a very clever old gentleman: but, unfortunately for him
and the world, as mad as a March hare.

And, instead of watchmen and policemen to keep out nasty things at
night, there were thousands and thousands of water-snakes, and most
wonderful creatures they were. They were all named after the Nereids,
the sea-fairies who took care of them, Eunice and Polynoe, Phyllodoce
and Psamathe, and all the rest of the pretty darlings who swim round
their Queen Amphitrite, and her car of cameo shell. They were dressed in
green velvet, and black velvet, and purple velvet; and were all jointed
in rings; and some of them had three hundred brains apiece, so that they
must have been uncommonly shrewd detectives; and some had eyes in their
tails; and some had eyes in every joint, so that they kept a very sharp
look-out; and when they wanted a baby-snake, they just grew one at the
end of their own tails, and when it was able to take care of itself it
dropped off; so that they brought up their families very cheaply. But if
any nasty thing came by, out they rushed upon it; and then out of each
of their hundreds of feet there sprang a whole cutler's shop of

_Scythes_, _Javelins_,
_Billhooks_, _Lances_,
_Pickaxes_, _Halberts_,
_Forks_, _Gisarines_,
_Penknives_, _Poleaxes_,
_Rapiers_, _Fishhooks_,
_Sabres_, _Bradawls_,
_Yataghans_, _Gimblets_,
_Creeses_, _Corkscrews_,
_Ghoorka swords_, _Pins_,
_Tucks_, _Needles_,
_And so forth_,

which stabbed, shot, poked, pricked, scratched, ripped, pinked, and
crimped those naughty beasts so terribly that they had to run for their
lives, or else be chopped into small pieces and be eaten afterwards.
And, if that is not all, every word, true, then there is no faith in
microscopes, and all is over with the Linnaean Society.

And there were the water-babies in thousands, more than Tom, or you
either, could count.--All the little children whom the good fairies take
to, because their cruel mothers and fathers will not; all who are
untaught and brought up heathens, and all who come to grief by ill-usage
or ignorance or neglect; all the little children who are overlaid, or
given gin when they are young, or are let to drink out of hot kettles,
or to fall into the fire; all the little