“What is it?” cried Johnny. “Has the hair ribbon turned into a doggie?”
“I wish it would turn into a camel with two humps on his back,” said Tommy. “A camel isn’t too big for the house.”
“Oh, look!” cried Mary again. “The ribbon hasn’t gone away at all! But look at that little animal sleeping on it!”
She pointed to something soft, and fuzzy, and furry, lying asleep on the middle of her folded hair ribbon, which was on the floor under the chair. And then Mary quickly hopped up on another chair.
“Why, it’s nothing but a little mousie!” said Tommy.
“A real, live mousie?” asked Johnny.
“Yes, that’s what it is,” said his brother, and at that Mary screamed, and tried to jump on another chair, further away.
“What’s the matter?” asked Johnny. “A mouse can’t hurt girls.”
“But this is no trick!” cried Tommy. “That fisherman didn’t change that hair ribbon into anything, and the mouse just came and slept on it because he wanted to. I don’t like this.”
“Oh, boys, wait!” suddenly cried Mary. “I see it all now. This mouse is a fairy. Yes, she really is. The fisherman made her come to sleep on my hair ribbon. Oh, it’s just like in a story! I’m so glad. Probably that mouse is a fairy princess in this shape until the magical spell is broken, and she can turn into her real self again.”