little man
was at work in the barn, the Condensed Pirate went up into the garret
of the cottage and got out on the roof. Then he climbed to the top of
the tallest chimney, which overlooked everything on the place, and
there he laid his little pink ball.

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 par