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Through the Fire
185

“Put on these,” he said, throwing them into Jack’s lap.

“How ever shall I get them on? Why, they’re not as long as my arm.” But no sooner had he touched them than he found himself growing smaller and smaller, until the clothes seemed quite the right size for him, and he easily slipped into them.

“Now take this,” said the red man, and threw him a thin shining glass mask. Jack drew it over his face. It fitted exactly, and left no openings.

“Now,” said the fire-man, “climb over the bars, and see how you like it.”

Jack scrambled over the fender, and helping himself with the fire-irons, climbed on to the first bar. The red man leant down, and gave him his hand to help him. What a hot hand it was! It burnt like flame. Jack felt inclined to drop it, cut he was afraid of seeming impolite, so he bit his lips, to prevent himself screaming, and scrambled over the bars right into the midst of the fire.

On looking round, he thought he was in a new world. He stood in the middle of rich, red-

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