"She was a beautiful fleet creature, of the racehorse breed," said the groom; "and she won silver cups for her master, and then they made her run a steeple-chase, which frightened her, but still she won it; and then they made her run another, and she cleared some terribly high hurdles, and many gates and ditches, till she came to an awful one, and at first she would not take it, but her rider spurred and beat her till she tried. It was beyond her powers, and she fell and broke both her forelegs. Then they shot her. After she had died that miserable death, we had her here, to make her all right again." "Is this the only country where you set things right?" asked Jack. "Certainly not," answered the groom; "they lie about in all directions. Why, you might wander for years, and never come to the end of this one." "I am afraid I shall not find the one I am looking for," said Jack, "if your countries are so large." "I don't think our world is much larger than yours," answered the groom. "But come along: I hear the bell, and we are a good way from the palace." Jack, in fact, heard the violent ringing of a bell at some distance; and when the groom began to run, he ran beside him, for he thought he should like to see the palace. As they ran, people gathered from all sides,--fields, cottages, mills,--till at last there was a little crowd, among whom Jack saw Dow and Faxa, and they were all making for a large house, the wide door of which was standing open. Jack stood with the crowd, and peeped in. There was a woman sitting inside upon a rocking-chair,--a tall, large woman, with a gold-colored gown on,--and beside her stood a table, covered with things that looked like keys. "What is that woman doing?" said he to Faxa, who was standing close to him. "Winding us up, to be sure," answered Faxa. "You don't suppose, surely, that we can go forever?" "Extraordinary!" said Jack. "Then are you wound up every evening, like watches?" "Unless we have misbehaved ourselves," she answered; "and then she lets us run down." "And what then?" "What then?" repeated Faxa, "why, then we have to stop and stand against a wall, till she is pleased to forgive us, and let our friends carry us in to be set going again." Jack looked in, and saw the people pass in and stand close by the woman. One after the other she took by the chin with her left hand, and with her right hand found a key that pleased her. It seemed to Jack that there was a tiny key-hole in the back of their heads, and that she put the key in and wound them up. "You must take your turn with the others," said the groom. "There's no key-hole in my head," said Jack; "besides, I do not want any woman to wind me up." "But you must do as others do," he persisted; "and if you have no key-hole, our Queen can easily have one made, I should think." "Make one in my head!" exclaimed Jack. "She shall do no such thing."