"Smaller! smaller! smaller!"
The blows made Simon's head ring, but when he recovered himself, he found that the turtle-shell boat appeared a great deal larger than before. Not only that, but every thing about him appeared larger. He soon discovered, however, that he was smaller, and that that was what made other things seem larger. For you know we measure everything by ourselves.
("Mamma doesn't," said the Chicken; "she measures with a yard-stick.")
Well, Simon prided himself on being so big, and it was not pleasant to him to find himself suddenly become so small that a large rooster could have looked down upon him. But he did not say any thing, for fear of old Garuly's stick, but just got into the boat as soon as possible. The old man got in, too, and they were soon floating down the stream. The brook seemed like a river, and the grass upon the banks was like trees, to Simon, now. The old Garuly guided the boat over the rapids, that seemed frightful to Simon, and floated it down to where the cliffs were steep, and presently came to a place where the water runs under a large rock. The old man steered the queer craft into this dark, cave-like place, and shot up to a shelving landing-place.
"Get out!" he squeaked.
Simon did as he was commanded.
"Go in! go in!" cried the Garuly, pointing to a hole in the cliff.
"I am too large," said Simon.
And immediately the old man struck him over the head three times, as before, crying,
"Smaller! smaller! smaller!"