and pulled and pulled it until it was as
large as a handkerchief. Then she pulled and pulled it again, and the
silk stretched until it nearly filled the boat. Next, the little old
woman pulled off her ragged gown and put on the silk. It was now a most
beautiful robe of purple, with a gold border, and it just fitted her.
Then she took out the little tortoise-shell comb, pulled off her cap and
threw it into the river. As she combed her hair, it grew much longer and
thicker, until it fell in waves all about her body. It all turned gold
color, and she was so covered with it that you could not see one bit of
her except her eyes, which peeped out and were very bright.

Then she began to gather up her lovely locks and said: "Master, look at
me now!" So she threw back the hair from her face, and it was a
beautiful young face, and she looked so happy that Jack was glad he had
bought her with his half-crown.

THE MAGIC KISS

Then instantly the little Fairies awoke and sprang out of Jack's
pockets. One of them had a green velvet cap and sword; the second had a
white spangled robe, and lovely rubies and emeralds around her neck; but
the third one, who sat down on Jack's knee, had a white frock and a blue
sash, was very little, and she had a face just like that of a sweet
little child.

"How comes it that you are not like the others?" asked Jack. She
answered: "It is because you kissed me."

"Somehow," Jack explained to the former Fairy Slave, "she was my
favorite."

"Then you will have to let her sit on your knee, master, sometimes," she
explained; "and you must take special care of her, for she cannot now
take the same care of herself that others can. The love of a mortal
works changes indeed to the life of a fairy."

"I don't want to have a slave," said Jack to the little lady. "Can't you
find some way to be wholly free again?"

"Yes, master, I can be free if you can think of anything that you really
like better than the half-crown that you paid for me."

"I would like going up this river to Fairy-land much better," said
Jack. So suddenly the river became full of thousands of little people
coming down the stream in rafts. They had come to take the Fairy Woman
away with them.

THE FAIRY WOMAN'S PARTING GIFT

"What gift may I give you before I go?" she asked.

"I should like," said Jack, "to have a little tiny bit of that purple
gown of yours with the gold border."

So she told Jack to lend her his knife, and