"Very well," Spindizzy gasped. "You leave me no choice. If you will not tell me how many grains of sand there are, I shall have to stick my tongue out at you."
    "But you've already stuck your tongue out at me," the Grain reminded her.
    "Yes," she admitted, "But this time I shall do it with great feeling."
    Spindizzy's eyes got all small and squinty and her face scrunched up tight in preparation, but before she could launch her tongue, the Grain asked, "Why do you want to know how many gains of sand there are?"
    With a great effort, she managed to keep her tongue in her mouth and answered the question. "I am on a quest to find the Largest Number. Surely the world's sand count is the Largest Number. And, if it isn't, I'm sure it's very close. And I've learned the hard way that it's very difficult to get very close to something without seeing it."
    "But, don't you know?" said the Grain, "There is no Largest Number."
    "Of course there is," Spindizzy replied with a laugh. "You're very silly."
    The Grain was a little put out by that remark and it said sternly, "There is not a Largest Number and I'll prove it to you.
    "Oh, no, please," Spindizzy cried in dismay, "Proof gives me a rash."
    The Grain sputtered and mumbled and said, "All right. Do this then: think of what you think the largest number would be."
    Spindizzy closed her eyes. "Okay."
    "Now add one to it," said the Grain. "So now that's the largest number, right?"
    "Yes," the fairy replied matter-of-factly.
    "Now add one to that number," said the Grain. "Isn't that the largest number now?"
    "Yes," said Spindizzy in the same tone.