thought of "How long have you lived here?" and he said it at once.

"Oh, ages--several thousand years," replied the Psammead.

"Tell us about it. Do."

"It's all in books."

"_You_ aren't!" Jane said. "Oh, tell us everything you can about
yourself! We don't know anything about you, and you _are_ so nice."

The Sand-fairy smoothed his long rat-like whiskers and smiled between
them.

"Do please tell!" said the children all together.

It is wonderful how quickly you get used to things, even the most
astonishing. Five minutes before, the children had had no more idea than
you had that there was such a thing as a Sand-fairy in the world, and
now they were talking to it as though they had known it all their lives.

It drew its eyes in and said--

"How very sunny it is--quite like old times! Where do you get your
Megatheriums from now?"

"What?" said the children all at once. It is very difficult always to
remember that "what" is not polite, especially in moments of surprise or
agitation.