and towns
and farms and fields. It reminded everybody of a certain time when all
of them had had wings, and had flown up to the top of a church tower,
and had had a feast there of chicken and tongue and new bread and
soda-water. And this again reminded them how hungry they were. And just
as they were all being reminded of this very strongly indeed, they saw
ahead of them some ruined walls on a hill, and strong and upright, and
really, to look at, as good as new--a great square tower.

'The top of that's just the exactly same size as the carpet,' said Jane.
'_I_ think it would be good to go to the top of that, because then none
of the Abby-what's-its-names--I mean natives--would be able to take the
carpet away even if they wanted to. And some of us could go out and get
things to eat--buy them honestly, I mean, not take them out of larder
windows.'

'I think it would be better if we went--' Anthea was beginning; but Jane
suddenly clenched her hands.

'I don't see why I should never do anything I want, just because I'm
the youngest. I wish the carpet would fit itself in at the top of that
tower--so there!'

The carpet made a disconcerting bound, and next moment it was hovering
above the square top of the tower. Then slowly and carefully it began to
sink under them. It was like a lift going down with you at the Army and
Navy Stores.

'I don't think we ought to wish things without all agreeing to them
first,' said Robert, huffishly. 'Hullo! What on earth?'

For unexpectedly and greyly something was coming up all round the four
sides of the carpet. It was as if a wall were being built by magic
quickness. It was a foot high--it was two feet high--three, four, five.
It was shutting out the light--more and more.

Anthea looked up at the sky and the walls that now rose six feet above
them.

'We're dropping into the tower,' she screamed. 'THERE WASN'T ANY TOP TO
IT. So the carpet's going to fit itself in at the bottom.'

Robert sprang to his feet.

'We ought to have--Hullo! an owl's nest.' He put his knee on a jutting
smooth piece of grey stone, and reached his hand into a deep window
slit--broad to the inside of the tower, and narrowing like a funnel to
the outside.

'Look sharp!' cried every one, but Robert did not look sharp enough. By
the time he had drawn his hand out of the owl's nest--there were no eggs
there--the carpet had sunk eight feet below him.

'Jump, you silly cuckoo!' cried Cyril, with brotherly a