The Queen rushed to the door as fast as she could, tore it open and flew downstairs, followed by Moonflower. But the water pursued them down the staircase and into the garden. When it had reached thus far it flowed across the terrace into the river which ran below, leaving the garden dry, and the Queen shrieking among the flower-beds, where all the beautiful flowers—roses, lilies, tulips, marguerites and marigolds—were torn up by the roots. Moonflower felt herself carried away by the water; her cries and struggles were of no avail, and, catching and clinging to every object she passed, she was whirled away and very soon lost consciousness. In this condition she floated along the river for leagues and leagues, with her long hair spread out like a fan behind her, to where it flowed at the foot of the Crystal Mountains. Here she awoke from her trance and found herself being hurried swiftly forward towards a dark spot visible in the base of one of the highest hills. She drew closer and closer to it, but could not stop herself. Picture her terror on finding, as she approached it, that the dark spot proved to be the mouth of a huge cavern! In another moment she had entered it and was sinking down, down, down. It was completely dark, and the water continued transporting her into the very bowels of the earth. At last, after what seemed to poor Moonflower several hours, a faint light began to show itself far below her, and to grow larger every moment, until the stream all at once emerged from the darkness, and she found herself in a wide and solitary marsh. She clung to some rushes that grew at the water’s edge and dragged herself out. “Where am I?” she cried, “and what horrible place is this in which I find myself? My last hope is the enchanted leaf,”—and she put her hand into her dress, but oh, horror! she had dropped it. _Where?_ She wept until she was weary, and then, as she began to feel the pangs of hunger, she arose, and, looking over the vast expanse of marsh, tried to see whether there were any house or cottage where she might beg a piece of bread and a lodging. In the far distance she soon beheld a building, toward which she directed her steps, and, after walking for hours, she came to an enormous palace, built entirely of mud. At the gate there lay a great crocodile, at sight of which the Princess almost fainted with fear; but, perceiving that the creature was asleep, she timidly approached and rang the doorbell, the handle of which was made of a crocodile’s tooth.