ittle bit that it's of no
use at all. It's not large enough even to make one mitten of."

"Isn't it?" said the slave. "Just take hold of it, master, and let us
see if it will stretch."

So Jack did. And she pulled, and he pulled, and very soon the silk had
stretched till it was nearly as large as a handkerchief; and then she
shook it, and they pulled again. "This is very good fun," said Jack;
"why now it is as large as an apron."

So she shook it again, and gave it a twitch here and a pat there; and
then they pulled again, and the silk suddenly stretched so wide that
Jack was very nearly falling overboard. So Jack's slave pulled off her
ragged gown and apron, and put it on. It was a most beautiful robe of
purple silk; it had a gold border, and it just fitted her.

[Illustration: JACK'S SLAVE.

"These are fairies," said Jack's slave; "but what are you?"--PAGE 99.]

"That will do," she said. And then she took out the little tortoise-shell
comb, pulled off her cap, and threw it into the river. She had a little
knot of soft, gray hair, and she let it down, and began to comb. And as
she combed the hair got much longer and thicker, till it fell in waves
all about her throat. Then she combed again, and it all turned
gold-color, and came tumbling down to her waist; and then she stood up
in the boat, and combed once more, and shook out the hair, and there was
such a quantity that it reached down to her feet, and she was so
covered with it that you could not see one bit of her, excepting her
eyes, which peeped out, and looked bright and full of tears.

Then she began to gather up her lovely locks; and when she had dried
her eyes with them, she said, "Master, do you know what you have done?
look at me now!" So she threw back the hair from her face, and it was
a beautiful young face; and she looked so happy that Jack was glad he
had bought her with his half-crown,--so glad that he could not help
crying, and the fair slave cried too; and then instantly the little
fairies woke, and sprang out of Jack's pockets. As they did so,
Jovinian cried out, "Madam, I am your most humble servant"; and
Roxaletta said, "I hope your Grace is well"; but the third got on
Jack's knee, and took hold of the buttons of his waistcoat, and when
the lovely slave looked at her, she hid her face and blushed with
pretty childish shyness.

"These are fairies," said Jack's slave; "but what are you?"

"Jack kissed me," said the little thing; "and I want