"dear me!" ejaculated jimmieboy, as his eye first rested upon the imp. "that's you, eh?"

"i believe so," replied the imp, standing on his left leg, and twirling around and around until jimmieboy got dizzy looking at him. "i was me when i got up this morning, and i haven't heard of any change since. do i look like what i told you i looked like?"

"not exactly," said jimmieboy. "you said you had lilac-colored hair, and it's more like a green than a lilac."

"you are just like everybody else naming your colors. people are very queer about[pg 94] things of that sort, i think. for instance," said the imp, to illustrate his point, "you go walking in the garden with one of your friends, and you come to a rose-bush, and your friend says, 'isn't that a pretty rose-bush?' 'yes,' say you; 'very.' then he says, 'and what a lovely lilac-bush that is over there.' 'extremely lovely,' say you. 'let's sit down under this raspberry-bush,' says he. well, now you think lilac is a delicate lavender, rose a pink, and raspberry a red—eh?"

"yes," said jimmieboy. "that's the way they are."

"well, maybe so; but that lilac-bush and rose-bush and raspberry-bush are all the same color, and that color is green, just like my hair; you must have thought i looked like a rainbow or a paint shop when i told you about myself?"

"no," said jimmieboy. "i didn't think[pg 95] that, exactly. i thought, perhaps, you were like the pictures in my mother goose book. they have lots of colors to 'em, and they are not bad looking, either."

"well, if they are not bad looking," said the imp, with a pleased smile, "they must be very much like me. but don't you want to come in?"

"i'm not small enough," said jimmieboy; "but i'll eat that apple you spoke about, and maybe it'll make me shrink, though i don't see how it can."

"easy enough. haven't you seen a boy doubled up after eating an apple? of course you have; perhaps you were the boy. at any rate there is no reason why, if an apple can work that way, it can't work the other. it's a poor rule that won't work both ways, and an apple is pretty good, as a rule, and so you have it proved without trying that what i say is true. here's the apple;[pg 96] eat it as quickly as you can and give me the core."

jimmieboy took the dainty piece of fruit in his hand and ate it with much relish, for it was a very sweet apple, and he was fond of that sort of thing. unfortunately, he liked it so well that he forgot to give the core to the imp, and, when in a moment he felt himself shrinking up, and the imp asked for the core, he was forced blushingly to confess that he had been very piggish about it, and had swallowed the whole thing.

"i've half a mind not to let you in at all!" cried the imp, stamping his foot angrily upon the floor, so angrily that the bells rang out softly as if in remonstrance. "in fact, i don't see how i can let you in, because you have disobeyed me about that core."

"i'm surprised at you," returned jimmieboy, slightly injured in feeling by the imp's[pg 97] behavior. "i wouldn't make such a fuss about an old apple-core. if you feel as badly about it as all that, i'll run down into the kitchen and get you a whole apple—one as big as you are."

"that isn't the point at all," said the imp. "i didn't want the core for myself at all. i wanted it for you."

"well, i've got it," said jimmieboy, who had now shrunk until he was no taller than the imp himself, not more than two inches high.

"of course you have, and if you will notice it is making you grow right back again to the size you were before. that's where the trouble comes in with those trick apples. the outside makes you shrink, and the core makes you grow. when i said i wanted the core i meant that i wanted it to keep until we had had our trip together, so that when we got back you could eat it, and return to[pg 98] your papa and mamma just as you were in the beginning. just run to the parlor mirror now and watch yourself."

jimmieboy hastened into the parlor, and climbing upon the mantel-piece gazed into the mirror, and, much to his surprise, noticed that he was growing fast. he was four inches high when he got there, and then as the minutes passed he lengthened inch by inch, until finally he found himself just as he had been before he ate the apple.

"well, what are you going to do about it?" he asked, when he returned to the telephone.

"i don't know," said the imp. "it's really too bad, for that's the last apple of that sort i had. the trick-apple trees only bear one apple a year, and i have been saving that one for you ever since last summer, and here, just because you were greedy, it has all gone for nothing."

[pg 99]

"i'm very sorry, and very much ashamed," said jimmieboy, ruefully. "it was really so awfully good, i didn't think."

"well, it's very thoughtless of you not to think," said the imp. "i should think you'd feel very small."

"i do!" sobbed jimmieboy.

"do you, really?" cried the imp, gleefully. "real weeny, teeny small."

"yes," said jimmieboy, a tear trickling down his cheek.

"then it's all right," sang the imp, dancing a lovely jig to show how glad he felt. "because we are always the way we feel. if you feel sick, you are sick. if you feel good, you are good, and if you feel sorry, you are sorry, and so, don't you see, if you feel small you are small. the only point is, now, do you feel small enough to get into this room?"

"i think i do," returned jimmieboy,[pg 100] brightening up considerably, because his one great desire now was not to be a big grown-up man, like his papa, who could sharpen lead-pencils, and go out of doors in snow-storms, but to visit the imp in his own quarters. "yes," he repeated, "i think i do feel small enough to get in there."

"you've got to know," returned the imp. "the trouble with you, i believe, is that you think in the wrong places. this isn't a matter of thinking; it's a matter of knowing."

"well, then, i know i'm small enough," said jimmieboy. "the only thing is, how am i to get up there?"

"i'll fix that," replied the imp, with a happy smile. "i'll let down the wires, and you can come up on them."

here he began to unwind two thin green silk-covered wires that jimmieboy had not before noticed, and which were coiled about[pg 101] two small spools fastened on the back of the door.

"i can't climb," said jimmieboy, watching the operation with interest.

"nobody asked you to," returned the imp. "when these have reached the floor i want you to fasten them to the newel-post of the stairs."

"all right," said jimmieboy, grasping the wires, and fastening them as he was told. "what now?"

"now i'll send down the elevator," said the imp, as he loosened a huge magnet from the wall, and fastening it securely upon the two wires, sent it sliding down to where jimmieboy stood. "there," he added, as it reached the end of the wire. "step on that; i'll turn on the electricity, and up you'll come."

"i won't fall, will i?" asked jimmieboy, timidly.

[pg 102]

"that depends on the way you feel," the imp answered. "if you feel safe, you are safe. do you feel safe?"

"not very," said jimmieboy, as he stepped aboard the magnetic elevator.

"then we'll have to wait until you do," returned the imp, impatiently. "it seems to me that a boy who has spent weeks and weeks and weeks jumping off plush sofas onto waxed hard-wood floors ought to be less timid than you are."

"that's true," said jimmieboy. "i guess i feel safe."

"all aboard, then," said the imp, pressing a small button at the back of his room.

there was a rattle and a buzz, and then the magnet began to move upward, slowly at first, and then with all the rapidity of the lightning, so that before jimmieboy had an opportunity to change his mind about his safety he was in the imp's room, and, much[pg 103] to his delight, discovered that he was small enough to walk about therein without having to stoop, and in every way comfortable.

"at last!" ejaculated the imp, grasping his hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "at last you are here. and now we'll close the door, and i'll show you my treasures."

with this the door was closed, and for a moment all was dark as pitch; but only for a moment, for hardly had jimmieboy turned around when a flood of soft light burst forth from every corner of the room, and the little visitor saw upon every side of him the most wonderful books, toys, and musical instruments he had ever seen, each and all worked by electricity, and apparently subject to the will of the imp, who was the genius of the place.