“No, no; let’s get into this town, and perhaps we shall be safe from
the blue soldiers. Oh, Fabe, never mind the raisins!”
But Fabian said, “I don’t want you to come if you’re frightened. I’ll
go alone. Who’s afraid?”
So then of course Rosamund said she would come with him, so they went
out and ate the things for the soldiers, leaving the Captain’s cherry
for the last. And when that was eaten they ran as hard as they could
back to their house and into the library, where the town was on the
floor, with the little red soldiers on the ramparts.
“I’m sure we can get into this town,” cried Fabian, and sure enough
they did, just as they had done into the first one. Whether they got
smaller or the town got larger I leave you to decide. And it was
exactly the same sort of town as the other. So now they were in a town
built in a library in a house in a town built in a library in a house
in a town called London—and the town they were in now had red soldiers
in it and they felt quite safe, and the Union Jack was stuck up over
the gateway. It was a stiff little flag they had found with some
others in the bureau drawer; it was meant to be stuck in the Christmas
pudding, but they had stuck it between two blocks and put it over the
gate of their town. They walked about this town and found their own
house, just as before, and went in, and there was the toy town on the
floor; and you will see that they might have walked into that town
also, but they saw that it was no good, and that they couldn’t get out
that way, but would only get deeper and deeper into a nest of towns in
libraries in houses in towns in libraries in houses in towns in ...
and so on for always—something like Chinese puzzle-boxes multiplied by
millions and millions for ever and ever. And they did not like even
to think of this, because of course they would be getting further and
further from home every time. And when Fabian explained all this to
Rosamund she said he made her head ache, and she began to cry.
Then Fabian thumped her on the back and told her not to be a little
silly, for he was a very kind brother. And he said—
“Come out and let’s see if the soldiers can tell us what to do.”
So they went out; but the red soldiers said they knew nothing but
drill, and even the Red Captain said he really couldn’t advise. Then
they met the clockwork mouse. He was big like an elephant, and the
donkey with panniers was as big as a mastodon or a megatherium. (If
they teach you anything at school of course they have taught you all
about the megatherium and the mastodon.)
The Mouse kindly stopped to speak to the children, and Rosamund burst
into tears again and said she wanted to go home.