When they come up again, they are not fairies at all, but
the good ones are mushrooms, and the bad ones are toadstools."

"Then you think there are no one-foot-one fairies in the other
countries," said Jack.

"Of course not," answered the apple-woman; "all the fairy lands are
different. It's only the queens that are alike."

"I wish the fairies would not disappear for hours," said Jack. "They
all seem to run off and hide themselves."

"That's their way," answered the apple-woman. "All fairies are part of
their time in the shape of human creatures, and the rest of it in the
shape of some animal. These can turn themselves, when they please,
into Guinea-fowl. In the heat of the day they generally prefer to be
in that form, and they sit among the leaves of the trees.

[Illustration: THE APPLE WOMAN.

"So she began to sing."--PAGE 156.]

"A great many are now with the Queen, because there is a deputation
coming; but if I were to begin to sing, such a flock of Guinea-hens
would gather round, that the boughs of the trees would bend with their
weight, and they would light on the grass all about so thickly that
not a blade of grass would be seen as far as the song was heard."

So she began to sing, and the air was darkened by great flocks of
these Guinea-fowl. They alighted just as she had said, and kept time
with their heads and their feet, nodding like a crowd of mandarins;
and yet it was nothing but a stupid old song that you would have
thought could have no particular meaning for them.

LIKE A LAVEROCK IN THE LIFT.

I.

It's we two, it's we two, it's we two for aye,
All the world and we two, and Heaven be our stay.
Like a laverock in the lift, sing, O bonny bride!
All the world was Adam once, with Eve by his side.

II.

What's the world, my lass, my love!--what can it do?
I am thine, and thou art mine; life is sweet and new.
If the world have missed the mark, let it stand by,
For we two have gotten leave, and once more we'll try.

III.

Like a laverock in the lift, sing, O bonny bride!
It's we two, it's we two, happy side by side.
Take a kiss from me thy man; now the song begins:
"All is made afresh for us, and the brave heart wins."

IV.

When the darker days come, and no sun will shine,
Thou shalt dry my tears, lass, and I'll dry thine.
It's we two, it's we two, while the world's away,
Sitting by the golden sheaves on our wedding-day.

CHAPTER XII.