of your life. Or, if you will be ours for six months, you can take it. Look at it! You can have it for just one month of your life. Or a week—a short, little week!"
But neither Dora nor Colin saw or heard these earnest little creatures, and directly Colin looked up and said:
"No, I won't agree to it for a day."
"Well, then," said the dwarf, "I won't be hard on you. Will you agree to an hour?"
Colin thought that in an hour he might be made to do some thing he didn't like at all. Nobody could tell what these dwarf could set a boy to doing. So he said:
"No, not an hour."
"A minute, then," said the dwarf.
Colin hesitated. That was not a long time, but he might be made to fire a gun or do something very dangerous in a minute.
"No, sir," said he.
"A second?" cried the dwarf.
"I might strike Dora in a second," thought Colin, and he sung out:
"No, I won't."
"Well, then, will you take it for nothing?" asked the dwarf.
"Oh, yes," said Colin. "I'll take it for nothing."
"Here it is," said the dwarf, "and I am very glad, indeed, to give it to you."
"Well!" exclaimed Colin, in surprise. "You are a curious fellow! But I'm very glad to get the holly. We're ever so much obliged."
"Yes, indeed," said Dora, and she fairly jumped for joy.
The two little dwarfs were now nearly frantic in their endeavors to make Dora look at their doll. They still were afraid to call out, but they whispered as loud as they could:
