He dreamt directly about a fowl and some potatoes, and he ate a wing, and then he ate a merrythought, 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, sunfish, 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-coloured flamingos. 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
“I’M WILLING TO GEE AND I’M AGREEABLE TO WO.”