weeks before you got another wish."

"And did _you_ get wet?" Robert inquired.

The Sand-fairy shuddered. "Only once," it said; "the end of the twelfth
hair of my top left whisker--I feel the place still in damp weather. It
was only once, but it was quite enough for me. I went away as soon as
the sun had dried my poor dear whisker. I scurried away to the back of
the beach, and dug myself a house deep in warm dry sand, and there I've
been ever since. And the sea changed its lodgings afterwards. And now
I'm not going to tell you another thing."

"Just one more, please," said the children. "Can you give wishes now?"

"Of course," said it; "didn't I give you yours a few minutes ago? You
said, 'I wish you'd come out,' and I did."

"Oh, please, mayn't we have another?"

"Yes, but be quick about it. I'm tired of you."

I daresay you have often thought what you would do if you had three
wishes given you, and have despised the old man and his wife in the
black-pudding story, and felt certain that if you had the chance you
could think of three really useful wishes without a moment's hesitation.
These children had often talked this matter over, but, now the chance
had suddenly come to them, they could not make up their minds.

"Quick," said the Sand-fairy crossly. No one could think of anything,
only Anthea did manage to remember a private wish of her own and Jane's