the
loan of it in turn."

"This is the very first time your thimble has been of use to anybody!"
said Harry, slyly; "but I dare say it is not worn into holes with too
much sewing, therefore it will make a famous little magical cup for St.
Anthony's Well. You know the fairies who dance here by moonlight, lay
their table-cloth upon a mushroom, and sit round it, to be merry, but I
never heard what they use for a drinking cup."

Harry now proceeded briskly along to the well, singing as he went, a
song which had been taught him by uncle David, beginning,

I wish I were a brewer's horse,
Five quarters of a year,
I'd place my head where was my tail,
And drink up all the beer.

Before long the whole party seated themselves in a circle on the grass
round St. Anthony's Well, while any stranger who had chanced to pass
might have supposed, from the noise and merriment, that the Saint had
filled his well with champagne and punch for the occasion, as everybody
seemed perfectly tipsy with happiness. Mr. Harwood laughed prodigiously
at some of the jokes, and made a few of his own, which were none of the
best, though they caused the most laughter, for the boys thought it very
surprising that so grave and great a man should make a joke at all.

When Mary Forrester drank her thimbleful of water, and wished for a new
doll, Peter and Harry privately cut out a face upon a red-cheeked apple,
making the eyes, nose, and mouth, after which, they hastily dressed it
up in pocket handkerchiefs, and gave her this present from the fairies,
which looked so very like what she had asked for, that the laugh which
followed was loud and long. Afterwards Peter swallowed his draught,
calling loudly for a piebald pony, when Harry in his white trowsers, and
dark jacket, went upon all-fours, and let Peter mount on his back. It
was very difficult, however, to get Peter off again, for he enjoyed the
fun excessively, and stuck to his seat like Sinbad's old man of the sea,
till at last Harry rolled round on his back, tumbling Peter head over
heels into St. Anthony's Well, upon seeing which, Mr. Harwood rose,
saying, he had certainly lost his own wish, as they had behaved ill, and
met with an accident already. Harry laughingly proposed that Peter
should be carefully hung upon a tree to dry, till they all came down
again; but the mischievous boy ran off so fast, he was almost out of
sight in a moment, saying, "Now for the top of Arthur's Seat, and I
s