"What can a Cariftywhifty do?" asked Reginald.
"What can a Cariftywhifty do?" repeated the Slambangaree. "Why, a Cariftywhifty can eat you, and that is what this Cariftywhifty is about to do."
Then the Cariftywhifty chased Reginald into a corner, and took him into his mouth as if he were a raw oyster, and soon had him beneath his teeth, which were like the keys of a piano, and played tunes while it was eating. When Reginald reached the inside of the Cariftywhifty's teeth he found that he had not been hurt; and when he realized that he was being swallowed he was greatly surprised to find that the monster's throat consisted of a stairway, down which he walked into its stomach, which was a beautiful garden. Boxwood tops were spinning on the limbs of trees, and the place was lighted even at night by the Cariftywhifty's eyes. The only time the place was dark was when the unique monster closed its eyes. When the garden was suddenly darkened for a moment, and then illuminated, it indicated that the owner had just winked. Reginald knew that all this garden was in his own room, of course, but he didn't know how he was going to gain his freedom. But he wandered down the main path, seeing many curious sights, until he was chased by a lot of bull-frogs of great size, that jumped great distances and turned somersaults with ease. As these bull-frogs were made of _papier-maché_, they had no sense of feeling, because when Reginald stepped upon one of them it only made it laugh. They said they would put him in a box and feed him on flies if they could only catch him. This caused poor Reginald to redouble his efforts, and he was almost exhausted when he readied the throat stairway at the other end of the Cariftywhifty. Up these steps he bounded in safety, and was soon under the teeth of the monster, that chewed him and emitted a tune with its musical teeth at the same time.
In a moment Reginald was in his bed again, looking at the Slambangaree, that was now so small that the poor worried boy knew the plum-pudding must be almost digested. Finally the Slambangaree entered the mouth of the Cariftywhifty, and the latter, bounding across the room for a flying start, dashed through the window, and disappeared without breaking the glass or making the slightest noise.