The Giant took the invitation and read it slowly.
“My goodness me, it is going to be a smart affair!” said he. “Yes, I think we can manage it all right. Only we shall have to dress up for it, I’m afraid. It wouldn’t do to look dowdy.”
“But what do Flitting, Mazing, and Wending mean?” asked Peggy, looking at the invitation again.
“Well, Flitting is flying round one after the other at the very top of the caves and copying everything the front Pixie does,” said the Giant, “and the one who goes on longest gets a prize. It’s tiring, but exciting; a sort of Follow-my-Leader, only a better game. And Wending is dancing up and down the Unexplored Passages and seeing who can pick up most diamonds first. They only have it at the very grandest parties. And Mazing is—now, what is Mazing? I’ve quite forgotten! However, I shall probably remember it in a minute or two.”
“Do you accept?” asked a tiny, shy voice at Peggy’s elbow, and she looked down to see a Pixie standing by her.
“Yes, we’d love to come, and it’s very kind of you to ask us,” said Peggy very politely. “I hope you’ll excuse my writing,” she added, having sometimes heard her mother say this.
“They’d love to come!” shouted the Pixie to the others, and “They’d love to come!” shouted the rest, till the hills echoed with the sound, and then they all turned and raced back to their cottages, stopping now and then to giggle and snigger and look over their shoulders at Peggy and the Giant, before the little doors slammed again behind them.
“Very over-excited indeed,” remarked the Giant. “Now they’ll take the rest of the time dressing up. And, by the way, we ought to be getting ready too.”