ttle
heaps they knelt down and began to wash them in the river, taking no
notice of him whatever.

Jack stared at them. They were not much taller than himself, and they
were not taking the slightest care of their handsome clothes; then he
looked at the old white horse, who was hanging his head over the
lovely clear water with a very discontented air.

At last the blue washer-woman said, "I shall leave off now; I've got a
pain in my works."

"Do," said the other. "We'll go home and have a cup of tea." Then she
glanced at Jack, who was still sitting in the boat, and said, "Can you
strike?"

"I can if I choose," replied Jack, a little astonished at this speech.
And the red and blue washer-women wrung out the clothes, put them
again into the panniers, and taking the old horse by the bridle, began
gently to lead him away.

"I have a great mind to land," thought Jack. "I should not wonder at
all if this is Fairyland. So as the boat came here to please me, I
shall ask it to stay where it is, in case I should want it again."

So he sprang ashore, and said to the boat, "Stay just where you are,
will you?" and he ran after the old women, calling to them,--

"Is there any law to prevent my coming into your country?"

"Wo!" cried the red-coated old woman, and the horse stopped, while the
blue-coated woman repeated, "Any law? No, not that I know of; but if
you are a stranger here you had better look out."

"Why?" asked Jack.

"You don't suppose, do you," she answered, "that our Queen will wind
up strangers?"

While Jack was wondering what she meant, the other said,--

"I shouldn't wonder if he goes eight days. Gee!" and the horse went
on.

"No, wo!" said the other.

"No, no. Gee! I tell you," cried the first.

Upon this, to Jack's intense astonishment, the old horse stopped, and
said, speaking through his nose,--

"Now, then, which is it to be? I'm willing to gee, and I'm agreeable
to wo; but what's a fellow to do when you say them both together?"

"Why, he talks!" exclaimed Jack.

"It's because he's got a cold in his head," observed one of the
washer-women; "he always talks when he's got a cold, and there's no
pleasing him; whatever you say, he's not satisfied. Gee, Boney, do!"

"Gee it is, then," said the horse, and began to jog on.

"He spoke again!" said Jack, upon which the horse laughed, and Jack
was quite alarmed.

"It appears that your horses don't talk?" observed the blue-coated
woman.

"Never