The Horse, who had put his head out of the window, quietly drew it in and said, “It’s only a brook we have to jump over.” Everybody seemed satisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all. “However, it’ll take us into the Fourth Square, that’s some comfort!” she said to herself. In another moment she felt the carriage rise straight up into the air, and in her fright she caught at the thing nearest to her hand, which happened to be the Goat’s beard. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * But the beard seemed to melt away as she touched it, and she found herself sitting quietly under a tree—while the Gnat (for that was the insect she had been talking to) was balancing itself on a twig just over her head, and fanning her with its wings. It certainly was a _very_ large Gnat: “about the size of a chicken,” Alice thought. Still, she couldn’t feel nervous with it, after they had been talking together so long. “—then you don’t like all insects?” the Gnat went on, as quietly as if nothing had happened. “I like them when they can talk,” Alice said. “None of them ever talk, where _I_ come from.” “What sort of insects do you rejoice in, where _you_ come from?” the Gnat inquired. “I don’t _rejoice_ in insects at all,” Alice explained, “because I’m rather afraid of them—at least the large kinds. But I can tell you the names of some of them.” “Of course they answer to their names?” the Gnat remarked carelessly. “I never knew them to do it.” “What’s the use of their having names,” the Gnat said, “if they won’t answer to them?” “No use to _them_,” said Alice; “but it’s useful to the people who name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?” “I can’t say,” the Gnat replied. “Further on, in the wood down there, they’ve got no names—however, go on with your list of insects: you’re wasting time.” “Well, there’s the Horse-fly,” Alice began, counting off the names on her fingers. “All right,” said the Gnat: “half way up that bush, you’ll see a Rocking-horse-fly, if you look. It’s made entirely of wood, and gets about by swinging itself from branch to branch.” “What does it live on?” Alice asked, with great curiosity. “Sap and sawdust,” said the Gnat. “Go on with the list.” Alice looked up at the Rocking-horse-fly with great interest, and made up her mind that it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and sticky; and then she went on. “And there’s the Dragon-fly.” “Look on the branch above your head,” said the Gnat, “and there you’ll find a snap-dragon-fly. Its body is made of plum-pudding, its wings of holly-leaves, and its head is a raisin burning in brandy.” “And what does it live on?” “Frumenty and mince pie,” the Gnat replied; “and it makes its nest in a Christmas box.”