"Nothing to boast of," said it; "it had rather a restless night. But
thank you for asking."

"I say," said Robert, "do you feel up to giving wishes to-day, because
we very much want an extra besides the regular one? The extra's a very
little one," he added reassuringly.

"Humph!" said the Sand-fairy. (If you read this story aloud, please
pronounce "humph" exactly as it is spelt, for that is how he said it.)
"Humph! Do you know, until I heard you being disagreeable to each other
just over my head, and so loud too, I really quite thought I had dreamed
you all. I do have very odd dreams sometimes."

"Do you?" Jane hurried to say, so as to get away from the subject of
disagreeableness. "I wish," she added politely, "you'd tell us about
your dreams--they must be awfully interesting"--

"Is that the day's wish?" said the Sand-fairy, yawning.

Cyril muttered something about "just like a girl," and the rest stood
silent. If they said "Yes," then good-bye to the other wishes they had
decided to ask for. If they said "No," it would be very rude, and they
had all been taught manners, and had learned a little too, which is not
at all the same thing. A sigh of relief broke from all lips when the
Sand-fairy said--

"If I do, I shan't have strength to give you a second wish; not even
good tempers, or common-sense, or manners, or little things like that."