“I don’t know if she will,” replied Teddy dolefully; “we’ve always been so naughty, I daresay she’ll be glad we’ve gone.” “Oh no, she won’t,” said Tilly, nodding her head; “she loves us too much for that; but if we could get back I’d be so good.” “And so would I,” cried Teddy; and then they both wept again, while Gillydrop, seeing their tears, wept also out of sheer sympathy. “Perhaps the giant will only eat one of us,” said Tilly after a pause; “so while one of us is boiling, the other must run away and go back to comfort mother.” “Who will be boiled?” asked Teddy sadly. “Will you, Tilly?” “I don’t like being boiled,” answered Tilly, with a shudder. “I’m sure it isn’t nice.” “Well, I don’t like being boiled either,” observed Teddy. “Suppose we draw lots who is to run away.” “Yes, that would be fair,” said Tilly, drying her eyes; “and the one who wins must go back to cheer mother.” Gillydrop was quite sorry now that he had brought them for Dunderhead’s supper, when he heard how they regretted their mother; so he made up his mind to save them. “You shall neither of you be boiled,” he said, walking up to them across the table, which was like a large plain. “I will take you back to your mother.” “But how?” asked Teddy and Tilly, both together. “We cannot go back across the sea alone.” “Oh yes, you can,” replied the Red Elf. “I brought you here, and can send you back; that is, if I only had a leaf.” “Here is one,” cried Tilly eagerly, pulling a faded leaf out of her pocket. “I picked it up in the wood to-day, it had such pretty red and yellow colours.” “Oh, that will do for a boat,” said Gillydrop joyfully. “But it’s so small,” objected Teddy. “I’ll make it large enough,” said the elf. “You’ll see.” “But how can we go on without sails or oars?” said Tilly timidly. “You don’t need any,” rejoined Gillydrop, laughing; “you know every tree has power to draw back its own leaves. The boat we came in was a leaf, and, as soon as it was launched on the air, it went straight back to the tree in the Country of the Giants upon which it had grown; and as this leaf comes from a tree on earth, it will go straight back to its tree.” “Then we can get home,” cried Tilly, clapping her hands, “for the tree isn’t far from mother’s cottage.” “Mind, you are never to be naughty again,” said Gillydrop solemnly. “Oh, no, no!” cried both children. “And be very, very good to your mother.” “Yes, yes! We’ll be very good.” “Then go down to the beach by the path,” said Gillydrop, spreading his wings. “I’ll fly down and get the boat ready; be quick, or the giant will return.” Then he flew away through the open window, and Teddy scrambled down the steep path, followed by Tilly, both of them in a great fright lest the giant should catch sight of them and pop them into his big kettle. When they reached the beach, they found Gillydrop had launched the leaf, which had now been transformed into a beautiful red and yellow coloured boat.