"Ah, my lad! I'd rather you minded the cobbler's bench, nor trafficked
with fairies. I fear me they're uncanny folks to deal with."

"Never fear, mother; we'll be rich yet, and I'll make you a queen
yourself, and then you need spin no more," said Jim, wild with hope
and excitement.

"I don't mind the spinnin', my boy. I'd rather be----".

Jim heard no more, for he dashed off at once to the garden to plant
his precious seeds just at sunrise. With furious energy, he tore up
all his old vines, flung them over the fence, and, after that, spaded
up the melon-bed with the greatest care. Then he opened the paper and
poured the magical seeds into his hand.

There were only _four_--four wee seeds, each no bigger than a pin's
head! His first impulse was to fling them away in wrath, for he
thought such little things couldn't possibly make as big a fortune as
he wanted. But then he reflected, "Fairies are little, so I suppose
their seeds are little, too. I'll try them, anyhow." And with that he
put them in the ground and carefully covered them.

In an instant, the ground burst open in four places, and up shot four
sturdy melon-vines, that grew east, west, north, south!

Grew? No! they raced, they tore, they dashed through the country far
and wide! In no time, before Nimble Jim could get back to the house
door, the whole yard was full of melon-vine, and one great big melon,
bigger than the cottage itself, blocked the door-way.