CHAPTER VIII.
THE SUGAR-BOWL FAIRY.
RAY was very fond of sugar. Did you ever see the boy or girl who was not? One day he wanted a lump and asked mamma if he might have it. She gave him permission to take just one lump, so he raised the cover of the sugar bowl and peeped in.
“How nice it looks in there,” said Ray, “I wish I could get inside.”
No sooner did he say the words than he began to grow smaller and smaller. He dwindled down until he was only as large as a lump of sugar and he gave a little jump right into the sugar bowl. At first it seemed quite dark in there, but after a while he grew accustomed to it and could see very well. The first thing that surprised him was the size of the place. He had always thought that the inside of a sugar-bowl was very small in area, but on the contrary it “stretched away into stately halls,” with doors and windows and numerous little people like himself walking about. Ray sat on a little white sofa near a window and a dear little man came and sat beside him.
“I am the Sugar-bowl Fairy,” said the little man, “would you like to take a walk through the house?”
“Thank you,” replied Ray, “what do you do all day in the sugar-bowl?”
“We play and have a good time,” answered the little man, “except when the great giant comes, then we are all afraid and run to hide.”
“Who is this great giant?” asked Ray.