'But my dear Spiker, that's perfectly ridiculous. That's impossible. That's - that's - that's - Now, wait just a minute - No - No that can't be right - No - Yes - Great Scott! The thing really is growing!'
'It's nearly twice as big already!' Aunt Spiker shouted.
'It can't be true!'
'It is true!'
'It must be a miracle!'
'Watch it! Watch it!'
'I am watching it!'
'Great heavens alive!' Aunt Spiker yelled. 'I can actually see the thing bulging and swelling before my very eyes!'
Seven
The two women and the small boy stood absolutely still on the grass underneath the tree, gazing up at this extraordinary fruit. James's little face was glowing with excitement, his eyes were as big and bright as two stars. He could see the peach swelling larger and larger as clearly as if it were a balloon being blown up.
In half a minute, it was the size of a melon!
In another half-minute, it was twice as big again!
'Just look at it growing!' Aunt Spiker cried.
'Will it ever stop!' Aunt Sponge shouted, waving her fat arms and starting to dance around in circles.
And now it was so big it looked like an enormous butter-coloured pumpkin dangling from the top of the tree.
'Get away from that tree trunk, you stupid boy!' Aunt Spiker yelled. 'The slightest shake and I'm sure it'll fall off! It must weigh twenty or thirty pounds at least!'
The branch that the peach was growing upon was beginning to bend over further and further because of the weight.
'Stand back!' Aunt Sponge shouted. 'It's coming down! The branch is going to break!'
But the branch didn't break. It simply bent over more and more as the peach got heavier and heavier.
And still it went on growing.
In another minute, this mammoth fruit was as large and round and fat as Aunt Sponge herself, and probably just as heavy.
'It has to stop now!' Aunt Spiker yelled. 'It can't go on for ever!'
But it didn't stop.
Soon it was the size of a small car, and reached halfway to the ground.
Both aunts were now hopping round and round the tree, clapping their hands and shouting all sorts of silly things in their excitement.
'Hallelujah!' Aunt Spiker shouted. 'What a peach! What a peach!'
'Terrifico!' Aunt Sponge cried out, 'Magnifico! Splendifico! And what a meal!'
'It's still growing.'
'I know! I know!'
As for James, he was so spellbound by the whole thing that he could only stand and stare and murmur quietly to himself, 'Oh, isn't it beautiful. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.'