The Little House

           EverybodyhasheardoftheLittleHouseintheKensingtonGardens,whichistheonlyhouseinthewholeworldthatthefairieshavebuiltforhumans.Butnoonehasreallyseenit,exceptjustthreeorfour,andtheyhavenotonlyseenitbutsleptinit,andunlessyousleepinityouneverseeit.Thisisbecauseitisnottherewhenyouliedown,butitistherewhenyouwakeupandstepoutside.

           Inakindofwayeveryonemayseeit,butwhatyouseeisnotreallyit,butonlythelightinthewindows.YouseethelightafterLock-outTime.David,forinstance,sawitquitedistinctlyfarawayamongthetreesasweweregoinghomefromthepantomime,andOliverBaileysawitthenighthestayedsolateattheTemple,whichisthenameofhisfather’soffice.AngelaClare,wholovestohaveatoothextractedbecausethensheistreatedtoteainashop,sawmorethanonelight,shesawhundredsofthemalltogether,andthismusthavebeenthefairiesbuildingthehouse,fortheybuilditeverynightandalwaysinadifferentpartoftheGardens.Shethoughtoneofthelightswasbiggerthantheothers,thoughshewasnotquitesure,fortheyjumpedaboutso,anditmighthavebeenanotheronethatwasbigger.Butifitwasthesameone,itwasPeterPan’slight.Heapsofchildrenhaveseenthelight,sothatisnothing.ButMaimieManneringwasthefamousoneforwhomthehousewasfirstbuilt.

           Maimiewasalwaysratherastrangegirl,anditwasatnightthatshewasstrange.Shewasfouryearsofage,andinthedaytimeshewastheordinarykind.