'What have you to do with my nose?' asked Jem. 'And why should I want a
case for it?'

'Well, everyone to his taste,' replied the cobbler; 'but I must say if I
had such a nose I would have a nice red leather cover made for it. Here
is a nice piece; and think what a protection it would be to you. As it
is, you must be constantly knocking up against things.'

The lad was dumb with fright. He felt his nose. It was thick, and quite
two hands long. So, then, the old woman had changed his shape, and that
was why his own mother did not know him, and called him a horrid dwarf!

'Master,' said he, 'have you got a glass that I could see myself in?'

'Young gentleman,' was the answer, 'your appearance is hardly one to
be vain of, and there is no need to waste your time looking in a glass.
Besides, I have none here, and if you must have one you had better
ask Urban the barber, who lives over the way, to lend you his. Good
morning.'

So saying, he gently pushed Jem into the street, shut the door, and went
back to his work.

Jem stepped across to the barber, whom he had known in old days.

'Good morning, Urban,' said he; 'may I look at myself in your glass for
a moment?'

'With pleasure,' said the barber, laughing, and all the people in his
shop fell to laughing also. 'You are a pretty youth, with your swan-like
neck and white hands and small nose. No wonder you are rather vain; but
look as long as you like at yourself.'

So spoke the barber, and a titter ran round the room. Meantime Jem had
stepped up to the mirror, and stood gazing sadly at his reflection.
Tears came to his eyes.

'No wonder you did not know your child again, dear mother,' thought he;
'he wasn't like this when you were so proud of his looks.'

His eyes had grown quite small, like pigs' eyes, his nose was huge and
hung down over his mouth and chin, his throat seemed to have disappeared
altogether, and his head was fixed stiffly between his shoulders. He was
no taller than he had been seven years ago, when he was not much more
than twelve years old, but he made up in breadth, and his back and
chest had grown into lumps like two great sacks. His legs were small and
spindly, but his arms were as large as those of a well-grown man, with
large brown hands, and long skinny fingers.

Then he remembered the morning when he had first seen the old woman, and
her threats to him, and without saying a word he left the barber's shop.

He determined to go again t