"I remember now," she exclaimed in awe-struck tones, "wishing to be a crab so as to keep you company, and know the mystery, and I was too miserable to think about the real Wishes--and never noticed or thought about not having changed--and oh! if _I_ had happened to have one catseye only, _I_ should have changed into a horrid crab and remained one for really ever and ever!" "Oh, bother. What's the good of going on like that, Sis?" said her brother impatiently, for her voice verged very near a whimper. "Much better smile and thank your stars you're only a girl. Now what shall we do? You suggest something, Dulcie." "Go home," was her prompt reply, wistfully and not without anxiety. "Yes, but it's all very well to say 'Go home'; the only way back must be the way we came, and you know what that means; even if we can find it." From Dulcie's looks she evidently didn't relish the prospect. The very idea of the Wizard made her tremble. "I must say," continued her brother, "I don't know how we're going to manage it. We can't, so _he_ said, cross the Brook--and you could see he meant it. So it's impossible, unless we roam about till we grow older, and then we shouldn't know the exact date when we leave off being children under ten." "We shouldn't know the date at all," said Dulcie disconsolately; "we don't even know what time it is now." "It feels like tea-time," remarked Cyril. "Oh no, the sun's too hot for that." "Let's go through our changes and see if we can make it all out," said Cyril; "that's the first thing to do." They went carefully through their various experiences from the beginning. "I counted there were ten in each bracelet, so we ought each to have five catseyes left, instead of none and no bracelets at all!" he concluded miserably. And they were both full of trouble. But soon, Dulcie exclaimed-- "Why, we _are_ Billies! We must count five more for getting back each time into our own shapes." Of course, there had been the mistake, and the fact being brought to light proved a great relief. "Still," said Cyril, "we ought to have been more careful, and saved two for the end; then we could have crossed the Brook as animals or something and taken our own shapes again on the other side, as we'd made up our minds to do." "Ah, but perhaps we shouldn't have had the power on the other side," remarked his sister. That was a new view of the case. The children were perplexed. "Anyway, we're in a nice fix," replied Cyril. Then they decided it was no use stopping there, especially as Cyril said he wanted his tea badly--so the only thing was to find their way back, and try and dodge the Wizard if they could. They wandered off, not particularly hopeful, and very nervous. Cyril thought he should know the way once they found the Bird-Fairy's glade. Dulcie took his arm, and they walked on in silence, which she broke at last. "I wish some one would come and take care of us!" "I wish some one would bring me my tea!" said her brother.