e smooth.

"Now, Corette," said the Condensed Pirate, "we must be very careful. I
will push this ashore and you must step on board, letting out some of
the thread as you come. Be sure not to pull it tight. Then I will
paddle out a little way, and as I push, you must let out more thread."

Corette did as she was directed, and very soon they were standing on
the little raft a few yards from shore. Then her companion put down his
stick, and took the coil of thread.

"What are you going to do?" asked Corette. She had wanted to ask
before, but there did not seem to be time.

"Well," said he, "we can't make ourselves any bigger--at least, I don't
know how to do it, and so I'm going to condense the whole country. The
little pink ball is on top of the steeple, which is higher than
anything else about here, you know. I can't knock the ball off at the
proper time, so I've tied a thread to it to pull it off. You and I are
outside of the place, on the water, so we wont be made any smaller. If
the thing works, everybody will be our size, and all will be right
again."

"Splendid!" cried Corette. "But how will you know when things are
little enough?"

"Do you see that door in my house, almost in front of us? Well, when I
was of the old size, I used just to touch the top of that door with my
head, if I didn't stoop. When you see that the door is about my present
height, tell me to stop. Now then!"

The Condensed Pirate began to count, and instantly the whole place,
church, houses, fields, and of course the people who were in bed, began
to shrink! He counted a good while before Corette thought his door
would fit him. At last she called to him to stop. He glanced at the
door to feel sure, counted one more, and pulled the thread. Down came
the ball, and the size of the place was fixed!

The whole of the sweet marjoram country was now so small that the
houses were like bandboxes, and the people not more than four or five
inches high--excepting some very tall people who were six inches.

Drawing the ball to him, the Condensed Pirate pushed out some distance,
broke it from the thread, and threw it into the water.

"No more condensing!" said he. He then paddled himself and Corette
ashore, and running to his cottage, threw open the door and looked
about him. Everything was just right! Everything fitted! He shouted
with joy.

It was just daybreak when Corette rushed into her parents' house.
Startled by the noise, her father and mo