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Page 40
"We never can see it," said Corette, sorrowfully.
"No," said one of the other girls, "we are too big. If we were little
enough, we might go."
"Are you sure the sisters would be glad to see us, then?" asked
Corette.
"Yes, I heard them say so. But it doesn't matter at all, as we are not
little enough."
"No," said Corette, and she went off to take a walk by herself.
She had not walked far before she reached a small house which stood by
the sea-shore. This house belonged to a Reformed Pirate who lived there
all by himself. He had entirely given up a sea-faring life so as to
avoid all temptation, and he employed his time in the mildest pursuits
he could think of.
When Corette came to his house, she saw him sitting in an easy-chair in
front of his door near the edge of a small bluff which overhung the
sea, busily engaged in knitting a tidy.
When he saw Corette, he greeted her kindly, and put aside his knitting,
which he was very glad to do, for he hated knitting tidies, though he
thought it was his duty to make them.
"Well, my little maid," he said, in a sort of a muffled voice, which
sounded as if he were speaking under water, for he tried to be as
gentle in every way as he could, "how do you do? You don't look quite
as gay as usual. Has anything run afoul of you?"
"Oh no!" said Corette, and she came and stood by him, and taking up his
tidy, she looked it over carefully and showed him where he had dropped
a lot of stitches and where he had made some too tight and others a
great deal too loose. He did not know how to knit very well.
When she had shown him as well as she could how he ought to do it, she
sat down on the grass by his side, and after a while she began to talk
to him about the fairy cottage, and what a great pity it was that it
was impossible for her ever to see it.
"It _is_ a pity," said the Reformed Pirate. "I've heard of that cottage
and I'd like to see it myself. In fact, I'd like to go to see almost
anything that was proper and quiet, so as to get rid of the sight of
this everlasting knitting."
"There are other things you might do besides knit," said Corette.
"Nothing so depressing and suitable," said he, with a sigh.
"It would be of no use for you to think of going there," said Corette.
"Even I am too large, and you are ever and ever so much too big. You
couldn't get one foot into one of their paths."
"I've no doubt that's true," he replied; "but the thing might be done.
Almost anything can be done if you set about it in the right way. But
you see, little maid, that you and I don't know enough. Now, years ago,
when I was in a different line of business, I often used to get puzzled
about one thing or another, and then I went to somebody who knew more
than myself."
"Were there many such persons?" asked Corette.
[Illustration: THE REFORMED PIRATE.]
"Well, no. I always went to one old fellow who was a Practicing Wizard.
He lived, and still lives, I reckon, on an island about fifty miles
from here, right off there to the sou'-sou'-west. I've no doubt that if
we were to go to him he'd tell us just how to do this thing."
"But how could we get there?" asked Corette.
"Oh! I'd manage that," said the Reformed Pirate, his eyes flashing with
animation. "I've an old sail-boat back there in the creek that's as
good as ever she was, I could fix her up, and get everything all
ship-shape in a couple of days, and then you and I could scud over
there in no time. What do you say? Wouldn't you like to go?"
"Oh, I'd like to go ever so much!" cried Corette, clapping her hands,
"if they'd let me."
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