was to have the next day.

The Queen got out of her sleigh, and tied the ladybirds to the strings
of Milly's night-cap, that they might not run away. Then she walked
along very carefully till she came to Milly's chin. She climbed up it
and rested there for a minute, to get breath, and then went on, until
she was safely perched on Milly's red lip, where she was nearly blown
away, Milly breathed so hard.

Here she beckoned to the eleven and they, leaving their horses below,
all set out to reach Milly's forehead, where she told them to gather. A
hard time they had of it, too! some of them tried to get up by the nose,
but the wind coming out of two great caves was too strong for them;
others more wisely crept round by the corners of the eyes, and scrambled
up the precipice there. But those who fared worst were a few who tried
to get through the hair. They got lost in the forest, and wandered about
for a long time, halloing and trying to find the top. You may wonder why
they didn't fly--I suppose you think Faeries always do--but I know
better. When winter comes they always take off their wings, and put them
carefully away where the moths can not touch them--chiefly in old
nut-shells; then in spring, their mantua-makers and milliners, the
caterpillars and spiders, get them out and put them in repair, or else
make new ones.

However, they all at last safely reached the forehead. That was a fine
large play-ground for them--the forest behind, and the hill and
precipices below. Here they formed a ring and took hold of hands.

Round the ring run,
Pass in and out,
Melt into one,
Puff! turn about!

cried Queen Mab, and in a twinkling the ring of Faeries was going round
and round, till it looked just like a glittering ring, perfectly still;
then all in a moment they had stopped, and each Faery in turn ran across
the ring, ducked between two Faeries, was back again, then between two
more, and so on, till I got perfectly confused, and couldn't tell one
from another, they seemed so mixed up; they kept getting more and more
in a maze, and nearer and nearer to each other, until it was just one
solid ball of Faeries; spinning round like a top; then suddenly the ball
seemed to burst, and the Faeries to scatter in every direction, but
really there was a perfect ring again, and whirling round in just the
opposite direction. And then the same thing was done over again, till I
should have thought they would all have been ready