`` Oh , you darling , oh , you sweet , oh , you love ! '' she cried . Perhaps a human voice frightened the little house , or maybe it now knew that its work was done , for no sooner had Maimie spoken than it began to grow smaller ; it shrank so slowly that she could scarce believe it was shrinking , yet she soon knew that it could not contain her now . It always remained as complete as ever , but it became smaller and smaller , and the garden dwindled at the same time , and the snow crept closer , lapping house and garden up . Now the house was the size of a little dog 's kennel , and now of a Noah 's Ark , but still you could see the smoke and the door-handle and the roses on the wall , every one complete . The glow-worm fight was waning too , but it was still there . `` Darling , loveliest , do n't go ! '' Maimie cried , falling on her knees , for the little house was now the size of a reel of thread , but still quite complete . But as she stretched out her arms imploringly the snow crept up on all sides until it met itself , and where the little house had been was now one unbroken expanse of snow . Maimie stamped her foot naughtily , and was putting her fingers to her eyes , when she heard a kind voice say , `` Do n't cry , pretty human , do n't cry , '' and then she turned round and saw a beautiful little naked boy regarding her wistfully . She knew at once that he must be Peter Pan . Lock-out Time It is frightfully difficult to know much about the fairies , and almost the only thing known for certain is that there are fairies wherever there are children . Long ago children were forbidden the Gardens , and at that time there was not a fairy in the place ; then the children were admitted , and the fairies came trooping in that very evening . They ca n't resist following the children , but you seldom see them , partly because they live in the daytime behind the railings , where you are not allowed to go , and also partly because they are so cunning . They are not a bit cunning after Lock-out , but until Lock-out , my word ! When you were a bird you knew the fairies pretty well , and you remember a good deal about them in your babyhood , which it is a great pity you ca n't write down , for gradually you forget , and I have heard of children who declared that they had never once seen a fairy . Very likely if they said this in the Kensington Gardens , they were standing looking at a fairy all the time . The reason they were cheated was that she pretended to be something else . This is one of their best tricks . They usually pretend to be flowers , because the court sits in the Fairies ' Basin , and there are so many flowers there , and all along the Baby Walk , that a flower is the thing least likely to attract attention .
They dress exactly like flowers , and change with the seasons , XXXXX on white when lilies are in and blue for blue-bells , and so on .
admitted declared forbidden frightened known love putting sits stamped turned