eyes. And now
they were close to the steep mountain side; and Jack looked and saw an
opening in it, into which the river ran. It was a kind of cave,
something like a long, long church with a vaulted roof, only the
pavement of it was that magic river, and a narrow towing-path ran on
either side.

As they entered the cave there was a hollow, murmuring sound, and the
Queen's crown became so bright that it lighted up the whole boat; at
the same time she began to tell Jack a wonderful story, which he liked
very much to hear, but every fresh thing she said he forgot what had
gone before; and at last, though he tried very hard to listen, he was
obliged to go to sleep; and he slept soundly, and never dreamed of
anything, till it was morning.

He saw such a curious sight when he woke! They had been going through
this underground cavern all night, and now they were approaching its
opening on the other side. This opening, because they were a good way
from it yet, looked like a lovely little round window of blue and
yellow and green glass, but as they drew on he could see far-off
mountains, blue sky, and a country all covered with sunshine.

He heard singing, too, such as fairies make; and he saw some beautiful
people, such as those fairies whom he had brought with him. They were
coming along the towing-path. They were all lady fairies; but they
were not very polite, for as each one came up she took a silken rope
out of a brown sailor's hand, and gave him a shove which pushed him
into the water. In fact, the water became filled with such swarms of
these sailors that the boat could hardly get on. But the poor little
brown fellows did not seem to mind this conduct, for they plunged and
shook themselves about, scattering a good deal of spray. Then they all
suddenly dived, and when they came up again they were ducks,--nothing
but brown ducks, I assure you, with green stripes on their wings; and
with a great deal of quacking and floundering, they all began to swim
back again as fast as they could.

Then Jack was a good deal vexed, and he said to himself, "If nobody
thanks the ducks for towing us I will"; so he stood up in the boat and
shouted, "Thank you, ducks; we are very much obliged to you!" But
neither the Queen nor these new towers took the least notice, and
gradually the boat came out of that dim cave and entered Fairyland,
while the river became so narrow that you could hear the song of the
towers quite easily; those on the