So, though Alice was disappointed about the enchanted castle, she got in
the little pond at the foot of the fountain, and swam around. The water
spurted up in the air and fell all over her, but she didn't mind that. All
the birds gathered around to watch, and even the flowers nodded their
heads, they were so delighted.

"Oh, I'm sure we never can learn to swim," said the yellow bird, as Alice
went around again. "It is much too difficult."

Then, all of a sudden, something happened. A boy and a girl came running
down the gravel walk to the fountain. The little girl had yellow hair,
just like a daffodil, and as soon as she saw Alice she cried out: "Oh,
Norman! Come quick! Here is a lovely duck! I hope we can keep it!"

That frightened Alice very much, especially as the boy tried to grab her.
So she sprang out of the water and ran and hid under some bushes where the
children couldn't find her, and as soon as she could, she went back the
way she had come, into the pond, and started to swim home.

And on the way a fox chased her and a big hawk tried to swoop down, and
grab her, but she managed to get away. She was all tired out when she got
home, and when Jimmie and Lulu asked her where she had been she told them
all her adventures.

"Well," said Jimmie, when his sister had finished, "I think I would rather
see that enchanted castle than the fairy prince again. Will you take us
there some day, Alice?"

"Perhaps," she said, but before they made that trip something else
happened, which you shall hear about to-morrow night if I find a green