"Now then," said he, "sit perfectly still. It will be over in a few minutes," and he lifted up a long thin stick, and, pointing it toward the couple, he began to count: "One, two, three, four——"
As he counted, the Reformed Pirate and Corette began to shrink, and by the time he had reached fifty they were no bigger than cats. But he kept on counting until Corette was about three and a half inches high and her companion about five inches.
Then he stopped, and knocked the pink ball from each of their heads with a little tap of his long stick.
"There we are," said he, and he carefully picked up the little creatures and put them on a table in front of a looking-glass, that they might see how they liked his work.
It was admirably done. Every proportion had been perfectly kept.
"It seems to me that it couldn't be better," said the Condensed Pirate, looking at himself from top to toe.
"IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT COULDN'T BE BETTER,' SAID THE CONDENSED PIRATE."
"No," said the Practicing Wizard, smiling rather more than usual, "I don't believe it could."
"But how are we to get away from here?" said Corette to her friend. "A little fellow like you can't sail that big boat."