They set the date for the following Sunday. Mrs Parkin greeted him at her back door that day and welcomed him into her dining room. Pixi sat on the edge of her table and shrank himself, watching his feet leave the floor.

He looked up at Mrs Parkin as she sat down in front of him.

“I’ve waited for this for so long,” he said.

“I don’t know if I should go ahead with this,” said Mrs Parkin.

“Why not?” asked Pixi.

“I’m supposed to look after you, to see that nothing bad can befall you,” said Mrs Parkin.

“Eating me won’t be a bad thing to me. It will be the nicest thing you’ve ever done for me.”

“I just can’t look at it that way,” she said.

“But you promised. You can’t break your promise,” said Pixi.

“Surely I could in a situation like this.”

“Then I don’t want to be friends with you anymore!” said Pixi, “I wish I’d stayed with Grizel’s mother. I know she would have eaten me! Now that land’s moved on, and I’ve lost my chance forever. It’s all your fault.”

“Please don’t say such horrid things about me,” said Mrs Parkin, “If you love my tongue that much, I’ll keep my promise then … I suppose I’ll have to now.”

“Oh thank you, Mrs Parkin. I love your neck and your tummy too!”

“Shall I lick you first?” she asked, stalling a little.

“Yes, thank you,” said Pixi, and enjoyed it for a while before saying, “Could you please put me in your mouth and gobble me down now?”

“If you say so,” said Mrs Parkin.

She opened her mouth and put the tip of her tongue out in front of her lips, so that he could easily use it to slide into her mouth. Pixi made his way in and waited for her to start gulping him down.

Then he felt her mouth shaking for some time, and then it opened, and she took him out.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I hope I didn’t hurt you. I didn’t mean to shake about so much.”

He saw that she was crying, and had been doing so for some time.

“What’s the matter, Mrs Parkin? Have I lost my nice taste?”

“No. You still taste as nice as ever,” she said, “I’m just so unhappy that I’m doing this. I don’t want to lose you down in my tummy. I’ve been your governess for so long, and I love you, Pixis. You’re such a sweet nice little boy. I don’t want to say goodbye to you.”

He’d never seen her like this before.

He grew back to his full size, and found himself sitting on her lap. He put his arms around her and said, “I’m so sorry I made you unhappy, Mrs Parkin. I love you too. I won’t go down your throat then, just into your mouth sometimes. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“Oh you dear darling boy!” she said, and hugged him tenderly for a long time, occasionally licking him with gratitude for releasing her from her promise.