ess to get on, went plunging through them so roughly that
several were capsized. Upon this the brown sea fairies looked over,
and called out angrily, "Boat ahoy!" and the boat stopped.

"Tell that boat of yours to mind what she is about," said the fairy
sea-captain to Jack.

Jack touched his hat, and said, "Yes, sir," and then called out to his
boat, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, running down these little
live fishing-vessels so carelessly. Go at a more gentle pace."

So it swam more slowly; and Jack, being by this time hungry, curled
himself up in the bottom of the boat, and fell asleep.

He dreamt directly about a fowl and some potatoes, and he ate a wing,
and then he ate a merry-thought, and then somebody said to him that he
had better not eat any more, but he did,--he ate another wing; and
presently an apple-pie came, and he ate some of that, and then he ate
some more, and then he immediately woke.

"Now that bird told me not to eat too much," said Jack, "and yet I
have done it. I never felt so full in my life;" and for more than
half an hour he scarcely noticed anything.

At last he lifted up his head, and saw straight before him two great
brown cliffs, and between them flowed in the wonderful river. Other
rivers flow out, but this river flowed in, and took with it far into
the land dolphins, sword-fish, mullet, sun-fish, and many other
strange creatures; and that is one reason why it was called the magic
river, or the wonderful river.

At first it was rather wide, and Jack was alarmed to see what
multitudes of soldiers stood on either side to guard the banks, and
prevent any person from landing.

He wondered how he should get the fairies on shore. However, in about
an hour the river became much narrower, and then Jack saw that the
guards were not real soldiers, but rose-colored flamingoes. There they
stood, in long regiments, among the reeds, and never stirred. They are
the only foot-soldiers the fairies have in their pay; they are very
fierce, and never allow anything but a fairy ship to come up the
river.

They guarded the banks for miles and miles, many thousands of them,
standing a little way into the water among the flags and rushes; but
at last there were no more reeds and no soldier guards, for the stream
became narrower, and flowed between such steep rocks that no one could
possibly have climbed them.

CHAPTER III.

WINDING-UP TIME.

"Wake, baillie, wake! the crafts are out;