jump ever
so far in this queer country, and the first use he made of the
discovery was to jump over Drusilla's head. This he did with hardly
any effort. After that the journey of the children, which had grown
somewhat tiresome (though they wouldn't say so), became a frolic. They
skimmed along over the gray fields with no trouble at all, but
Drusilla found it hard to retain her balance when she jumped high. Mr.
Thimblefinger, who had a reason for everything, was puzzled at this.
He paused a while and stood thinking and rubbing his chin. Then he
said that either Drusilla's head was too light or her heels too
heavy--he couldn't for the life of him tell which.

There was one thing that bothered the children. If Mr. Thimblefinger's
house was just big enough to fit him (as Buster John expressed it),
how could they go inside? Sweetest Susan was so troubled that she
asked Drusilla about it. But Drusilla shook her head vigorously.

"Don't come axin' me," she cried. "I done tol' you all right
pine-blank not ter come. Ef de house lil' like dat creetur is, what
you gwine do when night come? En den spozen 'pon top er dat dat a big
rain come up? Oh, I tol' you 'fo' you started! Who in de name er sense
ever heah talk er folks gwine down in a spring? You mought er know'd
sump'in gwine ter happen. Oh, I tol' you!"

There was no denying this, and Sweetest Susan and her brother were
beginning to feel anxious, when an exclamation from Mr. Thimblefinger
attracted their attention.

"We are nearly there," he shouted. "Yonder is the house. My! won't the
family be surprised when they see you!"

Sure enough there was the house, and it was not a small one, either.
Drusilla said it looked more like a barn than a house, but Buster John
said it didn't make any difference what it looked like so long as they
could rest there and get something to eat, for they had had no dinner.

"I hope dey got sho' 'nuff vittles--pot-licker an' dumplin's, an'
sump'in you kin fill up wid," said Drusilla heartily.

Mr. Thimblefinger, who had been running a little way ahead, suddenly
paused and waited for the children to come up.

"Come to think of it," he remarked, "you may have heard of some of my
family. I call them my family, but they are no kin to me. We just live
together in the same house for company's sake."

"They are not fairies?" suggested Sweetest Susan.

Mr. Thimblefinger shook his head. "Oh, no! Just common every-day
people like myself. We put