Hold fast all I give you . ' The children shut their eyes , but nothing happened . ` Well ? ' said Una , disappointedly opening them . ' I thought there would be dragons . ' ' `` Though It shall have happened three thousand year , '' ' said Puck , and counted on his fingers . ` No ; I 'm afraid there were no dragons three thousand years ago . ' ` But there has n't happened anything at all , ' said Dan . ` Wait awhile , ' said Puck . ` You do n't grow an oak in a year -- and Old England 's older than twenty oaks . Let 's sit down again and think . I can do that for a century at a time . ' ` Ah , but you 're a fairy , ' said Dan . ` Have you ever heard me say that word yet ? ' said Puck quickly . ` No . You talk about `` the People of the Hills '' , but you never say `` fairies '' , ' said Una . ' I was wondering at that . Do n't you like it ? ' ` How would you like to be called `` mortal '' or `` human being '' all the time ? '
said XXXXX ; ` or `` son of Adam '' or `` daughter of Eve '' ? ' '
Dan England Hills Puck Una anything century eyes oak year