Now they had noticed during the night how many shooting-stars kept darting about from time to time, and at last one shot close by them, and fell in the soft moss on before. There it lay shining; and Jack, though he began to feel very tired again, made haste to it, for he wanted to see what it was like.
It was not what you would have supposed. It was soft and round, and about the colour of a ripe apricot; it was covered with fur, and in fact it was evidently alive, and had curled itself up into a round ball.
“The dear little thing!” said Jack, as he held it in his hand, and showed it to Mopsa; “how its heart beats! Is it frightened?”
“Who are you?” said Mopsa to the thing. “What is your name?”
The little creature made a sound that seemed like “Wisp.”
“Uncurl yourself, Wisp,” said Mopsa. “Jack and I want to look at you.”
So Wisp unfolded himself, and showed two little black eyes, and spread out two long filmy wings. He was like a most beautiful bat, and the light he shed out illuminated their faces.
“It is only one of the air fairies,” said Mopsa. “Pretty creature! It never did any harm, and would like to do us good if it knew how, for it knows that I shall be a queen very soon. Wisp, if you like, you may go and tell your friends and relations that we want to cross over the mountains; and if they can they may help us.”
Upon this Wisp spread out his wings, and shot off again; and Jack’s feet were so tired that he sat down, and pulled off one of his shoes, for he thought there was a stone in it. So he set the little red jar beside him, and quite forgot what the stone woman had said, but went on shaking his shoe, and buckling it, and admiring the glow-worms round his ankle, till Mopsa said, “Darling Jack, I am so dreadfully tired! Give me some more melon seeds.” Then he lifted up the jar, and thought it felt very heavy; and when he put in his hand, jar, and melon, and seeds were all turned to stone together.
