Shrunk! by F. R. Hitchcock

if we should shout louder, so we do.
    â€˜CINDERELLA,’ yells Grandma, really loudly.
    â€˜FAIRY,’ I scream.
    â€˜E = MC squared,’ shouts Eric.
    We all stare at him.
    â€˜Theory of relativity,’ says Eric, looking at the floor.
    â€˜Oooooh,’ says Jacob, his leg deep in the keyhole.
    Ping
. The key falls from the lock on to the newspaper and quick as a flash I pull it under the door.
    â€˜Very clever, I’m sure,’ says Grandma, taking the key from me and slipping it past Jacob’s leg, into the lock.
    The door opens.
    Oh!

Chapter 29
    I was prepared for the idea that Jupiter would have grown. I was expecting something the size of a basketball. But this?
    â€˜Wow,’ says Eric.
    â€˜Oh my word,’ says Grandma, sinking on to the bed.
    â€˜Go away,’ says Tilly. ‘It’s mine, and I want you all to go away.’
    We stand there, staring. Even Jacob stops with his mouth open, gazing at the giant ball. It’s an Eric tall and an Eric wide. Spinning like the display in the jeweller’s in the high street, but there’s no glitter any more – instead it’s sort of smoking, like hot brown soup.
    â€˜Tilly,’ says Grandma. ‘What is it?’
    Tilly doesn’t say anything, but points at me.
    Grandma stares at me. ‘Tom?’
    I shrug – what else can I do? And then, when Grandma goes on staring, I say, ‘Jupiter. It’s Jupiter.’
    For a moment, I think she’s going to have a heart attack. ‘Tom,’ she says. ‘Tom. What have you done?’
    â€˜I shrank it. Three days ago.’
    â€˜No! I can’t believe you’re that stupid.’
    â€˜But, Grandma, I didn’t know. It was the first thing I clicked on.’
    â€˜You should have told me.’
    CRACK
.
    The planet groans and almost doubles in size. Now it’s a Dad tall and a Dad wide.
    â€˜Now look what you’ve done!’ shouts Tilly. ‘It’s wrecking my room.’
    â€˜S’not my fault!’ I shout.
    â€˜Yes it is,’ says Tilly. ‘It’s all your fault.’
    â€˜Oh, goody goody, are you two going to have a fight? I love a good fight.’
    â€˜Who said that?’ Tilly, who’s been looking for a sulking spot on the other side of the room, sees Jacob.
    â€˜Oh, wow, a living doll.’ She leaps forward and grabs him from the floor. ‘It’s a real doll, just you wait. You can live with Toots in the Spangle Palace. And I’ve got some clothes for you.’
    â€˜No, stop her!’
    â€˜Oh! Shush, Jacob, can’t you see it’s a crisis?’ says Grandma.
    Eric picks his way over the scattered Woodland Friends, until his fingers are an inch from the planet’s surface. ‘Wow!’ He’s gazing at it. ‘Wow.’
    â€˜Don’t. It’ll burn you,’ I say.
    â€˜One hundred and sixty degrees below freezing,’ he says in answer, his voice full of hushed wonder. ‘It’s incredible. It’s marvellous.’
    â€˜Probably . . .’
    â€˜I never thought . . . I mean, we’re standing in the presence of an ancient and wonderful thing, something that’s reached out to man for as long as man’s been on the planet.’
    â€˜Eric, you’re beginning to sound like your father,’ says Grandma.
    â€˜Sorry . . . There are sixty-four moons, you know. Look – there, see.’
    Something about the size of a ping-pong ball whizzes past my nose.
    â€˜It takes a little under ten hours to rotate.’
    â€˜Help! Snot Face, Model Village, help!’
    I turn to look for Jacob, but there’s this cracking noise, and the whole thing grows again, taking a chunk out of the ceiling.
    â€˜Yow!’ screams Tilly, and grabs Jacob to her chest. She’s jammed him into a pair of mauve flared trousers, and a velveteen jacket. He’s trying to get his teeth round her finger, but