e could see
where he was going; and he found a little sheep-path, and she followed
him.

Now they had noticed during the night how many shooting-stars kept
darting about from time to time, and at last one shot close by them,
and fell in the soft moss on before. There it lay shining; and Jack,
though he began to feel very tired again, made haste to it, for he
wanted to see what it was like.

It was not what you would have supposed. It was soft and round, and
about the color of a ripe apricot; it was covered with fur, and in
fact it was evidently alive, and had curled itself up into a round
ball.

"The dear little thing!" said Jack, as he held it in his hand, and
showed it to Mopsa; "how its heart beats. Is it frightened?"

"Who are you?" said Mopsa to the thing. "What is your name?"

The little creature made a sound that seemed like "Wisp."

"Uncurl yourself, Wisp," said Mopsa. "Jack and I want to look at
you."

So Wisp unfolded himself, and showed two little black eyes, and spread
out two long filmy wings. He was like a most beautiful bat, and the
light he shed out illuminated their faces.

"It is only one of the air fairies," said Mopsa. "Pretty creature! It
never did any harm, and would like to do us good if it knew how, for
it knows that I shall be a queen very soon. Wisp, if you like, you may
go and tell your friends and relations that we want to cross over the
mountains, and if they can they may help us."

Upon this Wisp spread out his wings, and shot off again; and Jack's
feet were so tired that he sat down, and pulled off one of his shoes,
for he thought there was a stone in it. So he set the little red jar
beside him, and quite forgot what the stone-woman had said, but went
on shaking his shoe, and buckling it, and admiring the glowworms round
his ankle, till Mopsa said, "Darling Jack, I am so dreadfully tired!
Give me some more melon-seeds." Then he lifted up the jar, and thought
it felt very heavy; and when he put in his hand, jar, and melon, and
seeds were all turned to stone together.

They were both very sorry, and they sat still for a minute or two, for
they were much too tired to stir; and then shooting-stars began to
appear in all directions. The fairy bat had told his friends and
relations, and they were coming. One fell at Mopsa's feet, another in
her lap; more, more, all about, behind, before, and over them. And
they spread out long filmy wings, some of them a yard long, till Jack
and Mo