“‘Stop it, I say,’ said the little thing. ‘Stop it! I hate you when you do that.’
“Winfred cried on.
“Then the girl-person commenced to coax. ‘Please,’ she said, ‘stop and I will give you any wish you ask of me.’
“‘Why should I stop?’ asked Winfred. ‘And who are you that you can grant wishes to a prince?’
“‘You should stop,’ said the girl-person, ‘because I hate tears, and I can grant wishes, because I am a fairy.’
“‘That is very nice,’ said Winfred. ‘I’ve always wished to meet a fairy. Are they all like you?’
“‘Silly,’ said the fairy. ‘Of course not. I am the laughter fairy; I go about the world collecting children’s smiles and giving them to solemn grown-ups. I’m much nicer than most of the fairies; I think I am the nicest fairy there ever was.’
“‘You conceited creature,’ said Winfred. ‘You are not at all nice.’
“The fairy laughed and reached down a tiny foot and kicked Winfred in the nose.
“‘Don’t be stupid,’ she said. ‘I didn’t really mean that. There are other fairies as nice—almost—as I am. And I’m not a creature and I wish you wouldn’t call me one. I’m a fairy and my name is—guess what?’