e, little man,
you shall have board and lodging, clothes and every thing; for this you
shall stand in my door-way in the morning, and invite people to come
in; you shall beat up the lather, hand the towel to the customers, and
you may be sure that we shall both make it answer; I shall get more
customers through you than my neighbour by his giant; and you will get
many presents."

The little man felt quite indignant at the proposal of serving as a
decoy to a barber. But was he not obliged to submit patiently to this
insulting offer? He, therefore, quietly told the barber he had no time
for such services, and went away.

Although the evil hag had thus stunted his growth, yet she had had no
power to affect his mind, as he felt full well; for he no longer
thought and felt as he did seven years since, and believed that he had
become wiser and more sensible in the interval. He did not mourn for
the loss of his beauty, nor for his ugly appearance, but only that he
was driven from his father's door like a dog. However, he resolved to
make another trial with his mother.

He went again to her in the market, and entreated her to listen to him
patiently. He reminded her of the day on which he had gone with the
old woman; he called to her mind all the particular incidents of his
childhood, told her then how he had served seven years as a squirrel
with the fairy, and how she had changed him because he had then
ridiculed her person.

The cobbler's wife did not know what to think of all this. All that he
related of his childhood agreed with her own recollections, but when he
talked of serving seven years as a squirrel, she said, "It is
impossible; there are no fairies;" and when she looked at him she felt
a horror at the ugly dwarf, and would not believe that he could be her
son. At length she thought it would be best to talk the matter over
with her husband; therefore she took up her baskets and bade him go
with her.

On arriving at the cobbler's stall she said: "Look, this fellow
pretends to be our lost James. He has told me all the circumstances,
how he was stolen from us seven years since, and how he was enchanted
by a fairy."

"Indeed," interrupted the cobbler in a rage, "has he told you this?
wait, you rogue!--I have told him all this an hour ago, and then he
goes to make a fool of you. Enchanted you have been, my little chap,
have you? Wait a bit, I will soon disenchant you!" So saying, he took
a bundle of st