the spider, throwing into the waste-basket the letter
he had just addressed to His Majesty the King of the Brobdingnags.

At last the invitations were all written, and the kind old spider said,
"Now lie down, my dear, on the tuffet and close your eyes, and I will
make all the preparations and wake you in time for the party."

[Illustration: Chapter III]

Miss Muffet closed her eyes, and had already begun to dream of curds and
whey, when all at once she was awakened and found herself in a most
wonderful palace. The walls and floors were made of the sheerest,
filmiest spider's-web, woven into a thousand delicate patterns. A soft
light shone through the tapestries, and the dewdrops on the roof
sparkled like diamonds. The music that floated in through the open
windows was not so much a sound as a part of the atmosphere. She was not
sure whether she heard it or only breathed it in. Everything was so
shimmering and so dainty that Miss Muffet might have thought that she
was dreaming had it not been for the spider, who looked so comical in
his dress-suit that she laughed outright. The moment she laughed, Miss
Muffet knew that everything was real.

[Illustration: _Miss Muffet closed her eyes_]

[Illustration: _She could catch glimpses of travelers_]

[Illustration: _Tom Sawyer trying to "hitch on" behind_]

For a minute she did not dare to trust herself on the floor, but when
she took a step she had the most delightful experience of walking on
air. She went to one of the great windows. If the palace had been
wonderful, how much more wonderful was the view from it. Far as the eye
could reach were the shining paths of spider's-web, each one leading
over hill and dale to the palace door. Now the paths were on the ground,
now with bridges from grass blade to grass blade, sometimes from tree to
tree; and far off she could see them spanning deep valleys among the
hills. By and by she could catch glimpses of travelers on the road, some
in coaches, some on foot, some on horseback, coming by twos and dozens
and scores.

"They're coming to the party," said the spider.

[Illustration: _Alice with all the strange friends she had found in
Wonderland_]

Sure enough, there was Cinderella in her coach with the Prince sitting
by her side, and Tom Sawyer trying to "hitch on" behind. And there was
Alice with all the strange friends she had found in Wonderland; and a
very queer set they were, for Wonderland is rather out of the