“Astonishing!” said the fairy, making believe to be very much surprized. “Now, when I was a baby, I was about the size of a pea.”
This made the giant laugh, but he said he supposed it must have been so, considering the present size, and then he said: “Talking of peas reminds me that I am hungry. We must stop somewhere, and ask for something to eat.”
“That will suit me very well, but don’t let us go to the same place,” said the fairy. “I expect you are dreadfully hungry.”
“All right,” replied the other. “There is a great house over in the valley, not more than fifteen miles away. I’ll just step over there, and you can go to Count Cormo’s castle. I’ll take you to the edge of the woods. When you’ve had your dinner, come back to this oak, and I’ll meet you; I’ve heard the Count is getting very poor, but he’ll have enough for you.”
So the giant put the fairy down on the ground, and she skipped along to the castle, while he stepped over to the house in the valley.
In an hour or two they met again at the great oak, and, the giant taking up his little friend on his forefinger, they continued their journey.
“You told me that Count Cormo was poor,” she said, “but I don’t believe you know how poor he really is. When I went there, he and his wife had just finished their dinner, and were sitting before the fire-place. I didn’t notice any fire in it. They were busy talking, and so I did not disturb them, but just climbed up on the table to see what I could find to eat. You haven’t any idea what a miserable meal they must have had. Of course there was enough left for me, for I need only a few crumbs, but everything was so hard and stale that I could scarcely eat it. I don’t see how they can live in that way. But after the meal, when I heard them talking, I found out how poor they really were.”
“It wasn’t exactly the proper thing to sit there and listen to them, was it?” asked the giant.
“Perhaps not,” said the fairy, “but I did want to hear what they were saying. So I sat quite still. They were talking about the Christmas-tree, and all the other good things they give the children every year; and although they are so poor, they are going to do just the same this year.”
“I don’t see how they can,” said the giant.