"'Well,' he said, 'there's a very strong feeling in the place. The toys
think that they are ill-treated, and not taken care of by children in
general. And there is some truth in it. Toys come down here by scores
that have been broken the first day. And they are all quite resolved
that if any of their old masters or mistresses come this way they shall
be punished.'

"'How will they be punished?' I inquired.

"'Exactly as they did to their toys, their toys will do to them. All is
perfectly fair and regular.'

"'I don't know that I treated mine particularly badly,' I said; 'but I
think I would rather go.'

"'I think you'd better,' said the beetle. 'Good-evening!' and I saw him
no more.

"I turned to go, but somehow I lost the road. At last, as I thought, I
found it, and had gone a few steps when I came on a detachment of
wooden soldiers, drawn up on their lazy tongs. I thought it better to
wait till they got out of the way, so I turned back, and sat down in a
corner in some alarm. As I did so, I heard a click, and the lid of a
small box covered with mottled paper burst open, and up jumped a figure
in a blue striped shirt and a rabbit-skin beard, whose eyes were
intently fixed on me. He was very like my old Jack-in-a-box. My back
began to creep, and I wildly meditated escape, frantically trying at
the same time to recall whether it were I or my brother who originated
the idea of making a small bonfire of our own one 5th of November, and