said it.)
"Humph! Do you know, until I heard you being disagreeable to each other
just over my head, and so loud too, I really quite thought I had dreamed
you all. I do have very odd dreams sometimes."

"Do you?" Jane hurried to say, so as to get away from the subject of
disagreeableness. "I wish," she added politely, "you'd tell us about
your dreams--they must be awfully interesting"--

"Is that the day's wish?" said the Sand-fairy, yawning.

Cyril muttered something about "just like a girl," and the rest stood
silent. If they said "Yes," then good-bye to the other wishes they had
decided to ask for. If they said "No," it would be very rude, and they
had all been taught manners, and had learned a little too, which is not
at all the same thing. A sigh of relief broke from all lips when the
Sand-fairy said--

"If I do, I shan't have strength to give you a second wish; not even
good tempers, or common-sense, or manners, or little things like that."

"We don't want you to put yourself out at all about _these_ things, we
can manage them quite well ourselves," said Cyril eagerly; while the
others looked guiltily at each other, and wished the Fairy would not
keep all on about good tempers, but give them one good scolding if it
wanted to, and then have done with it.

"Well," said the Psammead, putting out his long snail's eyes so suddenly
that one of them nearly went into the round boy's eye of Robert, "let's
have the little wish first."

"We don't want the servants to notice the gifts you give us."

"Are kind enough to give us," said Anthea in a whisper.

"Are kind enough to give us, I mean," said Robert.

The Fairy swelled himself out a bit, let his breath go, and said--

"I've done _that_ for you--it was quite easy. People don't notice things
much, anyway. What's the next wish?"

"We want," said Robert slowly, "to be rich beyond the dreams of
something or other."

"Avarice," said Jane.

"So it is," said the Fairy unexpectedly. "But it won't do you much good,
that's one comfort," it muttered to itself. "Come--I can't go beyond
dreams, you know! How much do you want, and will you have it in gold or
notes?"

"Gold, please--and millions of it"--

"This gravel-pit full be enough?" said the Fairy in an off-hand manner.

"Oh _yes_"--

"Then go out before I begin, or you'll be buried alive in it."

It made its skinny arms so long, and waved them so frighteningly, that
the children ran as hard as they could