"there were several words upon the board"
"Air, all, and, and, earth, go, if, know, me, of, sea, so, through, will, you, you."
"What nonsense! No sense in it at all," said Lilla; "yet they are arranged alphabetically, air, all, two and's, and two you's to finish with."
"Oh, don't begin to calculate the words, or do it quicker," said the Magpie impatiently. "Four fours sixteen. There are just sixteen of them: that is multiplication."
"But not four of each sort," replied Lilla; "only one of most of them. I wish I knew the exact meaning of it all. The only bit of sense I can make out is 'Through will you,' but then there are two you's."
"That is one you for you, and one you for me," answered the Magpie. "What you have got to do is to put all the words into a box, and shake them well up, and we'll go through together."
"Oh!—where?—why—?" exclaimed Lilla, as her foot struck against a silver box with the lid open; and on the ground lay a heap of cards with the words she had read printed upon them. She looked up at the board. There were no longer any words there, so of course they had fallen down.
"Pick them up, and put them in,
And you will then the game begin,"
said the Magpie, who thought he was wonderfully clever as he said this to Lilla.