Gimp and image edit question

["patrick.oneil" <patrick hci utah edu>]

I have a scanned image that I have tried to resize from a rather large
size, at which I am able to do nice image editing work, to a smaller size.
I have tried to use the scale command, bringing the size of the image down
to the correct size on the screen, then saving it - thinking that the new
size would "stick".  It doesn't.  If I open the image up, the size is
right back to the huge size I started out as.  Trying to use resize
doesn't work since it simply seems to crop/truncate the image rather than
shrink it.  

Surely there is a means by which I can resize my scanned image down in
size FOR REAL such that when I open it up subsequently, it will be the
correct smaller size and I could then print it out at that small size.

So far, all I get is huge image and huge printout.

patrick