t
ahead of Alice. On and on they went, over green fields, and through the
woods, until, pretty soon, they came to a place where the bird stopped.

"We are near the enchanted castle," he said. "But you must be very
careful."

"Why?" asked Alice.

"Oh, because every once in a while a lot of water spouts up out of the
castle, and it might drown you, if you were not careful."

"Oh, I don't mind water," answered Alice.

Then they went on a little farther, and, in a short time, oh, perhaps
about as long as it takes you to peel an orange, and put some salt on it,
they came to a most beautiful place. I wish you could have seen it! At
first Alice thought the rainbow had fallen from the sky, there were so
many colors. There was red and green and blue and orange and violet and
yellow and pink and purple and even some of that skilligimink color, that
once turned Sammie Littletail sky-blue-pink.

Then the little duck girl saw that the colors were all from different
flowers that smelled just like mamma's perfume bottles. Next, as she
walked on a little farther, she saw a great pile of stones high in the
air, and, around the bottom of the pile was a big basin of water, not
quite as large as the pond at the ducks' pen, but nearly, Green vines and
flowers were growing in and out among the stones, and birds were flying
here and there, singing.

"This," said the little yellow bird, "is the enchanted castle. I live here
all summer, and so do all my friends. Sometimes we bathe in the water, and
sometimes we hide under the flowers. Then, when the water spouts up out of
the top of the castle we all fly away."

And just then, what should happen but that some water began to spurt, then
and there, right out of the top of that big pile of stones. Up, up it
went, in a spray, spreading out at the tops like an umbrella in a rain
storm, and the drops fell with a splash into the basin below. Then Alice
Wibblewobble cried out!

"Why, this isn't an enchanted castle at all!"

"No?" asked the yellow bird, putting its head on one side, so as to see
better. "Why, we always call this our enchanted castle; always."

"No," answered Alice. "It is only a fountain in a stone pile in somebody's
flower garden. I've seen one before, near our house."

"Well, it looks like an enchanted castle," said the bird, "and I'm sure
it's just as pretty as one. Isn't it as good as your fairy prince?"

"Well," replied the little duck girl. "I suppose it is. But it'