“Wait and see,” replied the cow. “But I have warned you; you’d better look out for Old Three Heads and run while you can.”

As that was all the information she could get from the cow, Lucy told her she would find out for herself how they all got their three heads, and she went to the next door and opened it.

The room was dark, and at first Lucy could not see anything, but some one said, “Who-who,” and as the sound came from a corner of the room Lucy went in and looked about.

As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness she saw perched on the back of a chair an owl with three heads.

“Well, of all things!” exclaimed Lucy. “How did so wise a bird as you happen to be caught by Old Three Heads?” she asked.

“Who-who are you?” stuttered the owl.[Pg 64] “You-you better look out for Old Three Heads,” he warned Lucy.

[Pg 64]

“Tell me how it happened that you have three heads,” asked Lucy, ignoring the warning as she had before.

“Who-who are you?” stuttered the owl again.

“I am a girl,” said Lucy. “Can’t you see?”

“Bet-bet-better look out,” warned the owl again.

“Oh dear!” said Lucy. “You are worse than the others. I am going to find Old Three Heads and find out, if I can, how all of you got three heads.”

“Who-who,” said the owl as she went out of the room.

Lucy opened another door, and there on the throne in this room sat a giant with three heads. She had found Old Three Heads at last.

For the first time since she entered the castle Lucy was frightened when she saw the curious-looking creature; but there was no chance to escape; it was too late.

The giant looked at her a second, and then he called out to his attendants, who all had three heads but were much smaller men: “Bring the intruder before me.”

[Pg 65]

[Pg 65]

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