|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 46
He then softly descended, and, taking Corette by the hand (she had been
waiting for him on the portico), he went down to the bottom of the
pasture field.
When he was quite sure that he and Corette were entirely outside of the
fairies' grounds, he stood up, pointed to the ball with a long, thin
stick which he had cut, and began to count: "One, two, three----"
And as he counted the cottage began to shrink. Smaller and smaller it
became, until it got to be very little indeed.
"Is that enough?" said the Condensed Pirate, hurriedly between two
counts.
"No," replied Corette. "There is the little man, just come out of the
barn. He ought to be as small as the sisters used to be. I'll tell you
when to stop."
So the counting went on until Corette said, "Stop!" and the cottage was
really not much higher than a thimble. The little man stood by the
barn, and seemed to Corette to be just about the former size of the
fairy sisters; but, in fact, he was not quite a quarter of an inch
high. Everything on the place was small in proportion, so that when
Corette said "Stop!" the Condensed Pirate easily leaned over and
knocked the pink ball from the chimney with his long stick. It fell
outside of the grounds, and he picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Then he and Corette stood and admired everything! It was charming! It
was just what they had imagined before they came there. While they were
looking with delight at the little fields, and trees, and chickens,--so
small that really big people could not have seen them,--and at the cute
little house, with its vines and portico, the two sisters came out on
the little lawn.
When they saw Corette and her companion they were astounded.
"Why, when did you grow big again?" they cried. "Oh! how sorry we are!
Now you cannot come into our house and live with us any longer."
Corette and the Condensed Pirate looked at each other, as much as to
say, "They don't know they have been made so little."
Then Corette said: "We are sorry too. I suppose we shall have to go
away now. But we have had a delightful visit."
"It has been a charming one for us," said one of the sisters, "and if
we only had known, we would have had a little party before you went
away; but now it is too late."
The Condensed Pirate said nothing. He felt rather guilty about the
matter. He might have waited a little, and yet he could not have told
them about it. They might have objected to be condensed.
"May we stay just a little while and look at things?" asked Corette.
"Yes," replied one of the fairies; "but you must be very careful not to
step inside the grounds, or to stumble over on our place. You might do
untold damage."
So the two little big people stood and admired the fairy cottage and
all about it, for this was indeed the sight they came to see; and then
they took leave of their kind entertainers, who would have been glad to
have them stay longer, but were really trembling with apprehension lest
some false step or careless movement might ruin their little home.
As Corette and the Condensed Pirate took their way through the woods to
their home, they found it very difficult to get along, they were so
small. When they came to a narrow stream, which Corette would once have
jumped over with ease, the Condensed Pirate had to make a ferry-boat of
a piece of bark, and paddle himself and the little girl across.
"I wonder how the fairies used to come down to us," said Corette, who
was struggling along over the stones and moss, hanging on to her
companion's hand.
"Oh! I expect they have a nice smooth path somewhere through the woods,
where they can run along as fast as they please; and bridges over the
streams."
"Why didn't they tell us of it?" asked Corette.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|