'He must, if I bid him; it is for you to make him feel comfortable and at home with you;—the longer you can keep him the better I shall be pleased.'
'Oh, how kind of you!' he cried; 'he shall stay all the holidays. I'd rather have him than anybody else. What fun we shall have—what fun!'
The green fire faded out and the fairy with it. He must have fallen asleep again, for, when he opened his eyes, there was the clown at the foot of his bed making a face.
''Ullo!' said the clown; 'I say, are you the nice little boy I was told to come and stay with?'
'Yes, yes,' said Tommy; 'I am so glad to see you. I'm just going to get up.'
'I know you are,' said the clown, and upset him out of bed into the cold bath.
This he could not help thinking a little bit unkind of the clown on such a cold morning, particularly as he followed it up by throwing a hair-brush, two pieces of soap, and a pair of shoes at him before he could get out again.
But it woke him, at all events, and he ventured (with great respect) to throw one of the shoes back; it just grazed the clown's top-knot.
To Tommy's alarm, the clown set up a hullaballoo as if he was mortally injured.
'You cruel, unkind little boy,' he sobbed, 'to play so rough with a poor clown!'