On the second day of their visit, when they were all sitting on the little portico after supper, one of the sisters, thinking that the Condensed Pirate might like to have something to do, and knowing how he used to occupy himself, took from her basket a little half-knit tidy, with the needles in it, and asked him if he cared to amuse himself with that.

“No, MA’AM!” said he, firmly but politely.  “Not at present.  If I find it necessary to reform again, I may do something of the kind, but not now.  But I thank you kindly, all the same.”

After this, they were all very careful not to mention tidies to him.

Corette and her companion stayed with the fairies for more than a week.  Corette knew that her father and mother did not expect her at home for some time, and so she felt quite at liberty to stay as long as she pleased.

As to the sisters, they were delighted to have their visitors with them.

But, one day, the Condensed Pirate, finding Corette alone, led her, with great secrecy, to the bottom of the pasture field, the very outskirts of the fairies’ domain.

“Look here,” said he, in his lowest tones.  “Do you know, little Corette, that things are not as I expected them to be here?  Everything is very nice and good, but nothing appears very small to me.  Indeed, things seem to be just about the right size.  How does it strike you?”

“Why, I have been thinking the same thing,” said Corette.  “The sisters used to be such dear, cunning little creatures, and now they’re bigger than I am.  But I don’t know what can be done about it.”

“I know,” said the Condensed Pirate.

“What?” asked Corette.

“Condense ’em,” answered her companion, solemnly.

“Oh!  But you couldn’t do that!” exclaimed Corette.

“Yes, but I can—­at least, I think I can.  You remember those two pink condensing balls?”

“Yes,” said Corette.

“Well, I’ve got mine.”

“You have!” cried Corette.  “How did you get it?”

“Oh! when the old fellow knocked it off my head, it fell on the chair beside me, and I picked it up and put it in my coat-pocket.  It would just go in.  He charges for the balls, and so I thought I might as well have it.”

“But do you know how he works them?”

“Oh yes!” replied the Condensed Pirate.  “I watched him.  What do you say?  Shall we condense this whole place?”

“It wont hurt them,” said Corette, “and I don’t really think they would mind it.”

“Mind it!  No!” said the other.  “I believe they’d like it.”

So it was agreed that the Fairy Cottage, inmates, and grounds should be condensed until they were, relatively, as small as they used to be.

That afternoon, when the sisters were taking a nap and the little man was at work in the barn, the Condensed Pirate went up into the garret of the cottage and got out on the roof.  Then he climbed to the top of the tallest chimney, which overlooked everything on the place, and there he laid his little pink ball.