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He held Jack so tightly that he began to be frightened, and gave a violent wriggle, which knocked over the old man’s lantern. It fell with an enormous crash, and woke the wind-fairy, who was at his side in an instant.

“Well,” he said, “are you ready?”

“Quite,” said Jack, his teeth chattering with fear, for the old fellow had flown into a violent rage, and was stretching out his long thin arms to catch him; but the wind-fairy blew in his face till he was forced to shut his eyes, and turn his head away. Then he took Jack on his shoulders, and flew off with him without another word.

“The fire-ball is gone out,” he said to Jack, after they had gone a little way; “so I’m afraid you’ll be cold. If you feel sleepy you may as well go to sleep. I won't let you fall; and I am about to go so quickly that you won’t see anything we pass.”

Jack did feel both sleepy and cold, and was very glad to fall into a doze, although he woke every now and then to ask if they were getting near home. At last the fairy said, “Now we are over London, and you'll be home in a few minutes.”

“I hope my mother isn’t come home yet,” said