“And fairies,” Eveline added.
“And real people, too,” suggested Mildred who was, as I said, eleven, and almost beyond fairies, which was rather a pity.
“Once upon a time,” I started, and paused. A grown-up had interrupted us with some foolish grown-up question.
“Once upon a time,” again I began.
“You said that before,” objected Eveline.
“Yes’m,” accused Madeline.
“—Many, many years ago, there was a big forest, bigger than any you have ever seen.”
“’Scuse me, Ma’am, I know where there is a biggest forest.”
“Well, this was even bigger,” I insisted. “So big, in fact, that the leaves were as large as—as the flowers on that chair.” I finished pointing to the exaggerated tapestry on the furniture.
“Now at the edge of the woods there was a little village, where a blacksmith lived, with his only daughter, Hope.