e brown man, on hearing this, rose up in a rage, and was just going
to strike her a terrible blow, when Jack cried out, "Stop!" and took
out his half-crown.

"Can I buy you with this?" said he; and the fairy woman answered,
"Yes."

Upon this Clink drew a long breath, and his eyes grew bigger and
bigger as he gazed at the half-crown.

"Shall she be my slave forever, and not yours," said Jack, "if I give
you this?"

"She shall," said the brown man. And he made such a low bow, as he
took the money, that his head actually knocked the ground. Then he
jumped up; and, as if he was afraid Jack should repent of his bargain,
he ran off towards the hole in the hill with all his might, shouting
for joy as he went.

"Slave," said Jack, "that is a very ragged old apron that you have
got, and your gown is quite worn out. Don't you think we had better
spend my shilling in buying you some new clothes? You look so very
shabby."

"Do I?" said the fairy woman, gently. "Well, master, you will do as
you please."

"But you know better than I do," said Jack, "though you are my
slave."

"You had better give me the shilling, then," answered the little old
woman; "and then I advise you to go back to the boat, and wait there
till I come."

"What!" said Jack; "can you go all the way back into the town again? I
think you must be tired, for you know you are so very old."

The fairy woman laughed when Jack said this, and she had such a sweet
laugh that he loved to hear it; but she took the shilling, and trudged
off to the town, and he went back to the boat, his hound running after
him.

He was a long time going, for he ran a good many times after
butterflies, and then he climbed up several trees; and altogether he
amused himself for such a long while that when he reached the boat his
fairy woman was there before him. So he stepped on board, the hound
followed, and the boat immediately began to swim on.

"Why, you have not bought any new clothes!" said Jack to his slave.

"No, master," answered the fairy woman; "but I have bought what I
wanted." And she took out of her pocket a little tiny piece of
purple ribbon, with a gold-colored satin edge, and a very small
tortoise-shell comb.

When Jack saw these he was vexed, and said, "What do you mean by being
so silly? I can't scold you properly, because I don't know what name
to call you by, and I don't like to say 'Slave,' because that sounds
so rude. Why, this bit of ribbon is such a l