　　‘Polly put the kettle on,’ said Kiki, and pecked at the hair of the woman he was sitting on.
　　The children held their breath again. What would the woman do to Kiki – enchant³ her with herstrange eyes, cast a spell on her and turn her into stone? Perhaps all these people had been turnedinto stone?
　　‘Let’s go back,’ said Lucy-Ann urgently. ‘I don’t like this cave. I don’t like these people, ortheir horrid⁴ gleaming eyes.’
　　Jack suddenly jumped down the step that was below the great open door. He marched boldlyinto the silent cave. Lucy-Ann squealed⁵ and tried to catch his sleeve.
　　Jack walked right up to the woman on whose shoulder Kiki sat. He peered closely at her. Helooked into her wide open glittering eyes. He touched her hair. Then he turned to the horrifiedchildren.
　　‘What do you think? She’s a statue – all dressed up beautifully – with real hair – and jewels foreyes! What do you think of that?’

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