[Illustration: BY THE SEA. ]

FIVE MICE IN A MOUSE-TRAP, BY THE MAN IN THE MOON. 

 _DONE IN VERNACULAR, FROM THE LUNACULAR, _

BY LAURA E. RICHARDS, _Author of "Babyhood, " Etc. _

 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY _KATE GREENAWAY_, _ADDIE LEDYARD_, _AND OTHERS_. 

 * * * * *

 BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY ESTES AND LAURIAT, 299 TO 305 WASHINGTON STREET, 1881. 

 _Copyright, _ BY ESTES & LAURIAT, 1880. 

CONTENTS. 

 CHAPTER I. THE MAN IN THE MOON, 9

 CHAPTER II. THE MOUSE-TRAP, 14

 CHAPTER III. THE MICE, 19

 CHAPTER IV. JOLLYKALOO, 45

 CHAPTER V. TOMTY, 64

 CHAPTER VI. A NIGHT JOURNEY, 79

 CHAPTER VII. A RAINY DAY AND WHAT CAME OF IT, 97

 CHAPTER VIII. A STORY CHAPTER, 109

 CHAPTER IX. A PICNIC, 123

 CHAPTER X. THE CARRIAGE CLOUD, 138

 CHAPTER XI. A BIRTHDAY PARTY, 154

 CHAPTER XII. SICKNESS IN THE MOUSE-TRAP, 169

 CHAPTER XIII. OFF TO THE SEA-SHORE, 179

 CHAPTER XIV. STORIES AGAIN, 193

 CHAPTER XV. FOLLOWING A SUNBEAM, 207

 CHAPTER XVI. UNDER THE SEA, 215

 CHAPTER XVII. GOOD-BYE, 227

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I. 

THE MAN IN THE MOON. 

CHILDREN, down on the planet which you call Earth, allow me to introducemyself to you! I am the Man in the Moon. I have no doubt that you know agood deal about me, in an indirect way, and that your nurses have toldyou all sorts of nonsense about my inquiring the way to Norwich--as if Ididn't know the way to Norwich! and various things equally sensible. Butnow I am going to tell you a little about myself, and a great deal about_yourselves_, and about everything in general. In short, I am going towrite you a book, and this is the beginning of it. 

[Illustration: PATCHKO'S FATHER. ]

You see, I live very quietly up here, very quietly indeed, with only mydog to bear me company. He is a good dog, and very funny sometimes, butstill I have a good deal of time on my hands, and nothing amuses me somuch as to watch all that is going on down on your planet, and see whatpeople in general, and children in particular, are doing, every day andall day. You may wonder how I can see so far, and see distinctly, butthat is easily explained. I have a great, monstrous mirror, whichis--oh! well, if I were to tell you how big it is, you would not believeme, so I will only say that it is very big indeed. This mirror has alsothe advantage of being a very strong magnifying glass, and as I can tipit in any direction I please, you will easily understand that I can seejust what is going on in any part of the world that I happen to beinterested in. For instance, Tommy Tiptop, the glass was tipped towardsNew York this morning, and I saw you take away your little sister'sstick of candy, you greedy boy! Yes, and I saw you put in the closet forit, too, so that was well ended. Children are the same, I find, all theworld over, for it was only yesterday that a little boy in Kamschatka(an ugly little Tartar he is, and not so very unlike you), namedPatchko, while his father was out hunting, took away a tallow candlefrom his sister, which seemed just as good to her as the barley sugardid to little Katie. 

[Illustration]

But, children all, I beg your pardon! I am not writing this book forTommy Tiptop, and I hope that most of the boys who read it will bebetter than he is. I do want, however, to tell you about some childrenof whom I am very particularly fond, and whom most of you do not know. These children live in the town of Nomatterwhat, which, as you areprobably aware, is in the State of Nomatterwhere, which again is, orreally ought to be, one of the United States of America. Perhaps theseare Indian names; similarly, perhaps they are not. There are five ofthese children, and I call them my Five Mice; and the queer house thatthey live in I call the Mouse-trap. They are such funny children! Iwatch them sometimes all day long, their pranks are so amusing; and thenwhen night comes, I slide down a moonbeam and sit by their pillows, andtell them stories and sing them songs. Ah! they like that, you maybelieve! And you all shall hear the stories and songs too, if you like, for I will write them down. So now, children all, listen! in America, Jennie and Johnny; in France, Marie and Emil; in Germany, Gretchen andHans; in Italy, Tita and Nanni; in Kamschatka, Patchko and Tinka. Listenall, great and small, to the old

 MAN IN THE MOON

CHAPTER II. 

THE MOUSE-TRAP. 

[Illustration]

MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the timeseems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it thenwas), of Nomatterwhat, an old man. He was a very queer old man, andnobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what hetold them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that hisname was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he choseto come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and nolonger. The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruffand crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this beingexactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied. Apparentlywhat he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did. He bought a large piece of ground and built a highwall all round it, and put the ugliest and most vicious looking ironspikes that you can imagine all along the top of the wall. Then he chosethe sunniest and most sheltered spot he could find on the place, andthere the old man built his house. Well, to be sure, what a queer houseit was! in the first place, there were three separate flights of stairs, one for old Jonas himself, one for his cat, and one for his dog. His ownstaircase was very easy, with broad low steps, and two landings, thoughthe distance was very short from the first story to the second; but thepoor cat and dog must have had a hard time of it. The other twostaircases were so crooked it seemed as if the carpenter must have builtthem in his sleep, and have had the nightmare to boot. Each step was setat a different angle from the one below it; and they were high, andsteep, and dark--ugh! I don't like to think about them. I remember Itried to send a moonbeam down the cat's stairs once, through a littleskylight over the landing; and the poor thing got lost and wanderedabout for an hour before it could find its way back again. There's aflight of stairs for you! and everything else in the house was just asqueer. There were large rooms and small rooms, long rooms and squarerooms; there were cupboards everywhere, you never saw so many cupboardsin your life. Some close to the floor so that you bumped your head inlooking into them, others so high up in the wall that nothing short of astep-ladder could reach them; cupboards in the chimneys, and cupboardsunder the stairs; yes, there was no end to them. 

[Illustration]

Well, Jonas Junk furnished his house, and there he lived for many ayear, with his dog and his cat, and nobody else. All the ground aboutthe house he made into a beautiful garden, full of pear trees and appletrees and all kinds of fruit trees. People used to say, by the way, thatthe reason these apple trees were so crooked, was because they tried tolook like old Jonas himself; but I don't know how that was. Certainly, Jonas was not a beauty, and I am sorry to say the boys were disposed tomake fun of him whenever he ventured out of his queer house into thevillage. "But what has all this to do with mice and a mouse-trap, youask?" Patience! patience! we are coming to that very soon. I am an oldman, older than all of you and all your great-grandmothers put together, so you must let me tell my story in my own way. If Jonas Junk had livedon till to-day, his house would never have been turned into amouse-trap; but one dark night, you see, he fell down the dog's stairsand broke his neck, and there was an end of him. For a long time nobodylived in his house, and the garden was all going to rack and ruin, whenone fine day a gentleman from a neighboring town came to see the oldhouse and took a great fancy to it; and finally he bought it, cat-stairs, dog-stairs, cupboards, garden and all. 

[Illustration]

Now this gentleman happened to be Uncle Jack, the uncle and guardian ofthe Five Mice, whose father and mother were dead; and then it was, whenhe came to live in it with his five nephews and nieces, and Mrs. Possetthe nurse, and Susan the cook, and Thomas the gardener, then it was, Isay, that the old Junk-shop, as the villagers called it was turned intothe most delightful house in the world, which I call my MOUSE-TRAP. 

 [Illustration: NIBBLE BRIGHTEYES FLUFF PUFF AND DOWNY]

CHAPTER III. 

THE MICE. 

[Illustration]

NIBBLE, Brighteyes, Fluff, Puff, and Downy the baby. There are the namesof the mice, all written out nicely for you, and there in a corner is aglimpse of the mouse-trap. Of course the children have real names, justlike other children; but I have given them mouse-names, which I verymuch prefer to Harry and Bessie, and--but oh! dear, I didn't mean totell you any of their real names. Nibble is the oldest. He is now a finebright boy-mouse of twelve, but when he first came to the mouse-trap hewas only eight years old, and Brighteyes, the oldest girl-mouse, wasseven. Then came Fluff and Puff, the twins, who were just five, andDowny the baby, a fat little fellow of three. You see their ages werequite near enough for them all to be great friends and playmates, and sothey were. I never shall forget the day they came. It was a fine brightday in May, and Spring was just awake in the old garden. The short newgrass was like emerald; the old gnarled apple-trees, which certainlydid look like Jonas Junk when their branches were bare, had lost alltrace of such likeness, for each was crowned with a pink and whitesnowdrift of blossoms. Down in the neglected flower-beds the crocusesand snowdrops were nodding and whispering to each other. "Yes, " theysaid, "some new people are coming to live in the old house, and thereare children among them. Mr. Breeze, the postman, knows all about them, but he could not stop to tell us much this morning, for he was in ahurry. Now we shall be cared for, and watered, and there will be somepleasure in blossoming. When the children come, we will tell them howthose vulgar weeds pushed and crowded us last year. " And they did tellthe children, but children do not understand flower-talk, I find. Andyet it is a very simple language. You see, I hear a great deal offlower-gossip, for my moonbeams are sad chatterboxes, and they bring meback all sorts of news when they come home in the morning. How theburglar-bees robbed old Madam Peony, how the daffodils in the longborder had been flirting with the regiment of purple flags behindthem, when the Tulip family are expected; yes, there is no end to thethings I hear. But if I told all I know, everybody would be as wise as Iam, so let us go on about the mice. [Illustration: FLUFF AND PUFF. ]

[Illustration]

Well, at about three o'clock in the afternoon of this fine day that Ihave been describing, a large carriage, drawn by two fine black horses, drove through the old gateway and down the quiet, lovely lane, andstopped in front of the house. The very instant the wheels ceased toturn, the door of the carriage burst open with a crash, and out jumped, rolled, and tumbled my five mice. First came Nibble, in jacket andtrousers and cap. One jump out of the carriage, another to the top of apost, and there he was. Next came Brighteyes, all flying, feet and curlsand hat and ribbons. Then one of the twins rolled out, and the othertumbled out; and one was hurt, and the other was not. That is always theway with those two children. One is lucky, and one unlucky. Puff alwaysfalls on her feet. Fluff always falls on her head. Uncle Jack oftencalls them Hap and Hazard, and that is the only difference between them. However, when they got up and shook themselves, I saw that they werevery pretty little girls. Now I will make you a picture of them. Yes, Ican draw pictures too; in fact, there are very few things that I cannotdo if I try. Here they are, Puff and Fluff, two of the dearest mice inthe world. 

[Illustration]

Next a gentleman stepped out of the carriage; a very, very tallgentleman, with very broad shoulders, and very bright eyes. That wasUncle Jack; and he helped Mrs. Posset to get out, for she had Downyasleep in her arms, and he was a pretty good armful. Then Uncle Jacktook some bags and bundles out of the carriage; then he turned round andsaid "Now, children, we will"--There he stopped, for not a child was tobe seen, except little fat Downy, fast asleep. Uncle Jack stared abouthim. Posts, trees, house, but no children. "Sure they're all gone, surr, " said John the coachman. "'Twould be as aisy to ketch the wind andkape it still as thim childher. " And John never said a truer word in hislife. If my mirror were not so big, even I could not have seen them all. Nibble was up in a tree, of course, picking apple-blossoms, for which heought to have been whipped. Indeed, the old tree did its best, for itcaught him by the leg, and tore a hole in his new trousers, which wasshocking to think of. Then he found an old bird's nest; and on thewhole, the tree seemed so very "jolly" that he decided to stay there; sothat was why Uncle Jack did not see _him_ when he looked round. Brighteyes, after seeing her brother safely up in the tree, flew offlike a bird, here and there and everywhere. First she filled both handswith dandelions. Then she saw a butterfly; down went the dandelions; offwent her best hat to serve as a butterfly-net; and away she went. Apretty chase Master Butterfly led her, through last year's brambles andthis year's mud, until at last he left her high and dry on the top of afence, and flew off so fast that he was soon out of sight. There I lefther too, for I wanted to see what the twin mice were about. 

[Illustration: NIBBLE IN THE APPLE TREE. ]

I looked this way and that, but they were nowhere to be seen. At lengthI caught a glimpse of something blue, among some very thick bushes. Ilooked closer, and saw a sight that was truly melancholy. Among thesebushes stood a huge old wooden trough, which old Jonas had built toreceive the water that bubbled out of a spring close by. So the troughwas full of water, and this being the case, of course Fluff the unluckyhad fallen into it. How she had done it I do not know, but there shewas, splashing about in fine style. 

"Give me your hand, Fluffy, and I'll pull you out!" said Puff. 

"Oh! no, you can't!" cried poor little Fluff. "You're not any bigger asI am, Puffy, and I'm so wet I feel very heavy. "

And no wonder she did, for she had on a long thick coat which wascompletely soaked. But Puffy was very sure about it. She gave a greatpull, and Fluff made a scramble, and out she came, knocking Puff downand tumbling on top of her. Well, they were both wet enough when theygot up. Just then a very loud and strange noise was heard. At least, itwas strange to me, but the children cried "Oh! the rattle, the rattle!"and away they scampered towards the house, as fast as they could go. 

Poor Uncle Jack! he had been working hard all the afternoon, with Johnand Thomas, (who had come in a cart with the other servants and thetrunks and the dogs), clearing away rubbish and unpacking furniture, while Mrs. Posset and the maids were busy in the house. He had beenrather glad to have the children out of the way for a little while, butnow that it was six o'clock, and tea was laid in the dining-room, and abright wood fire blazing in the great open fireplace, he began to wonderwhere his chickens were. 

"Bless me!" he said. "Where is the rattle?" and opening a bag, he tookout a huge watchman's rattle, and sprung it briskly, making the strangeloud noise that Puff and Fluff had heard down by the spring. Presentlyhe heard a voice, then another, and then another. "Here I am, Uncle!""What is the matter, Uncle Jack?" "Hi! supper! come on, Brighteyes!" andup scampered from all directions, the four mice in about as pretty aplight as mice can well be in. Brighteyes was panting for breath andlimping, one shoe gone, no hat, and any number of scratches. Puff andFluff were wet, and muddy, and forlorn beyond description; while withNibble the only question was, which was bigger, his knickerbockers orthe hole in them. 

Uncle Jack held up his hands in amazement, and then sat down on apacking-box and laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. "Oh! youchildren, you children!" he cried. "This is what comes of bringing youto the country to keep you out of mischief. Go in to Mrs. Posset atonce, give her my compliments, and tell her I wish her joy of you. Andas soon as you are fit to be seen, come down to supper, or Downy and Iwill eat it all up. "

Away went the mice into the house and upstairs, where Mrs. Possetscolded, and brushed, and washed, and wiped and mended to an alarmingextent. The trunk in which Nibble's clothes were packed had not yetarrived, so the young gentleman had to wait after the others were gonedown to tea, while Mary, the housemaid, mended his trousers. 

[Illustration]

Bread and butter and raspberry jam are always good, but they must haveseemed particularly good that evening to those five hungry mice. LittleDowny soon finished his bowl of bread and milk, and was just thinkingabout some jam when Mrs. Posset appeared in the doorway. I have a greatrespect for Mrs. Posset. She is very faithful, and as fond of the miceas if they were her own children; but I do wish she would not wear greenand yellow ribbons in her cap. It makes her look so like a stout elderlydaffodil, but that is neither here nor there. She appeared in thedoorway and looked at Downy. Downy looked at her, but did not move. ThenMrs. Posset said, "Downy come with his Possy, and put on his ittlenightcoatie, and go to his 'ittle beddy-house?" (That's another thing, she always talks to that mouse as if he and she were both idiots). "No!"said Downy. "Not want any beddy-house. Possy go away!" "Come, Downy, "said his uncle. "You have had a long day, little man, and bed is thebest place for you. Nice bed! I wish I were in mine. " "Not nice!" criedDowny. "Naughty bed! take it away! A-a-a-ah!" and the poor little boy, who was really tired out, began to scream and cry lustily. "Hush!" criedUncle Jack hastily. "Hush, Downy! the bed will hear you, and then whoknows what may happen?" Downy paused a moment and looked at his uncle inastonishment. "What _do_ you mean, Uncle Jack?" asked Brighteyes. "Bedscannot hear. "

"Perhaps their posts are their ears, " said Fluff. 

"Oh! Fluffy, " said Puff, "you _know_ their posts are their legs, so theycan't be their ears. "

But Uncle Jack looked very grave, and said, "Have you never heard thestory of Little Willy and his bed? listen then, and I will tell it toyou. "

[Illustration: MRS. POSSET. ]

"One night, little Willy thought he did not want to go to bed. In fact, he felt very sure about the matter. He had had his supper and it washalf past six o'clock. There was his bed, standing firmly on its fourfluted yellow legs, the white sheet turned down, and the pillow plumpedup, looking as inviting as a bed possibly could; but into it littleWilly would not go. First he kicked, and then he screamed, and then hedid both together. 'I _won't_ go to bed!' he cried. 'I hate my bed! it'scold, and horrid, and ugly. I will _never_ get into it! naughty bed!'

[Illustration]

"He was lying on the floor, kicking the bed as hard as he could, whensuddenly what do you think happened? I shall shock you very much, but itis best that you should know. The bed began to move! slowly it liftedits fluted yellow legs, slowly it marched across the room until itreached the window, and then, if you will believe me, it coolly marched_out_ of the window, and thump! thump! thump! off it went down thestreet. 

"Little Willy ran to the window, and looked out, with eyes and mouthwide open, in great surprise. Yes, it was really true. The bed was gone;there it went, tramping down the middle of the street. Its pillow hadfallen a little to one side, which gave it a jaunty and rakish air. 'Humph!' said Willy. 'Well, I'm glad the ugly old thing is gone. Now Ishall not have to go to bed at all. '

[Illustration]

"That was all very well for an hour or so, but after that the little boybegan to grow very sleepy in spite of himself. He rubbed his eyes, heyawned, he tried to shake himself broad awake, but it was of no use. Forsome time longer he fought against the sleepiness, but at last he wentto his mother, looking very much ashamed, and said:

"'Please, mamma, I want to go to bed!' 'I am very sorry, Willy, ' saidhis mother; 'but you have no bed to go to. You have driven away yourgood bed by ill-treatment, and now you must sit up all night. '

"Poor little Willy! he tried to go to sleep in a chair, but his headkept tumbling backward or forward and waking him. Oh! he was wretchedlyuncomfortable, and finally he burst into tears. 'Oh! my dear bed!' criedhe. 'My nice, soft, warm, pretty bed! why did I ever treat you so badly?oh! dear good bed, if you will only come back to me, I will never, _never_ call you names again. Oh! oh! oh! how tired I am, and cold, and--' but suddenly he stopped crying, for he thought he heard a noiseoutside. He listened. Yes, through the open window came a faintsound--thump! thump! thump! Willy flew to the window. Oh joy! there wasthe bed, stumping back up the street on its fluted yellow legs. Back itcame, in at the window and across the room, till it stood in itsaccustomed place. In about three minutes Willy's head was on the pillow, and I believe he has never called his bed names since. "

"Why! bless me!" said Uncle Jack, looking down. "Here is Downy asleeptoo. Let us go upstairs and see if his bed is there all right. I hope itdid not hear what he said about it, for you see they are sensitivefellows, these beds. Now then, up we go! I will carry Downy, Mrs. Posset, and do you bring Puff and Fluff with you, for it is high timethat they were in bed too. "

Well, Uncle Jack is a very wise man in most things, but I should havethought he would have known better than to try the cat-stairs for thefirst time at night, with a candle in one hand, and a child in his arms. At the first step he bumped his own head; at the second he bumped thechild's head; at the third he bumped the candle, and put it out, sothere he was in the dark. A sad plight he would have been in if it hadnot been for my beams; but two or three of the boldest and most skilfulof them popped down through the skylight and showed him the way up: forwhich, by the way, he might have thanked them, but I dare say he did notthink of it. After stumbling over a trunk, and a chair, and nearlybreaking his nose against the edge of a door, poor Uncle Jack finallyreached the large room which he had chosen to be the nursery. Puff andFluff, who had tumbled up behind him, looked eagerly to see if Downy'sbed was there. Yes, there it stood, drawing its white curtains primlyround it, and looking very amiable. Fluff gave a sigh of relief. 

"Oh, " she said, "I was _so_ afraid it had heard what Downy said. "

"I think, perhaps, it is a little deaf, " said Puff. "It never seems tomind, and yet he calls it all sorts of names sometimes. "

"Can a thing be deaf in its legs, Uncle Jack?" asked Fluff. 

But Uncle Jack began to laugh, and that hurt Fluff's feelings, so shesaid nothing more. And now Mrs. Posset came, and the three dear littlemice were soon snugly tucked up in bed; the twins together, with theirarms round each other's necks, and little Downy curled up alone in hispretty white nest, the sweetest mouse that ever was seen. 

[Illustration: DOWNY ASLEEP IN HIS BED. ]

Ah! now it was my turn. As soon as Mrs. Posset had left the room, down Icame post-haste, on Flash, my swiftest beam. I sat down on Fluff'spillow, and soon introduced myself to the little mice. They were fastasleep, of course, but that is the best time to take children. Infact, I never can get on with them when they are awake, their heads arefull of so many things. "Yes, " I said, "I really am the Man in the Moon. I live in a silver palace----" [Illustration]

"_Really_ silver?" asked Puff. 

"Yes, really silver, from top to bottom, from roof to cellar, walls andfloors, tables and chairs, dishes and spoons are all silver, as brightas Flash, who is dancing about the room here. "

"I should think a silver bed would be rather hard, " said Fluff. 

"Not when it has a cloud mattress and pillow, " I replied. "That makes itsoft enough, I can tell you. "

Then I told them how the clouds were divided into three classes, and howone kind was good to sleep on, and another good to ride on, and thethird good (_very_ good, too, ) to eat. 

"Does it taste like the white part in floating island?" asked Fluff. 

"Rather like it, but a great, great deal nicer, more like whippedcream. "

"And is that all you have to eat?"

"Oh, no! I have ice cream whenever I want it. All the mountains up hereare covered with ice cream instead of snow, and I have only to send abeam out a few steps and I have all I want; pink or white, or any colorI choose. "

"Oh, how lovely!" sighed Fluff. "Tell us more, Mr. Moonman!"

So I told them about my neighbors, the stars, and my elder brother inthe Sun, with his splendid palace of gold and diamond. We are very fondof each other, but we cannot often visit each other, so we send lettersand messages by the comets, who come and go, or by the merry meteors. 

Well, well, how many questions they did ask, those mice. I had beentelling them about my big mirror, and "Oh!" cried Puff, "can you reallysee all the people in the world?"

"Yes, indeed, but not all at once. As I tip my glass this way or that, so I see this place or that place. Yesterday I saw a fine sight, I cantell you. "

"Oh! what was it? what was it?" cried the three mice. 

"You shall hear, " I said, "if you will be quiet. Listen now, for it isnearly time for me to go home, and Flash is looking pale. 

[Illustration]

"Well, I saw some wolves go to a concert, and that is more than any ofyou ever saw, I'll warrant. In a certain wild part of northern Germany, there lived three good brothers whom I know very well. Their names areHans, Karl, and Wilhelm; and they are musicians by trade; that is tosay, Hans plays on the violoncello, which is a very big fiddle, abouthalf as big as himself, while Wilhelm has a small fiddle, and Karl tootsaway on a kind of little brass trumpet called a cornet. So, now youknow about the men as if you had seen them, for they do nothing in theworld but play on their several instruments. Now, yesterday there was tobe a wedding, and the three brothers were asked to come and play for theguests to dance. Their way led through a wild and gloomy forest, wheremany wild beasts roamed about; but the three started merrily, andstrolled along singing and talking together. Suddenly they stoppedsinging, for they heard a noise that was not so pleasant as their song;it was a long, low howl, and soon came another, and another. Then theyknew that the wolves were coming, and their hearts sank within them. Anxiously they looked about them. They were in an open space in thewood. Now a rustling was heard, and out came a gray wolf and looked atthem. The teeth of the three brothers chattered in their heads; it waslike the sound of castanets, as I hear them played in Spain by theblack-eyed dancing-girls. Another wolf came out, and he came yet nearer, and then two more. 'If I had but my gun!' cried Hans. 'If I had but myhunting-knife!' said Karl. 'Ah! brothers, ' said Wilhelm, 'we havenothing, so we must die. Nevertheless, let us die merrily, so take yourinstruments and we will play a tune for these beasts, that we may alldance together. '

[Illustration]

"So the three brothers took their instruments, the big fiddle, and thelittle fiddle, and the trumpet, and began to play. As the first notessounded the wolves stopped short. Seeing this, the brothers played thefaster a merry waltz, which they had meant to play at the wedding. 'Tra-la-la! tra-la-la!' gaily rang out the notes in the clear air, whilethe musicians' teeth rattled like the castanets, and their limbstrembled, and their hands could scarcely hold the instruments; for theywere playing for their lives, you see! yes, and they won the game, forthe wolves, who were not used to concerts, did not know what to make ofthis sort of thing. They began to be frightened, to wonder what strangebeasts these were, with such wild voices. They looked at each other anddrew back a step or two, it was well to be near the forest in any case. Further and further they retired toward the shade of the trees, andfinally, as the music changed to a furious jig, and the trumpet soundedout like the scream of a panther, the terrified wolves turned tail andran as fast as their fright and their four legs could carry them. Off asfast in the opposite direction ran also Hans, Karl, and Wilhelm, playingas they went. They played and ran, ran and played till they reached theopen fields and the houses; and then they sat down under a haystack anddid not move for the rest of the day. Ah! that was a fine concert! butthere was no music at the wedding, which is sad to think of. "

With that I kissed my three mice, and bade them good-night, though itwas nearly morning; then mounting my moonbeam I whisked away, and soonleft mice and mouse-trap far behind. 

[Illustration]

 Wake! wake! children, wake! Here we're singing for your sake. Chirrup! chirrup! chirrup! chee! Sweet a song as sweet can be. 

 Rise! rise! children, rise! Shake the poppies from your eyes. Sweet! sweet! chirrup! tweet! Morning blossoms at your feet. 

 Song and sweetness, dawn and dew, All are waiting now for you. Wake! wake! children, wake! Here we're singing for your sake. 

CHAPTER IV. 

JOLLYKALOO. 

NOW is not that a pretty song? and so simple, I should think a babymight understand it. And yet Downy did not seem to understand a word ofit, though the birds that sang it were just outside his window in thegreat linden-tree. 

He only said, "Oh! so pitty bird finging!" (he cannot say S, so he saysF instead, which sounds very funny). And then he rolled out of bed; andthen Fluff and Puff rolled out of bed. Puff ran to the window and putback the curtains. The birds were still singing, and the soft May breezewas blowing, and a perfect gust of song and sweetness came in at thelittle old window as she pushed it open. 

"Oh! lovely, lovely!" cried Puff. "And look, Fluffy, from this otherwindow. What a fine play-ground! Oh! Possy, do give us tubby-rubbyquickly, and let us get out of the window!"

"Out of the window!" cried Mrs. Posset; "The child is mad!" but then shecame and looked for herself. 

Yes, it was indeed a fine place. One part of the house was lower thanthe rest, and this lower part had a flat roof, covered with gravel, andwith an iron railing round it. Two of the nursery windows openeddirectly on this sunny flat place, so that it really was a mostdelightful spot. In a very few minutes there were three mice tumblingabout on the gravel, and then presently there were two more, for otherwindows opened on the flat roof also, and Nibble and Brighteyes were notthe mice to be behindhand when any fun was going on. Ah! that was theway to get an appetite for breakfast. Jump, dance, run, tumble, till therattle sounded from below; then whirr! downstairs all like a flock ofpigeons. They never lost any time in getting from one place to another, these mice. 

"Uncle Jack, " said Nibble, "What shall we call this place?"

"This dear, delightful place!" cried Brighteyes. 

"Dis dear, 'lightful plafe!" murmured Downy, with his mouth full ofbread-and-butter. 

"Well, " said Uncle Jack, "now let us see. It certainly ought to have aname. "

"Oh! of course!" said all the mice very decidedly. 

"Suppose we call it the Garden House, " said Uncle Jack. 

"Oh, no!" said Nibble. "That isn't jolly enough, Uncle Jacket! it's sucha _jolly_ place, you know. I want to call it Jollykaloo!"

And then in a chorus rose the five voices, "Jollykaloo! Jollykaloo!" soJollykaloo it was named then and there, and it has been called so eversince. 

"And now, children, " said Uncle Jack, when breakfast was over, "We mustgo and see how our four-footed friends have passed the night. You mayfind some new friends too, I think, with two feet. Come Nibble, Brighteyes, Puff----"

"Uncle Jack, " said Puff, very gravely; "Fluff and I have not unpackedthe dolls yet, and I think it is both of our duty to take care of ourchildren first, before we see the animals. Don't you think so, Uncle?"

"Both of your duty, eh?" said Uncle Jack, laughing. "Well, Puffsy, perhaps it is. It is also both of your duty to learn grammar, but youneed not begin just yet. Off with you!"

[Illustration]

So the twins went one way, and Uncle Jack went the other. Which wayshall I take you first, all you other children? shall we follow thetwins first, and take a peep at the dolls? by all means! I cannot saythat I care much for dolls myself, but I always like to see whatinterests children, and certainly Puff and Fluff did take great interestin their china and wax babies. By and by I shall have some funny storiesto tell you about these dolls, for they have seen more of life than anydolls that I have ever known, but we will not stop now, for we all wantto go and see the animals, I am sure. We will just take a peep at themand see what they are like. 

See, here they are, six of them. The one sitting in the chair, withcurls and flowers, is Vashti Ann. She was the head doll at that time, and a person of great importance. Next to her is Tina, her daughter, afine baby rather larger than her mother; and then comes Rosalie, a Swissdoll, with fine long hair. The doll in the lower left-hand corner is theunfortunate Sally Bradford, the maid-of-all-work; next comes FannyEllsler, the dancer, and the last is Katinka, a Polish lady of highrank. 

[Illustration]

The dear little twin mice unpacked all these creatures with the utmostcare. 

"I think they are all ill after the journey, Puff!" said Fluffy, with asigh. 

"We was better put them all to bed. Tina is very pale, and Rosalie isvery red. "

"Then one has a chill, and the other has a fever, " said Puff. 

"Yes, they must go to bed; and I will get the bed ready, Fluffy, if youwill read them a story to amoose them. "

"Oh! but, Puffy, if you put them both in the same bed it will bechills-and-fever, and then we shall catch it and be ill ourselves!"exclaimed Fluff with a distressed look. 

"Fluff, " said Miss Puff severely; "You are sometimes a foolish child!"

Well, Fluff knew that she was foolish, because she was often told so, and she was a child who always believed what was said to her, so shemeekly sat down and read a story to the dolls. It was one of "AuntBathsheba's" stories, and they are so funny that I always write themdown when I hear them. Listen to this, now!

[Illustration]

_THE PUDDING-STICK AND THE ROLLING-PIN. _

 Said the Pudding-stick so the Rolling-pin, "Let's take a dip in the sugar-bin!" Said the Rolling-pin to the Pudding-stick, "We'll eat and we'll stuff till we make ourselves sick. " Off they set with a fine bold stride, That brought them soon to the sugar-bin's side. "Oh! how shall we reach that keyhole high? We might as well try to storm the sky!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

 "Let me mount on your shoulder thin, And I'll pick the lock!" said the bold Rolling-pin. The Pudding-stick swelled with angry pride, "That my figure is fine has ne'er been denied, I'll give you a slap for your impudence!" "Well!" said the Roller: "This _is_ immense!" So they rolled and they fought, They thumped and they hit. Till they trod on the tail of the cook's pet kit. Then the cook rose up in dreadful wrath, And laid them out on the kitchen hearth. 

[Illustration]

There were fine doings in the garden all this time, as I found when Iturned my eyes in that direction. Three mice and an uncle, (it would notbe polite to call Uncle Jack a rat, and yet if a mouse's uncle is not arat, what is he, I should like to know?) and John and Thomas, and threedogs and two horses and a donkey, there were enough to make thingslively, you will confess. 

The dogs interested me particularly, as I have a dog of my own, youknow. Ah! he is a good fellow, that dog of mine! His name is Bmfkmgth, and none of you will be able to pronounce that, except the children wholive in Wales. It is rather a hard name, but he came from the Dog Star, and the language there is somewhat difficult. Say it to your dogs, however, and see if they do not wag their tails. Yes, they understandeach other. Bmfkmgth is green, a color that I never see in dogs on yourplanet; but that may be because he eats so freely of the green cheesewhich grows here instead of grass. 

Well, there were three dogs at Jollykaloo, as perhaps I said before. There was Gruff the big dog, and Grim the middle-sized dog, and Grab, the little dog. 

Gruff was a fine fellow, indeed; a great St. Bernard, clever andgood-natured, and certainly with nothing gruff about him except his nameand his bark. Indeed, it was well that he was of a cheerful turn ofmind, for he had to take a good deal of rough usage, though it was onlyin play, to be sure. 

Fancy trying to drive three dogs tandem, all of different sizes anddispositions! Yes, if you will believe me, that was what Nibble wastrying to do when I looked down into the garden that morning. He had avery nice little cart which Thomas, the gardener, had made for him, andin this he often drove Gruff, who did not object at all to beingharnessed, and in fact rather enjoyed dragging the children about. Butwhen it came to having two other dogs harnessed in front of him, dogswho could run about twice as fast as he could, and who took a fancy tosit down and scratch their ears just as he had started into a goodswinging trot--that was rather more than Gruff could endure. But Nibblewas full of his new sport. 

"Downy, baby!" he cried, "Come, Downy, and brother will give you a fineride! come along, little man!"

So Downy came toddling up, and Nibble lifted him into the cart, and thengot in himself, and took the reins and the whip. 

"Now, Downy boy, you shall have the best ride that any one ever had. Hi!my gallant steeds! Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer! Oh, dear!" criedNibble, "I wish I had eight reindeer like St. Nicholas, instead of onlythree dogs. But still I can say, 'Now dash away, dash away, dash awayall!'" and the young charioteer stood up in the cart and waved the whipround his head, while Downy clapped his hands and shouted with glee. Yes, that was pride! but the fall also was not wanting. 

[Illustration: OLD GRUFF. ]

Away went the three dogs, poor old Gruff forced into a lumbering gallopby the pace of the two others, who capered along, and let the big olddog do all the pulling. Round the house they went once and twice, thelittle cart rocking from side to side in rather an alarming way. Then, as they came round the third time--they saw a cat! Nibble saw it first, and tried like a clever mouse as he is, to turn his gallant steeds'heads away before they also saw it: but it was too late. "Yap! yap!yap!" went little Grab; "Woof! woof!" added Grim, struggling to freehimself from the harness. Good old Gruff held out bravely for a momentor two; but finally he could not resist. 

A mighty "_Bow_, wow WOW!" a leap and a plunge, and then for a moment Icould see nothing but a cloud of dust, from which came barks and shriekswhich were truly dreadful to hear. In a moment, however, the cartluckily was caught between two bushes, and there it stuck, while thedogs rushed to the foot of the nearest apple-tree, to leap and howlthere in vain excitement, while the peaceful cat smiled at them insafety from the topmost bough. 

[Illustration]

At the moment the explosion took place, two people came upon the scene, one from the barn and one from the house. They were Uncle Jack and Mrs. Posset. The latter had happened to look out of the window just as thegrand turn-out came round for the third time, and she had flown downstairs to rescue her Downy, but arrived only in time to snatch him fromthe ruins of the cart, very much frightened and covered with dust, andwhat was worse with blood, which flowed from a cut in his forehead. Asfor Uncle Jack, he had been very busy in the barn arranging matters withJohn and had supposed that Downy was quite safe with Nibble and Gruff tolook after him. 

"If you please, sir, " cried Mrs. Posset in an angry tone, "what is to bedone with Nibble? this blessed child's life is not safe with him for aninstant, so it isn't! putting three dogs tantrum (Mrs. Posset meanttandem, but she was too much vexed to think about her words, ) with aninnocent baby behind them and the garden as full of cats as his head isof mischief!" and the good woman's breath fairly failed her, from hasteand vexation combined. Uncle Jack looked very grave as he came up. 

"How did this happen, Nibble?" he asked. "Mrs. Posset, if you will takeDowny into the house and bathe his forehead, I will come in and findsome court-plaster to put on that cut. Now my boy, " he added, turning toNibble, "tell me all about this!"

Nibble hung his head and looked very much ashamed. 

"I--I did have them tandem, " he said. "I never thought of cats, andDowny likes to ride so much!"

"I am very sorry, Nibble!" said Uncle Jack, "I certainly thought I couldtrust you to take care of your little brother for ten minutes. There areplenty of ways of amusing a little child without putting him in dangerof his life; for Downy might have been very much hurt, perhaps evenkilled, and then you would never have forgiven yourself. Remember, myboy, that there is a great difference between three years and eightyears, and that what may be harmless for you may be very dangerous foryour little brother. "

"Indeed, Uncle, I am very sorry!" said Nibble earnestly; "and I will tryto be more careful. And--and what shall I do now, Uncle? there isn't anypunishment tree here, is there?"

This question puzzled me at the time, but I found out afterwards that inthe place where they had lived before, there was one special tree intowhich Nibble always had to climb when he had been naughty, and where hehad spent many hours of penance. 

Uncle Jack smiled kindly on the boy--I mean the mouse--and said "I havenot found one yet, dear child! but I think that if you were to spend therest of the morning in the house, and try to console Downy for his bumpsand bruises, it would be a very good thing. "

Nibble looked grave at this. He would have preferred sitting in a tree, and hearing the birds sing, and wondering where their nests might be, and how many eggs there might be in them, to spending the lovely, sunnymorning in the house. But he went in without a word, remembering thatDowny also had to stay in the house through his carelessness, and withaches and pains which he somehow had escaped. 

He found the baby mouse curled up on the sofa in the library, lookingvery forlorn, with a handkerchief tied round his head. Mrs. Posset wassitting beside him, reading to him, for though Downy was a very littleboy, he was very fond of stories. His eyes brightened when he sawNibble. "Oh! Nibby!" he cried. "Did dey catf de cat?"

"Indeed, I hope not!" said Mrs. Posset. "It is a strange thing in thenature of boys, that they like to see cats tormented. "

"But I don't like to see them hurt, Mrs. Posset!" said Nibble. "It _is_fun to see them run, but the dogs never catch them, so no harm is done. And it is good for the cats to have a little exercise, I am sure, forthey are lazy creatures. "

"Humph!" said Mrs. Posset. "Well, I am reading to Downy now, MasterNibble, so--"

"Wouldn't you like me to take the book, Mrs. Posset?" asked Nibble. "Imust stay in the house till dinner, and I could read to Downy. "

"Oh! yes, Nibby, read!" cried Downy. 

"Very well, Master Nibble, and that is just what will please me, for Ihave not my spectacles by me, and the print troubles my eyes. Besides, the child's clothes are torn to shrivers, (this was a pet word of Mrs. Posset's, and I think she must have invented it herself, ) and I mustattend to them at once. "

So Mrs. Posset, with an approving nod, trotted off to the nursery, andNibble sat down by the sofa. 

"What shall I read, Downy boy?" he asked. 

"Wead Pinfkin!" said Downy very decidedly. 

"'Princekin, ' eh?" said Nibble, "Well, here it is, so listen! Andperhaps, if you were to shut your eyes, Downy, you might see some of thepretty things that Princekin saw. "

So Nibble opened the book, from which Mrs. Posset had been reading, andread this little rhyme:

_PRINCEKIN. _

 "Princekin sits on his nursery throne, Prettiest Princekin, all alone, Sighing a sigh, and moaning a moan, 'Oh--dear--_me!_ oh!' 'Princekin beautiful, Princekin dear, Tell us your troubles, and do not fear!' 'Nobody come, and nobody here, Nobody p'ay wiz me, oh!'

 "'What! no little boys, and no little girls, To play with Princekin, pearl of pearls? Then lift your head, with its crown of curls, And we'll do better without, oh! Open the window and call the flowers Birds and beasts from their trees and bowers, To come and play with this Prince of ours, And make him with laughter shout, oh!'

[Illustration]

 "Princekin raises his sapphire eyes, Diamond tear-drop quickly dries, Stares and stares in such great surprise He doesn't know what to do, oh! In at the window, low and high, Hundreds of creatures creep and fly, Vines and flowerets clambering by, Of every shape and hue, oh!

 "Doves are lighting on Princekin's knee, Close in his curls hums a honey bee, Roses are climbing around his wee Sweet hands, for to cling and kiss, oh! Beetles hover on gauzy wing, Blue-bells, lily-bells, chime and ring, Bull-frogs whistle and robins sing, And see, what an owl is this, oh!

 "Squirrel is whispering in his ear, 'Princekin beautiful, Princekin dear, Leave this stupid close nursery here, Come to the woods with me, oh!' Daisy is murmuring at his feet, 'Princekin lovely, and Princekin sweet, Come live with us, 'mid the corn and wheat, Out in the field so free, oh!'

 "Round they flutter, and round they dance, Wheel and hover and creep and prance, Bird, beast, blossom, all bent on the chance Of winning the pearl of boys, oh! Clinging and kissing o'er and o'er, Singing, chattering, more and more, -- But _oh!_--who slammed the nursery door, And made such a dreadful noise, oh!

 * * * * *

 "Princekin sits on his nursery throne, Prettiest Princekin, all alone. Sighing a sigh and moaning a moan, 'Oh--dear--_me_, oh! Had such a bootiful, bootiful p'ay! No! I _not_ been as'eep, I say! And now dem's everyone gone away, Nobody left but me, oh!'"

Then Nibble stopped reading, and closed the book softly, for Downy wasjust as fast asleep as Princekin had been. 

"That is always the way!" he said to himself. "I never saw a child sleepso much in the daytime. In fact, there is no use in reading to him, unless you want him to go to sleep. But perhaps, " he added "that is justwhat Mrs. Posset did want, and it is the best thing to do when onecannot go out of doors. Heigh ho! how pleasant it is out there! I wonderwhere Brighteyes is! She might come in and stay with me, I think, if sheknows I am in the house. " And Nibble sat down by the window, and lookedmournfully out into the garden. 

[Illustration]

I also had been wondering where Brighteyes was, for I had not seen hersince breakfast. I was just going to look in another part of the mirror, (for I can see the whole of the garden in it, and more too, ) when Iheard a deep sigh at my elbow. I turned, and saw my dog standing by, gazing into the mirror with a very wistful look. I followed thedirection of his eyes, and saw that the cat was still up in the tree, and the dogs still at the foot of it. Gruff was tired of jumping, whichindeed was not exactly in his line; and had gone quietly to sleep; butGrim and Grab kept up the game, occasionally lying down to rest and takebreath, and then going at it again. 

"What ails thee, Bmfkmgth?" I asked. "Doth the sight of the other dogsgrieve thee?"

"Nay, master!" he answered. "But oh! I fain would have a cat to chase. Is there no Cat-Star, good master, whence thou couldst get me a cat? seenow, how merry these dogs have been!"

"Truly, " I replied, "there is no Cat-Star; and if there were, thouwouldst be none the better off, for I would not have such noise andstrife in my quiet home. Art thou not happy? here thou hast no work todo; canst eat green cheese all day, if it please thee, and sport withthe merry beams which my brother Sun sends over. Perhaps thou wouldstlike to go back to the Dog Star, whence thou camest. There thou hadstwork enough and to spare, for thou wast servant to Prince Canis, and heis a hard master. " And I tipped the mirror, so that we could see Sirius(which is the name of that star, ) and what was going on in it. There satPrince Canis on his throne, richly dressed. Hundreds of servants bowedbefore him, or hurried hither and thither to do his bidding. He spokeharshly to them, and flourished a huge whip, which was his sceptre, about their ears, making them howl with pain. 

"Wilt thou go back?" I asked. 

"Oh, no, no!" cried the dog, shrinking back. "Tip the glass away, mymaster, lest he see me and carry me off! I promise thee I will nevercomplain again!"

"That is well!" I said. "And if thou wantest something to chase, thoumayest chase me, though that would not be very exciting. So now, we willlook for Brighteyes, and see what has become of the child. "

I tipped the glass, and again the garden blossomed before me, sunny andbright, shining with grass-emerald and dandelion gold, under the driftsof apple-blossoms. Yes, it was a pretty sight, and whichever way I maytip my glass, I see no prettier sight than this garden, in the spring ofthe year. 

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER V. 

TOMTY. 

BRIGHTEYES had been spending the morning with Tomty of course; anyonemight have known that, for she was always with Tomty whenever she couldnot be found anywhere else. Tomty was the gardener, and his real namewas Thomas Wilson, but the mice thought that Tomty was a much bettername, and I think so too. He was the kindest gardener that ever lived, Ithink, and I have seen a good many. He liked nothing better than to haveall the five mice trotting at his heels while he went about his work. They might hide his shears, and run off with his trowel, and take hisrake and hoe for hobbyhorses, but Tomty was never out of patience withthem. 

"Sure, they're young things!" he used to say. "Let them enjoy themselvesnow, for they'll be older before they're younger!" Which was a verysensible remark. 

"Tomty!" said Brighteyes. 

"Yes, miss. "

"I want to go into the barn-yard again to see José. "

"And that is just where I am going, miss, " said Tomty; "so if you willsit in the wheelbarrow, I'll give you a ride!" so Brighteyes jumped intothe wheelbarrow and was wheeled off in fine style. 

"Do you know who invented the wheelbarrow, Tomty?" she asked as theywent along. 

"Yes miss, " replied Tomty. "Hiram Deluce made this one, miss. "

"I don't mean this one, " said Brighteyes. "I mean the first one thatever was made. It was a great painter, one of the greatest painters thatever lived, only I can't remember his name. Uncle Jack told me abouthim. "

"Yes Miss!" said Tomty. "More likely a _car_-painter, Miss. I don't knowwhat a painter would want of a barrow, unless to paint it, and that'ssoon done. "

A car-painter! Brighteyes thought that was very funny, and she thoughtTomty was very clever. 

But now they were in the barn-yard, and she straightway forgot aboutwheel-barrows and painters, for José, the little brown donkey, wasloose, and was trying with might and main to open the further gate ofthe yard, a trick of which he was extremely fond, and in which hecertainly excelled. 

"Oh! Tomty, " cried Brighteyes, "shut the gate, and let us catch José. Naughty donkey, how did you get out? Come here, good José! come here, poor fellow!" But José (that is a Spanish name, by the way, and ispronounced Hosay, ) had no idea of going there. 

[Illustration: JOSÉ OPENING THE GATE. ]

"I wont!" he said. "I wo-_hon't_! go away-_hay!_" and up went his heels, higher than ever. It must be very provoking to animals to have humanbeings pay absolutely no attention to their remarks. Really, it is sostupid sometimes. There was José, speaking quite distinctly for adonkey, and Brighteyes only clapped her hands to her ears and cried "Oh!what a dreadful bray!" and in the barn, meanwhile, Pollux, the offhorse, was saying to John, over and over again, "I don't like thisstall, John! please give me another. And do loosen this strap a little, for it makes my head ache. " To which John replied, "So, boy! quiet now!"which must have been extremely aggravating. 

Why, I saw a little girl once, --a little German girl she was, namedHannchen, --sit for half an hour listening with great delight to a birdwhich was singing away with all its might, perched on a neighboringtwig. And what do you think the bird was saying in its song?

"You horrid little monster, why will you not go away? I want to get somecaterpillars from that tree behind you, and I cannot get at them whileyou are there. My children are waiting for their dinner, and though Ihave asked you fifty times, as politely as I could, to move, you willnot stir, but just sit there and look silly. Oh! you provoking littlecreature! I should like to peck you!" And little Hannchen, smiling, said "thank you, pretty bird, for your sweet song!"

[Illustration]

It was quite a piece of work to catch Master José, but John came out tohelp Thomas and finally the obstinate little brown gentleman was fairlycornered, and had to submit to the halter. 

"Poor fellow!" said Brighteyes. "It must seem very hard to be tied upall the time. I am sure _I_ should not like to have a strap round mynose, Tomty, and stand all day with nothing but the barn walls to lookat. "

"And indeed you would not, Miss!" replied Tomty gravely. "But sure noone would go for to put a strap round a little lady's nose, Miss, letalone putting her in the barn. "

"Oh! you funny Tomty!" cried Brighteyes. "I meant, if I were a donkey, of course!"

"Yes, Miss! but you see you are not a donkey, " said Tomty placidly. "Andnow I must go back to the flower-beds again, Miss Brighteyes, " headded. "And will you go with me, Miss, or shall I leave you here?"

"Well, Tomty, I think I will stay here for a little while and talk tothe chickabiddies. I don't think they know me yet, and I want them toknow me and love me, for Uncle Jack says I may feed them every morning. You won't be lonely without me, will you, Tomty?"

"Well, Miss, I'll do my best!" said Tomty. 

With which rather vague remark the good man took up his wheelbarrow anddeparted, leaving Brighteyes alone in the barn-yard. Alone, that is, except for the fowls. They had just arrived that morning, and theyevidently did not feel at home in their new quarters. The hens werescratching and bustling about in great excitement, while one of theroosters, standing on top of the fence, preached them a sermon onkeeping their tempers. 

"Be calm!" he said. "Be calm, my dears! haste makes waste. Observe mytranquil demeanor! the truly great are calm in the midst of strife. "

[Illustration]

And he shut one eye, and looked at Brighteyes with the other, as much asto say "What do you think of that? it's nothing to what I can do if Itry!" but Brighteyes burst out laughing, and said "Chook-a-raw-che-raw!I can say that too, Mr. Rooster, so you need not be so proud. "

At this the rooster was deeply offended, and withdrew to a corner of theyard, muttering to himself. 

Presently Brighteyes spied three fowls, two hens and an old rooster, whoapparently were too sleepy to care where they were, for they had allgone to sleep, sitting side by side on a rail, and very funny theylooked. 

"Oh!" said Brighteyes. "Don't they look just like the sixty-five parrotsasleep in a row, in the 'Four Little Children who went round the world?'Don't you remember?" she went on, half to herself and half to the otherfowls, "the Pussy-Cat and the Quangle-Wangle crept softly, and bit offthe tail-feathers of all the sixty-five parrots; for which Violetreproved them both severely. Notwithstanding which, she proceeded toinsert all the feathers--two-hundred and sixty in number--in her bonnet;thereby causing it to have a lovely and glittering appearance, highly--well, I forget the rest, " said she, "for the words are verylong. "

[Illustration]

"How pretty some of those tail-feathers would look in my hat!" shecontinued. "I shouldn't like to bite them off, but I might pull someout, for there are so many they would never be missed. Just a few out ofeach tail, you know; and I am sure they wouldn't mind, if they knew itwas to make my hat have a lovely and glittering appearance. One goodsmart pull, now--" and suiting the action to the word, she tugged withmight and main at the tail of the old rooster. But the old rooster hadapparently never read the story about Violet and the sixty-five parrots;for instead of submitting meekly to having his tail-feathers pulledout, he woke up in a great rage and fright, and uttering a tempest of"ka-ka-kaaa-ka-raws" he flew directly in Brighteye's face. 

[Illustration]

Greatly terrified, Brighteyes staggered backward, and sat down violentlyin a tub filled with hay. 

Yes, that would have been very well, if there had been nothing besidehay in it. But, unfortunately, Uncle Jack had bought with these fowlssome eggs of a peculiar kind, from which he hoped to get a very finebrood of chickens; and he had made a fine nest for them in this tub andleft them till one of the hens should take a fancy to them. 

Well, that was all over now. Brighteyes heard the crash, and knew thatsomething dreadful must have happened. The angry rooster was flutteringand pecking at her feet, and the poor mouse, half-wild with fright, sprang up once more and rushed out of the barn-yard, forgetting in herhaste to shut the gate behind her. She never stopped till she had gainedthe shade of the apple-trees, and there she sat down panting on thegrass. 

"Oh dear!" she cried, "I will never try to do things out of story-booksagain as long as I live. Whenever I do it, I am sure to get intotrouble. The other day Uncle Jack showed me a picture in _Punch_, ofsome children putting out their tongues when they met the doctor, and helaughed, and said it was very funny, and so it was: so then the nexttime I met our doctor, I put out my tongue, but he didn't laugh, andMrs. Posset put red pepper on my tongue, to teach me better manners. Andnow, just because I wanted to do what Violet did, all these dreadfulthings have happened. But oh!" and she sprang to her feet, "I must dosomething about my dress, or Mrs. Posset will say, I am 'a sight tobehold!' She always says that, and I am so tired of hearing it. If Iwere to roll on the grass, now! we always wipe our shoes on the grass, when they are muddy, before we go into the house. "

Certainly, the dress was in a very forlorn condition, being covered withegg behind, while the front of the skirt showed a number of dismal rentsmade by the beak and claws of the angry rooster. I did not think itwould be improved by rolling on the grass, but I could not well doanything about it. 

A pretty sight Miss Brighteyes was when she got up again. Egg and grassand mud were worked and rolled together into an even tint of brownishgreen, all over her skirts, while through the holes her scarletpetticoat looked out indignantly, blushing for its owner's misdeeds. Atleast, that is what my dog said about it, and he has a very pretty wayof putting things. However, Missy Mouse was quite satisfied that she haddone all she could in the matter, so she went on her way rejoicing. 

Presently she heard voices, and she came upon Puff and Fluff, who, having put all their children to sleep, had come out to spend the restof the bright, sunny morning in the garden. They had got out theirgardening tools, and were hard at work in one of the flower-beds. 

"What are you doing, Twinnies?" asked Brighteyes as she came up. "Andwhere is Tomty?"

"Tomty is gone to his dinner, " answered Puff. "And we are trying to doall his work for him before he comes back. "

"Yes!" said Fluff, "because he often helps us, you know, and so we oughtto help him. "

[Illustration]

"But what are all those funny-looking things sticking up?" Brighteyesasked, stooping over the bed. 

"Well, sister, those are the roots of the plants, " said Puff. "We heardTomty say that what the plants needed now was sun, and so we thought theroots ought to have some sun too. So we have been turning them upsidedown to save Tomty the trouble. "

"Save Tomty the trouble, indeed!" said Brighteyes. "Why, you naughtylittle mice, you have made twice as much trouble for him. The rootsdon't want any sun, they like to be in the dark, just like owls andbats. Now you have been naughty, and Uncle Jack will punish you. "

Poor little twin mice! they looked very grave indeed. Fluffy's eyesfilled with tears, and she began to rub them with her little grimyhands, which did not improve her appearance. But Puff said bravely:

"They do not _look_ a bit like owls, Brighteyes, or like bats either;but if you are really sure that they ought to be in the ground, we willput them back again. "

"Well, here comes Tomty himself!" cried Brighteyes, "and you will seewhat he says. See, Tomty!" she went on. "These naughty twinnies havebeen turning the plants upside down, and spoiling them!"

"But we didn't mean to spoil them, Tomty!" cried the twins eagerly. "Wethought the roots ought to have the sun, and we only wanted to save youthe trouble, Tomty dear! and we are so sorry!"

Tomty rubbed his left ear, which he always did when he was put out. Atleast a dozen of his best plants were ruined, but he could not scold thelittle mice, whose little piteous faces were turned up to himimploringly. 

"Well, well!" he said. "To be sure! isn't that a pity now! but they'reyoung things, they're young things! never you mind, Missies, this time, for there are plenty more plants. But remember:

 "'Roots and moles, where'er they're found, Like to burrow in the ground. '"

"Oh! yes, you good Tomty, we will remember!" cried the twins. "And wewill turn them all back again as quickly as we can. "

"Well, Missies, you may do that, " replied Tomty, "though it's all onenow to them plants if they're on their heads or their heels. But MissBrighteyes, " he continued, turning to the elder mouse, who was lookingon with an air of superior wisdom: "it's not my place to speak about thelittle ladies' clothes, Miss, but whatever will Mrs. Posset say when shesees your frock? and the barn-yard gate open, too, and the fowls allover the place!"

Brighteyes hung down her head and blushed as red as her petticoat: then, without saying a word, she turned away, and walked slowly toward thehouse. 

Yes, she had been very naughty, much naughtier than the twins, whom shehad been blaming; and now she would go directly in to Mrs. Posset andtell her all about it, and say she was very sorry. 

That was what she thought as she walked along, and that was what shemeant to do, doubtless; but dear me! sometimes I think that you peopleon the earth _never_ do what you mean to do. I know a gentleman inLondon, if you will believe it, who has been trying for five years tosee the sun rise. Every night when he goes to bed he says, "Aha!to-morrow morning I shall be up bright and early, sir! Want to see thesun rise. Haven't seen it since I was a boy. Ha! ha! ha!" and then hegoes to bed, and knows nothing till nine o'clock the next morning, whenthe sunbeams flirt gold-dust into his eyes and wake him up. Then he rubshis eyes, and says "Bless me! overslept myself again, hey? well, I never_was_ so sleepy before in my life! the sun will have to see _me_ risethis morning, hey? ha! ha! ha!"

[Illustration]

Yes, that is the way with you all, and that was the way with Brighteyesthat day. I did but turn away from the mirror for five minutes, to chatwith a passing meteor, and ask him how his grandmother was; and when Iturned back, where was that bright-eyed mouse but up at the very top ofa tree: trying with all her might to catch a small cat, the very samecat which the dogs had been chasing an hour before. 

"Dear little Pusscat!" cried Brighteyes in her most winning tones. "Iwouldn't hurt you for the world. Do come, and let me take you down, andyou shall be my own dear little pet, and I will love you very muchindeed!" and she stretched out one arm toward the kitten, while theother clasped a branch of the tree. 

The kitten looked hard at her, and on the whole seemed to approve ofher, for it advanced slowly, and finally allowed itself to be captured. Yes, that was very nice; but how about getting down?

"Oh! that is easily managed!" said Brighteyes, thinking aloud as usual. "I'll hold my kitty so, you see, with one hand, and with the other Ijust swing myself down to that great big huge branch, _so_--" as shestarted, there was a sound of something tearing, and this was verynatural, for the skirt of her unlucky frock was caught on a small boughand refused to accompany her to the lower branch; but it was too latefor Brighteyes to stop herself. Down she went, alighting safely on thebig branch, from which she could easily swing herself down to theground. But, alas! more than half of her skirt had remained on the upperbranch. There it hung, and flapped about in a most unpleasant way, andthere stood Brighteyes, gazing ruefully at the ruin she had wrought, butstill clasping the kitten tightly in her arms. 

[Illustration]

Now I want to ask you if you think Mrs. Posset could possibly havechosen a worse time for looking out of the window? she did, however, think it proper to look out just at that particular moment; and as I sawfrom her face that she meant mischief, and as I have the strongestpossible objection to seeing children punished, I just tipped my glassand saw the people of Nankin ringing the bells on the Porcelain Tower, to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. 

CHAPTER VI. 

A NIGHT JOURNEY. 

[Illustration]

"THIS has been a fine day!" I said, as I sat down by Brighteyes' pillow. "Certainly it cannot be said that you five mice spend your time inidleness. The only wonder is that your uncle's hair has not turned grayfrom anxiety, long before this. I never saw such mice. Positively, Pun-Chin is nothing to you. "

"And who is Pun-Chin?" asked Brighteyes. "And who are you, if youplease?"

"Pun-Chin is a Chinese mouse--I mean boy, " I replied. "And I am the Manin the Moon. I live in a silver palace--" and then I told her all aboutmyself, as I had told Downy and the twins the night before. ButBrighteyes was much more excited about it all than the little ones hadbeen. Very little children take everything for granted I find, like myfriend little Mary West, who, when a great green frog jumped right intoher lap the other day, as she was sitting by the brook, merely said"Poor frog wanted to sit down, was tired!"

[Illustration]

"Oh!" cried Brighteyes. "How delightful! how perfectly delightful! andare you really true, or am I only dreaming you? and what is your name?and may I call Nibble?"

"One thing at a time!" I replied. "I certainly am true, as true asmoonshine. As for dreaming me, why, that depends on what you calldreaming, you know. And as for my name--humph! can you pronounceBmfkmgth, for example? that is the name of my dog, and it is a goodname, too. "

"No!" said Brighteyes. "I certainly cannot. It sounds like sneezing andbarking and whistling all at once. "

"Exactly!" I replied. "That is the language of the dog-star. But _my_name is very much harder than that, so there really would be no use inmy telling it to you. There are twenty-four j's in it, and seventeeng's, so you may imagine that it is difficult. The other children call meMr. Moonman, and you may as well do so too. As for Nibble, " I continued, "if he sleeps in this little room close by, it is an easy matter to callhim. Whisk, just ask that boy's bed if it will please step in here, willyou?" The good beam did his errand quickly, and in another moment thetwo beds stood side by side, and shook castors in a very friendlymanner. Nibble, who was as fast asleep as heart could desire, was verymuch astonished as Brighteyes introduced him to me, and told him all thewonderful things she had heard. 

"But how did you get down here?" he asked. "Did you come on a fallingstar?"

"No!" I replied. "I always ride on my own beams, which are much moremanageable, and swifter as well. Why, I can go round the world in twowhisks of a comet's tail. "

"Oh! oh!" cried Nibble. "Mr. Moonman, don't you think you could let meride on one some time? I can ride very well, indeed I can! Uncle Jacklets me ride Castor sometimes, and even José never can get me off, unless he lies down and rolls! oh! _please_ let me ride on a moonbeam!it would be _so_ jolly!"

"Jolly enough, but not quite safe enough, my young friend!" said I. "Itis very easy to ride on a moonbeam when one knows how, but verydifferent when one does not. There are, however, other ways of gettingabout. A nice little cloud is what you want. " I looked out of thewindow, but not a cloud was to be seen in the sky. 

"Oh dear!" said the mice. "We should _so_ like to have a ride, Mr. Moonman. Couldn't you take us on your moonbeam? we would sit very still, and not say a word!"

"And you shall have a ride, " I said; "but not on Whisk. Run now to youruncle's bureau, and bring me from the top drawer two of his largest silkhandkerchiefs. " Yes, that was soon done. "Now 'Whisk, '" said I, "theremust be some little Winds about here with nothing special to do. See ifyou cannot find some who are willing to give these mice a ride. "

Off went Whisk through the window, and back he came in a moment withseven merry little Winds, all ready for a frolic. 

They had sung all the birds and all the flowers to sleep, they said, andhad been sitting under a tree, whistling for something to do, and nownothing would give them greater pleasure than to blow the two littleheavy ones (for I am sorry to tell you, children, that you are all knownby that name among the lively spirits of the air, ) wherever they likedto go. 

"That is well then, " said I. "And where will you go, you two mice?"

"To China!" said Nibble. 

"Oh! yes, to China!" cried Brighteyes. "Then we can see Pun-Chin, thenaughty boy you spoke of, and you can tell us more about him as we goalong!"

"Yes! yes! to China, " said Nibble, again; and he began to dance wildlyaround the room, as if nothing would stop him. At last the two mice wereready for their long journey through the air. 

[Illustration]

"China it is then!" I said. "Spread the handkerchiefs out on thewindow-sill. That's right! Now sit down on them--so! now, little Winds, blow steadily and off we go!"

Ah! that was a ride worth taking, you may believe. Away through the softMay night, over the tree-tops, over the hill-tops, the two mice, halffrightened, half delighted, sitting cross-legged on their handkerchiefs, like two little Turks, and the merry little Winds puffing away withmight and main, while Whisk and I led the way, and lighted it too. Yes, it was a pretty sight, had there been any one there to see it. But ifyou had been there yourself, you would only have said "See those twogreat white owls! how fast they fly. "

Now we came to the sea. Hundreds of my beams were there sparkling overthe shining water, and playing with the little waves, which put up theirfaces, each in its white nightcap, and laughed and danced merrily. Theycalled to the seven Winds and said:

"Come down and play with us!"

But the Winds said "No! no! we have work to do now. We can be verysteady fellows when we choose, though you might not think it. "

[Illustration]

And they puffed away bravely, to the great relief of Nibble andBrighteyes, who had been wondering what would become of them if themerry Winds should take a fancy to play with the waves. 

Now they began to sing, the seven Winds, and the waves answered them asthey leaped and danced. And this is the song they sang:

 "Ever singing, ever sighing, Ever floating, ever flying Over land and sea. Bringing summer's glow and gladness, Bringing winter's snow and sadness, Merry winds are we!

 "Greeting all with soft caresses, Shaking out the maiden's tresses Till she laughs with glee. Whispering to the bonny flowers, Fanning them through sultry hours, Merry winds are we!"

Then the waves tossed up their nightcaps and sang:

 "Ever coming, ever going, Ever ebbing, ever flowing, Children of the sea. Creeping o'er the silver beaches, Foaming o'er the rocky reaches, Merry waves are we!

 "Blue and golden in the sunlight, Gray and silver in the moonlight, Beautiful to see. Giving back each star its brightness, Giving back each cloud its whiteness, Merry waves are we!"

"That is charming!" said Brighteyes. "Dear little Winds, how sweetly yousing! and how strange that we have never heard you before. "

"Look!" cried Nibble. "What is that, that shines so over yonder? is it asail?"

Yes, it was a sail, and as we came nearer we saw a stately ship, sailing slowly along. All her crew seemed to be asleep, except one man, who was pacing up and down the deck. 

He looked up as we passed, and cried "Hi! albatrosses! how queerly theyare flying! wake up, shipmate, and look at those birds!"

[Illustration]

But before any of the sailors were awake, we were flying far away, whilethe Winds and the Waves sang together:

 "Wake the ship! And shake the ship! And over the sea we will take the ship! Filled with oranges, candy, and toys, Some for the girls and some for the boys. "

"Oh! is it really?" asked Nibble. "I wish I had some! this flying makesone hungry. "

But here now was the land again. We bade farewell to the merry Waves, and flew along over the sleeping country. The lights of a great city laybefore us. 

"Let us fly lower, " said Brighteyes, "and then we can peep into some ofthe windows and see the people asleep. "

"That is not very safe!" I replied. "In these great cities there areplenty of people awake all night; and it would never do for us to beshot at, you know. "

[Illustration]

Just then a puff of smoke from a tall chimney came up, and got into thechildren's eyes and noses, so that they were glad to fly higher, wherethe air was pure, and fresh. 

We passed over vast and gloomy forests, where the solemn pines bowedslightly as the seven Winds swept by; and over green meadows, whereflocks of sheep lay huddled together, fast asleep. As we went furtherand further eastward, the darkness began to fade. 

"In China it will be broad daylight, " I said, "and Whisk and I shallfade almost out of sight; but we shall still be with you, so you needfeel no alarm. "

"Are we near China now?" asked Brighteyes. "And you have not told usabout Pun-Chin, Mr. Moonman!"

"To be sure!" I answered. "What an excellent memory this mouse has!well, we may very likely see Pun-Chin, and then you shall judge foryourself. The last time I saw him, he had just painted his littlebrother bright green from head to foot, and was telling him that hisfather would chop him up into little bits and sow him for grass-seed. The poor little boy was very much frightened, as you may imagine. Yes, he is a bad fellow for mischief, that boy. 

"But now we must fly lower, " I added, "for we are over China now. Useyour eyes well, my little mice, and see all that you can see, for thereis no knowing when you will be here again. "

The mice did use their eyes well; and indeed there were many strangethings to look at. Green rice-fields, with bright streams of waterflowing through them, made the country beautiful. Pagodas and temples, gaily painted, and gilded, glittered in the sun, and the queer, narrowstreets were filled with people dressed in strange garments of blue, red, and yellow. They all carried large paper umbrellas covered with gayfigures. 

In one street we saw a boy sitting on a queer sort of gate. Three dogswere fastened to this gate by their tails, and as they leaped about intheir efforts to free themselves, the gate swung to and fro, thus savingthe boy the trouble of swinging himself. 

Now a man came slowly along the street, reading a paper attentively, andthinking of nothing else. Just as he was passing by the gate, however, the boy made a sudden spring, and alighting on the man's shoulders, knocked him flat in the muddy street; then springing up again like aflash, he resumed his place on the gate, and looked as innocent as alamb. But the man picked himself up slowly, and turning round, poured atorrent of angry words on the sportive youth. 

"Child of perdition!" he cried, "may the Red Dragon make his next mealof thee, and use thy bones for chopsticks! my life is of no value to me, on account of thy tormentings. Am I never to be left in peace?"

The boy, smiling sweetly, was about to reply; but at that moment awoman, who was passing by, happened to look up, and caught sight of thetwo red silk handkerchiefs in the air, with Nibble and Brighteyes onthem. Me they could not see, nor the seven Winds, but the children wereplainly visible, and very funny they must have looked. 

"Hop-Wang!" cried the woman. "Look up quickly, and see these strangethings in the sky! it is some fearful sign from the gods, I fear. "

Hop-Wang looked up, and started; but instead of being frightened, heshowed every sign of delight. 

[Illustration]

"The Red Dragon! the Red Dragon!" he cried. "Do you not see thefluttering of his wings?" (Indeed, the Winds were blowing the corners ofthe handkerchiefs, which were almost as large as small tablecloths, inevery direction, to screen the two children, so that they really didlook rather like flapping wings. ) "I have prayed to the Big Idol, " hecontinued, addressing the woman, "ever since this imp of wickedness hereset fire to my beautiful pig-tail and burned it off, to send one of hisstrong dragons to carry off my tormentor. And now my prayers areanswered, and the Red Dragon, strongest of all, is here! Hokkaloo!hokkaloo!" and he danced with delight. 

But his joy was shortlived. The boy, as soon as he heard the words "RedDragon, " and saw the fluttering wings, turned three somersaults insuccession, and was out of sight in the twinkling of a satellite; and I, thinking that distance would lend enchantment to the view, and to be outof danger, begged the Winds to blow the handkerchiefs up a mile or so. Accordingly the bright vision receded gradually from the sight of thedisappointed Chinaman, and finally vanished, leaving him verydisconsolate, and once more at the mercy of his tormentor. 

[Illustration]

"Mr Moonman!" said Brighteyes, as we rose slowly through the clear air. 

"Well, Mouse Brighteyes!" I said, "what is it?"

"Was that Pun-Chin?"

"That was Pun-Chin!" I replied. 

"I thought so!" said Brighteyes. And she was silent for some time, thinking, perhaps, of the tail-feathers of the sixty-five parrots. 

"How delightful it will be, " said Nibble; "to tell Uncle Jack and thetwinnies about this wonderful ride. Just think how surprised they willbe!" "There is a slight difficulty about that, " I replied, "which isthat you will not remember in the morning a single thing that hashappened to-night. " "Oh! Oh!" cried both the children, "how can that bepossible, Mr. Moonman? we _could_ not forget all these wonderful things, even if we tried, and we do not want to try. " "That is all very well, " Ireplied, "but it will make no difference whether you try or not, for allwill be as I say. If you had carried a sprig of the sea-flower in yourhands it might have been otherwise; but I take care never to give thatto children, remembering what trouble my cousin Patty once had fromdoing that very thing. "

"Who is your cousin Patty?" asked Nibble. "Pray tell us about her. " Thelittle Winds nodded their heads. 

"We know all about her!" they said. "She is the Sea Fairy, and lives inthe palace which is hollowed out of a single pearl, under the IndianOcean. There are fine things there, Father Moonman!"

"You are right!" I said, "and some night these two mice shall pay her avisit, and see for themselves. But as I was saying, she got into troubleonce, by giving a sprig of the sea-flower to a little boy of whom shewas very fond. I took him down to see her one night, and she gave himmany beautiful things, among them a pair of diamond trousers. "

"Diamond trousers!" exclaimed Nibble. "Who ever heard of such things!"

"There are many things which you have not heard of, " I replied, "and oneseems to be that you are not to interrupt when other people arespeaking. "

Nibble hung his head and was silent. 

[Illustration]

"She gave him, " I continued, "a pair of diamond trousers, which shone asbrightly as Whisk does when he shakes himself. The boy, a little Englishfellow named Arthur, was of course, very much delighted, and putting thetrousers on, he capered all about the palace, kicking his little legs upand down, to make the diamonds sparkle more and more. 'Now there is arule among all the Light Ones (as we are called to distinguish us fromhuman beings, ) that no heavy one shall ever be allowed to take anythingaway with him when he comes to see us. It is a very necessary rule, forthere would be all kinds of trouble without it. So on this occasion, ifPatty had not given little Arthur the sea-flower, all would have beenwell. He would have enjoyed his diamond trousers while he was under thesea, and when he woke up in the morning he would not have known anythingabout them. But the poor little boy, having the sea-flower in his hand, woke up with his head full of the past night, and fully expecting tofind the diamond trousers hanging over the back of a chair close by hisbed. When he looked, therefore, and saw nothing but his little brownknickerbockers, with a patch on each knee, it was a bitterdisappointment. His first thought was that his beautiful present wasstolen, and he began to scream and cry: 'Where are my diamond trousers?somebody has stolen them! stop thief! they are mine, and Patty gave themto me!'

"Well, his mother hearing those cries, came in, and on hearing thechild's story she thought he had gone mad, and was very anxious abouthim. Still he cried and screamed for his diamond trousers; but suddenly, as he raised his hand to push away the chair on which the despised brownknickerbockers lay, he dropped the sea-flower! Instantly everythingabout Patty and the diamond trousers passed out of his mind like a flashof lightning, and looking up at his mother, he said: 'What was I cryingabout, Mamma? Isn't it time to get up?' And his mother said: 'Yes, mydarling, it is high time to get up, and I think you have had thenightmare, Arthur dear. '

"So you see, " I continued, "that it is not at all a wise thing to givethe sea-flower to little people like you. But, bless me! here we are atthe Mouse-trap again. Now, my mice, creep into your nests! say good-byto the little Winds, and thank them for blowing you so far, for theymust be tired. "

[Illustration]

"Oh! thank you! thank you! dear little Winds!" cried the two mice. "Wehave had such a glorious ride, and we are so much obliged! and thank youtoo, dear Mr. Moonman! will you come every night, please, and tell usmore wonderful things?"

"We will see about that!" I replied. "Every night is very often, andthere are many other children who look for me. But I will come soonagain, I promise you. Now good night, and a pleasant waking to you!" andas Whisk and I flew upward, we heard the seven little Winds singingsoftly, as they swung to and fro in the grape-vine outside the nurserywindow:

 The birds may sleep, but the winds must wake Early and late, for the birdies' sake; Kissing them, fanning them, soft and sweet, E'en till the dark and the dawning meet. 

 The flowers may sleep, but the winds must wake Early and late, for the flowers' sake; Rocking the buds on the rose-mother's breast, Swinging the hyacinth-bells to rest. 

 The children may sleep, but the winds must wake Early and late, for the children's sake; Singing so sweet in each little one's ear, He thinks his mother's own song to hear. 

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

 The rain came down from the sky, And we asked it the reason why It would ne'er stay away On washing-day, To let our poor clothes get dry. 

 The rain came down to the ground, With a chattering, pelting sound. "Indeed, if I stayed Till you called me, " it said, "I should not come all the year round!"

CHAPTER VII. 

A RAINY DAY AND WHAT CAME OF IT. 

"WELL, I suppose that is true!" said Brighteyes, who had been singingthis little song as she stood by the dining-room window after breakfast, watching the rain. "I suppose it must rain some time. But I do wish itwould always rain at night, Uncle Jacket. Just think how nice it wouldbe!"

"Very nice for you, " replied Uncle Jack. "But how about the owls andbats, and watchmen and cats, who have to be out all night? they mightnot fancy it quite so much. They might not like it, " he continued, "anymore than I like to have a great boy and girl stand and look out of thewindow, when my fire is hungry. Look at the poor thing, almost starvedfor want of food!"

"Hi! Brighteyes, " cried Nibble. "Which will get to the wood-box first?"That was certainly a question, and it was also a question whose neckwould be broken first, to judge from the way in which they rushed out ofthe room. But they came back safely, strange to say, Nibble in advance, with a huge stick of yellow birch nearly as large as himself, whileBrighteyes followed closely with another. 

"Ah!" said Uncle Jack, rubbing his hands. "Now we shall see a fire, forit is cold this morning, if it _is_ the end of May. There, " hecontinued, placing the logs carefully, and heaping the coals over them. "So my fire-spirit has his breakfast, as well as the rest of us. He isan excellent fellow, and should be well treated. Did you ever hear ofthe old woman who poked her fire-spirit till he ran away and left her?"

"No!" cried the two mice. "Please tell us about her, Uncle. "

"She was a very cross old woman, " said Uncle Jack. "She lived all alone, for she was so cross that nobody could live with her. She scolded herchildren till they went away, and she scolded her bird till it flewaway, and she scolded her cat till it ran away. So there she lived allalone, with only the fire-spirit to keep her company. Now herfire-spirit was very good natured, and had borne very patiently with hismistress' ill-temper. One day, however, she came in looking and feelingparticularly savage. She sat down before the fire and took up the poker. 'Ugh!' she said. 'What a miserable attempt at a fire! why don't youburn, you stupid, sulky thing?' and she gave it a vicious poke. 

[Illustration]

"How can I burn, " said the fire, "when you don't give me anything toburn with? nobody can make a good blaze with only two sticks, and thesetwo are as cross as you are, which is saying a great deal. "

"You _shall_ burn!" cried the old hag, "whether you want to or not!" andshe began to poke and poke most unmercifully. 

"Take care!" said the fire-spirit. "I can't stand much more of this. Iam growing black in the face. "

"_I'll_ teach you to answer me!" cried the woman, poking away harderthan ever. But suddenly she gave a shriek, and dropped the poker. A puffof smoke came out of the fire-place. A shower of cinders and sparks fellall over her, filling her eyes and nose and mouth; a rushing sound, likea gust of wind, followed, and the house-door was shut with a violentbang. Then all was silent. And when the old hag had wiped the cindersout of her eyes, she saw only a black cold hearth, with two cross stickslying on it, and scowling at each other. The fire-spirit was gone; andwhat was more, he never came back, and the old woman had nothing to keepher warm, except her own temper. 

"And now, chickens, " said Uncle Jack, "run away and study your lessons, for this is our working-time, you know, and holidays are over. "

"Oh dear!" said Brighteyes, "I wish we might have _one_ more story, Uncle Jack!"

"No! no!" said Uncle Jack. "There will be plenty of time for storiesto-day, for you will not be able to go out of doors. Trot, now, for Ihave work to do as well as you. "

Nibble and Brighteyes left the room slowly, and made their way to theschool-room. 

"I say, Brighteyes!" said Nibble, "suppose we play we are somebody else, and then perhaps we shall like studying better. "

"What _do_ you mean, Nibble?" asked Brighteyes. 

"Why, " said Nibble, "I have a geography lesson to study, and you know Idetest geography. But if I were to play I was Christopher Columbus, Ishould have to _play_ I liked it, because he must have liked geographyvery much indeed, you know. So then it might be easier, don't you thinkso?"

"Ye-es, " said Brighteyes, doubtfully. "It would be easier for geography, certainly. But I have my arithmetic to study, and nobody could ever haveliked arithmetic, Nibble. "

"You might be Mr. Colburn, " suggested Nibble. "I suppose he must haveliked it, or he would not have written so much about it. "

"Well, I will try, " said Brighteyes; "though I don't think Mr. Colburnis half as nice as Christopher Columbus. But if he had been very nice, he would not have written arithmetic books, so it can't be helped, Isuppose. "

[Illustration]

By this time they had reached the school-room, and Nibble, sitting downby the big table and opening his atlas, began, in a loud voice: "O Kingof Spain, let me inform your Majesty that Alabama is bounded on thenorth by Tennessee, on the east by Georgia, on the"--

"But, Nibble! I Mean Christopher!" interrupted Mr. Colburn, in apiteous tone. "How can I do anything if you study out loud?"

"Oh dear!" said the great discoverer, rather impatiently. "Well, goahead, Mr. Colburn, and write your book, while I go on a new voyage ofdiscovery. Let us see which will finish first. "

And now, seeing that the mice were settling down to their books in goodearnest, I turned my attention to the nursery, where I rightly judgedthat I should find the three younger mice. 

[Illustration]

Well, to be sure, what fine sport they were having, those three littlethings! they had evidently been washing the dolls' clothes, for smallclothes-lines of string were all about the room, and Downy's pinaforelooked as if it had been in the tub: but now the wash was all hung out, and the mice were "playing wind, " as they called it: that is to say, they were running to and fro, puffing out their little fat cheeks, andblowing at the clothes with might and main, in the hope of making themdry sooner. 

"I am the North Wind!" said Puff. "Whoop! whoop!"

"I am the South Wind!" cried Fluff. 

"And I'm some kind of wind, ivn't I?" asked Downy, who was blowing ashard as any of them. 

"Yes, dear, you are the West Wind; whoop! whoop! whoop!" said Puff, asshe pranced about. 

Now presently the door opened, and Mrs. Posset came in, with her basketof stockings to mend. One of the clothes-lines was directly in her way, and the good woman stumbled over it, and knocked her head against themantel-piece and dropped all the stockings. This she did not like, asyou may imagine. "Dear me! children, " she cried, "it's as much as mylife is worth to enter this nursery, with all your crinkum-crankums! mystars! will you look at the strings now, all over the room, fit to breaka body's neck! Whatever are you doing now, Miss Puff?"

"We washed the dolls' clothes, Possy dear, " said Puff, "because theywere dirty, and you said this morning dirt was a sin. "

"So we couldn't have our children dirty and sinful too, you know, Possy!" cried Fluff, earnestly. "And now we are playing wind, and dryingthe clothes beautifully. "

"Well, dears, " said Mrs. Posset, resignedly, as she sat down with hermending, "'tis a very nice play, no doubt; but if you _could_ playsomething that would not shake the room quite so much, the stockingswould be mended sooner, that's all. "

"Well, Puffy, " said Fluff, "what shall we play?"

"Oh! let us play 'Five Little Princesses'!" said Puff. 

"But there are only three of us!" Fluff objected. "Unless Mrs. Possetwill be one, and _that_ would only be four. _Would_ you mind being aprincess, Possy?"

"Oh! Miss Fluffy, dear, indeed I have not time, now, " said the goodnurse; "but you might play that one of the princesses was lame, andcould not walk. "

So the three mice began to walk slowly about, with their eyes shut, singing, as they went:

 Five little princesses started off to school, Following their noses because it was the rule. But one nose turned up, and another nose turned down, So all the little princesses were lost in the town. 

[Illustration]

Here they all tumbled against each other, and pretended to cry bitterly;then starting off again, they sang:

 Poor little princesses cannot find their way! Naughty little noses, to lead them astray! Poor little princesses, sadly they roam, Naughty little noses, pray lead them home!

Now is not that a pretty game? Yes, and it is quite new, so you may tryit yourselves if you like. Just shut your eyes, and bump against allthe chairs and tables, singing this song, and you will find yourselvesvery much amused. At least, the twins and Downy enjoyed it extremely, until Fluff, the unlucky, tripped over one of her own clothes-lines, andfell against the stove (which, luckily, had no fire in it, ) hitting herhead harder than even a lost princess could possibly care to do. For afew minutes there was sorrow and confusion among the princesses; but theoffer of a story from Mrs. Posset soon calmed their royal minds, andthey gathered round the good nurse's table with eager faces. 

"Well, and what shall the story be about, Missies?" she asked. 

"Oh! about the three little girls!" said Puff. Fluff nodded her headapprovingly, and Downy said "Free ittle dirls!" in a satisfied tone. Sothey listened, and I listened, and my dog listened. And you may listen, too, if you like, though it is an old story, and you may have heard itbefore. 

"Once upon a time, then, " said Mrs. Posset, threading herdarning-needle, and taking up one of Nibble's stockings, which was insuch a condition as might have made a darning-machine turn pale, "therewere three little girls, and their names were Orange and Lemon andHold-your-tongue. And they all lived together in a little red house witha green roof, which stood in the middle of a wood. Now every morningthere was the work to be done, you see. So on Monday morning Orangewould get up at the break of day, so to speak, and she swept the house, and she made the fire, and she cooked the breakfast--"

"What did they have for breakfast?" asked Fluff. 

"Pork chops, " said Mrs. Posset. "And then she called her sisters; andwhen they had eaten their breakfast, they all went out and played forthe rest of the day. 

"Well, and on Tuesday morning Lemon got up early. And she swept thehouse, and she made the fire, and she cooked the breakfast--"

"What did they have _that_ morning?" interrupted Puff. 

"Cod's head and shoulder!" replied Mrs. Posset. "And then she called hersisters; and when they had eaten their breakfast, they all went out andplayed for the rest of the day. 

"Well, my dears, as I'm telling you, on Wednesday, the third littlegirl--dear! dear! what was her name now? I seem to forget--"

"Hold-your-tongue!" cried Fluff, eagerly. 

"Well! well!" said Mrs. Posset, pretending to be very much vexed. "Tothink of your having no better manners than that, Miss Fluff! telling meto hold my tongue, indeed! not another story will you get from meto-day, I promise you!"

This was a favorite joke of Mrs. Posset's, I found, and the childrenwere never tired of it, though they knew that the little story went nofurther than "Hold your tongue!" They were still laughing over it, whenthey heard a loud scream from below, followed by a heavy fall, and acrash as of broken china. For a moment they all looked at each other insilence, startled by the shock; then Mrs. Posset put Downy off her knee, and flew down stairs, followed by the three little mice, all eager toknow what had happened. Uncle Jack had heard the noise in his study, andSusan had heard it in the kitchen; in fact, the whole household wasroused, and all turned their steps towards the school-room, where Nibbleand Brighteyes were. Uncle Jack was the first to open the door, andwhen he looked into the room, he saw--see! I will draw you a picture. _This_ is what he saw. Nibble was lying on the floor, apparentlyhalf-stunned, while near him lay the fragments of a china teapot; andall around on the floor, were scattered gold coins, large and small, hundreds and hundreds of them. Every one stood astonished, verynaturally, and no one was more astonished than Master Nibble himself. Assoon as he recovered his composure a little, he sat up on Uncle Jack'sknee, and told his story, very much in these words:

[Illustration]

"It was all my geography lesson, Uncle!" said Nibble. "I played I wasChristopher Columbus, so that I should like it better, and I learned itall, every word of it. But I finished before Mr. Colburn had written hisbooks, so I--"

"Stop! stop! Nibble!" cried Uncle Jack. "Who is Mr. Colburn, pray? andwhat has he to do with your geography lesson?"

"Why, he is Brighteyes!" said Nibble. "To make her like her arithmeticlesson, don't you know?"

"Oh! indeed!" said Uncle Jack. "Go on, Christopher!"

"So, " continued Nibble, "I thought I would go on a voyage of discovery, a _real_ voyage. And I saw that little trap door in the ceiling, thatyou said must be an old sky-light covered over--"

"And that I forbade you to meddle with, " said Uncle Jack, quietly. 

"Well, yes, Uncle, I know you did. But if Columbus had minded what otherpeople said, would he ever have found America?"

"Humph!" said Uncle Jack, trying to suppress a smile. "Well, sir?"

"Well, sir, " responded Nibble, "so I thought I would sail for that port. I climbed up on some things" (I should say he did! there was a heap oftables and chairs, desks and books, sofa-pillows and coal-scuttles, under the open trap-door, which was enough to frighten one, ) "and gotinto it. It was a kind of an attic place, Uncle, all beams and raftersand cobwebs. I crept in ever so far on my hands and knees, and in thefarthest corner I found a heap of queer old clothes all covered withdust; coats and hats, and all sorts of things. I knew they must belongto the queer old man Tomty told us about, who used to live here, and Ithought it would be great fun to bring them down and dress up in them. Ilifted some of them, and heard something rattle underneath: then Ilooked, and found that old teapot, hidden away under a great beam. Itwas very heavy, and the cover was fastened on with sealing-wax, so I wasgoing to bring it down to you; but my foot slipped, and--" "And you camedown rather faster than you meant to?" said Uncle Jack. 

"Dear to goodness, sir!" cried Mrs. Posset, who had been picking up thegold pieces, and had her apron full of them. "It's my belief that thisis neither more nor less than old Jonas Junk's treasure, of which theneighbors talk so much. "

"It certainly is, Mrs. Posset!" replied Uncle Jack. "And I think we mustalways call Nibble Christopher Columbus, for he certainly has made agreat discovery!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII. 

A STORY CHAPTER. 

[Illustration]

IT was quite late one evening when I slipped in at a window in theMouse-trap, to pay a visit to Nibble and Brighteyes. Nibble's bed, amost intelligent piece of furniture, walked in from the other room ofits own accord, as soon as I appeared, so I had not even the trouble ofcalling it. As for the two mice, they fairly squeaked with delight whenthey saw me. "Oh! Mr. Moonman!" they cried, "we thought you were nevercoming again! where have you been all this long, long time?"

"It is only a week since I last came, little mice!" I replied; "andindeed, I should have been here oftener, but two of my pet children havebeen ill, and I have been telling them stories every night, to make thetime pass more quickly. "

"Oh! tell us about them, and tell us their names, and tell us thestories you told them!" cried Brighteyes eagerly. 

"And take us on another journey, oh! _please_!" added Nibble, jumping upand down, with excitement. 

"How is a poor Moonman to do everything at once?" I inquired. "In thefirst place, there will be no traveling to-night, let me tell you. Avery disagreeable Wind has the watch to-night, and I would not trust youin his hands. Yes, he is a detestable fellow, very different from ourseven little friends of the other night. He actually tried to blow outmy lantern, which is a piece of impudence I have seldom met with. Youshall hear a story about him if you will, for only last night I wastelling one to Marie and Emil. "

"Yes! yes!" cried the mice; "we should like it above all things. Butfirst tell us a little about Marie and Emil. Are they the two childrenwho have been ill?"

"Yes, " I replied; "they are French children, and they live in asea-board town in the south of France, --that is, they live there abouthalf the time: the other half they spend on the water, in their father'syacht. Their father is a rich man, who has a passion for the sea, andlikes to spend most of his time on it: and he takes his little boy andgirl with him on many of his yacht voyages, for they are as fond of thewater as he is, and they have no mother. "

[Illustration]

"Oh!" sighed Nibble, "I wish Uncle Jack had a yacht, and a passion forthe sea!"

"That would be admirable!" said I. "Two children on a yacht are all verywell, but if there were five, the captain and all the crew would jumpoverboard and drown themselves, I fancy. Certainly, Marie and Emil arevery happy on board the Victoria. Marie has a cabin of her own, theprettiest little room you can imagine, where she sits and reads, orswings in her hammock, when she is tired of staying on deck. The sailorsare all devoted to them, and now that they are ill on shore, the bigcaptain, Jacques Legros, goes every day up to the house, to ask if 'thelittle angels are better?'"

"What is the matter with them?" asked Brighteyes; "and shall we have thestory now, if you please?"

[Illustration]

"You shall have the story now!" I said, "and they have had the scarletfever, but are doing very well. Hear that angry Wind outside! how hehowls, and shakes the window-frame. He knows that I am going to tell youabout his misdeeds. Howl away, my friend; you can do us no harm. So thenI told the mice the following story. First, however, I showed them apicture of Marie, which I happened to have in my pocket. They thoughtshe was a very pretty little girl. What do you think?"

THE STORY OF THE WIND. 

The great Tree stood out in the green meadow, all alone. No other treesdared to come near him, he was so strong, and tall, and grand; butfor all that, he was kind and gentle, and never would hurt anything. Onemorning the great Tree awoke from his long winter sleep, and found thesnow all gone, and the sun shining bright and warm as if it were Juneinstead of the first of April. On his branches were sitting a flock oflittle birds, and it was their chirping and twittering that had wakedhim. "Chippity-wippity pip pip, cheepy peepy weep wee-e-e!" they said;and that meant "Wake up, old Tree! Spring has sent us to call you. Sheis coming directly, and she wants you to get your leaves out as soon aspossible, as she has forgotten her parasol, and wants some shade for herpretty head. "

[Illustration: MARIE. ]

The great Tree nodded his head, and said, "Tell my lady Spring that Iwill be ready. " And then he shook his branches, and called out, "Littleleaves, little children, open your buds and come out! come out!" And oneby one the little buds with which the branches were covered opened, andout popped the little leaves. At first they shivered, and wishedthemselves back in their warm little houses; but the old Tree spokekindly to them, and then the sunbeams came and kissed them, so that theyfelt quite happy, and even began to dance about a little on thebranches. And they said to each other, "How foolish we were, to think ofshutting ourselves up again in those close houses. Here we shall be freeand happy, and we will dance all day and all night. "

Just then they heard a soft voice whispering, "Little leaves, lovelyleaves, will you not dance with me?" And the little leaves said, "Whoare you, that whispers so softly?" And the voice answered, "I am theWind, and I have come to be your playfellow. I can sing, too, andsweetly, and we shall all be happy together. " So the Wind sang them alow, sweet song; and then he danced with them, and kissed them gently, and played with them; and they all said, "Oh, dear, gentle Wind, howcharming you are! will you not play with us every day, and make ushappy?"

But after the Wind had flown away, the old Tree called to them and said, "My children, beware of the Wind, for he is not to be trusted. Soft andgentle he is to-day, but to-morrow he may be fierce and terrible. Playwith him and dance with him, but be always on your guard. " And thelittle leaves nodded their little heads, and answered, "Yes, goodfather, we will be careful. "

Well, for many days the Wind came to play with the leaves, and every daythey thought him more delightful. Such wonderful stories as he toldthem! of all the strange countries he had seen in his wanderings; thebeautiful tropical islands, where he slept all day in the palm-treetops, just waking in the evening to fan the cheeks of the dark-eyedsouthern ladies for an hour, and then sinking to sleep again under theshining stars; and the terrible northern seas, with their fleets oficebergs, whose pilot he loved to be, guiding them hither and thither, tossing the waves about, and sporting with the seals and walruses on theflat ice-cakes. "And some day, little leaves, " he said, "you shall gowith me to see these wonders; not to the arctic seas, for you are tootender and delicate to bear the cold; but away to the south, to thecoral islands and the orange-groves. There you will see all the beautyof the world, and will laugh at the thought of having been content inthis dull meadow, with its stupid daisies and buttercups, and its paltrylittle brook. Also you will find many cousins there, leaves such as younever dreamed of, wonderful in size and shape and color. Say, then, little playmates, will you come with me, and see all these beautifulthings, and many more?"

But the leaves shook their little heads, and said, "No, dear Wind! welove you, and it would be delightful to go with you, but we cannot leaveour father Tree, who is so kind to us, and loves us so dearly. "

At first the Wind seemed angry, but soon he smiled and said, "Nevermind! some day you will come, --some day!" and away he flew. But oh! thenext time he came, what a different Wind he was! no longer gentle, playful, caressing, but fierce, and rough, and stormy. He rushed at thegreat Tree, howling furiously. He seized the little leaves, and whirledand dashed them about, trying to tear them from the branches; and flunghimself against the Tree, as if he would even loose his rooted hold onthe ground. But the leaves clung closer and closer, trembling andshivering; and the great Tree braced himself, and met the fierce blastbravely, never losing an inch of his foothold, and giving back blow forblow with his long powerful arms. At last the Wind was tired and flewaway, howling and moaning with anger and disappointment. The littleleaves were sadly frightened, but their father Tree comforted them, andsaid, "Courage, my children! I have fought many a battle with the Wind, and he has never beaten me yet. Only be brave and faithful, and hecannot overcome you. "

At first the leaves thought they never wanted to see or hear the Windagain; but a few days after, to their great surprise, he came again, soft and gentle, as he had used to be, and he kissed them and sang tothem, and begged them to forgive his wicked temper, and play with himonce more. He was so charming that they soon forgave him, and soonforgot all about the storm. And they danced and frolicked about gayly, and listened again to the marvelous tales of far-off countries, ofpalm-groves and coral islands. 

So the time went on and on. The Lady Spring had gathered her green robesabout her and passed on, and her children, the wildwood blossoms, hadfollowed her; and now Lady Summer, who had come in her stead, with herarms full of peaches and pears, and her gown covered with lovely gardenflowers, was almost ready to depart, and stayed lingering, calling andbeckoning to her brother Autumn, who was following very slowly. Theleaves on the great Tree had been very happy during Lady Summer's reign. Many a time, it is true, the Wind had been angry with them, because theyrefused to go away with him, and again and again he had raged andstormed, and tried to tear them away from their happy home. But he wasalways very sorry after these fits of passion, and they always forgavehim readily, for they loved him dearly. 

One night, one clear, lovely night, when all things were sleeping in themoonlight, the Wind came and whispered to the leaves. So softly he came, and so softly he spoke, that they did not wake at first, and he had tokiss them all before he could rouse them from their sleep. "Hush, darlings!" he said. "You must not wake the old Tree, for I have a secretto tell you which he must not hear. Something very wonderful is going tohappen, and I have come to tell you about it. " "What is it, dear Wind?oh, what is it?" whispered the little leaves. And they clusteredtogether and listened. "Well, my darlings, " said the Wind, "a very greatpersonage is going to pass through this part of the country to-morrownight. No less a personage than the celebrated Frost, the court painterof the great King Winter. He is one of the most famous painters in theworld, but he is also a great friend of mine; and though he is in ahurry to join his royal master, who has now left his Arctic kingdom, andis traveling southward, he has kindly consented to do a great favor foryou, my darlings, because I have told him how dearly I love you. "

"What is it, dear Wind? oh, what is it?" asked the little leaves again. 

"Well, " said the Wind, "I know you must be very tired of these dullgreen dresses. They were well enough in the spring, when they were newand fresh, but now you have been wearing them all summer, and they aredirty and soiled. So I have persuaded my friend Frost to stop here onhis way through the meadow, and to paint you all over, with fresh, new, beautiful colors. Only think of it, darlings! think how lovely you willlook, all shining in crimson and gold! Now, am I not a good friend? andwill you not all give me kisses for this?"

"Oh yes! yes indeed, you good Wind!" cried the leaves. "We will give youas many kisses as you want, and we will thank you till you are tired ofbeing thanked. Oh! how delightful it will be!" and they danced about andabout, and they kissed the Wind, and he kissed them. 

"And now, good-night!" he said. "Remember, not a word of this to the oldTree, for it would be a pity to rob him of the pleasure of such acharming surprise. "

He flew away, but the leaves were too happy to go to sleep again. Theywhispered and chattered all night about their new dresses. This onewould have yellow, and that one would have pink, and that one scarlet, while some of the older ones preferred a rich golden russet. And whenmorning came, they were still whispering and chattering, and could thinkof nothing else all day. 

At last the wished-for night came; and a beautiful night it was, verycool, but perfectly still, and brilliant with moonlight and starlight. The little leaves waited and waited, till they were, oh! so sleepy! butno one came. At length, when their eyes were closing in spite ofthemselves, they felt a sudden cold strike them, a cold so intense thatit almost took away their breath. They looked up, and saw advancing overthe meadow towards them, a strange figure which they knew in a momentmust be that of the great Frost. He was very tall and thin, and verypale; and his long robe, and his hair, and his long curling moustaches, looked exactly like silver. Indeed, there was a silvery glitter allabout and around him, and as he passed lightly over the grass, it tooseemed to them to silver under his feet. He came straight on, came tothe tree. Then, without speaking a word, he drew out a long silver brushwhich had been hidden beneath his robe, and a palette covered withbrilliant colors, and began to paint the leaves. But oh! what a deadlychill struck through them when the silver brush touched them. Cold, cold, cold! and a kind of numbness, and a heavy drowsiness, began tocreep over them. But when they saw the gorgeous beauty of their newdresses, they were very proud, and tried to hold themselves up, and notto give way to this strange weakness and faintness. And at last, oh! atlast, the final touch was given, and with one cold farewell glance fromhis bright, sharp eyes, the court painter of the great King Winterpassed on over the meadow. 

Soon morning broke, and the leaves, waking from their brief and uneasyslumber, looked around to see the splendor in which they were arrayed. How the sun stared at them, when he rose. He sent down a special sunbeamto give them his compliments and to say that he had never seen them lookso charming. Oh! very proud were the little leaves, and very happy, theythought; but somehow they did not feel at all well. The day was brightand warm, and yet they were so cold, so cold! and the numbness andweakness still seemed creeping over them, and would not now be shakenoff. And now the great Tree awoke, (for he was apt to sleep late, beingvery old. ) But instead of being pleased, as his children thought hewould be, when he saw their fine appearance, he sighed and wept. 

"Ah, my children!" he said; "my poor unhappy children! I see what hashappened. You have listened to the Wind, and the Frost has been withyou; and now you will leave me, and I shall be alone again, as I havebeen so many, many years. "

"Oh, no! no! Father Tree, " cried the leaves, "we will stay with youalways. "

But the old Tree shook his head, and said, "No, my children! it is toolate. You cannot choose now whether you will go or stay, and soon, soonI shall be left alone. "

The little leaves did not understand this, and they tried to forget thesad words, and to be happy with their fine new dresses. But still theywere so cold, so cold! and still the drowsy numbness kept creeping, creeping over them, and each day they became weaker and weaker. And oneday, oh! one fearful day, the Wind came. Fiercely and furiously he flewacross the meadow, savagely he rushed at the great Tree. "Now, " hehowled, "now, little leaves, will you come with me? ha! ha! _now_ willyou come?" he clutched the leaves, and they shivered and moaned, andclung to the branches. But alas! their strength was gone, they could nolonger resist the blast: and in a moment they were whirled away andaway, borne hither and thither on the wings of the mighty Wind, and atlast dashed down on the earth, to shiver and die in the cold. 

And once more the great Tree stood alone in the meadow. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IX. 

A PICNIC. 

[Illustration]

ONE bright morning, at about eleven o'clock, I tipped my glass in thedirection of the Mouse-trap. It had been tipped in a very differentdirection, for I had been watching a buffalo-hunt on the prairies. Thatis an exciting sport, and one that I should like to join in, if I were afew thousand years younger. Here at the Mouse-trap, however, there wasan excitement of quite another sort. All the five mice were hurryingabout, evidently very busy. The carriage stood at the door, and UncleJack was packing all sorts of things into it. Nibble brought one bigbasket, and Puff brought another, and both were stowed away under theseat. Brighteyes came down the steps very carefully carrying somethingin a pitcher, with a napkin tied over the top, and that too was stowedaway. As for Fluff and Downy, they were running round and round thehouse as fast as they could, shouting: "Picnic! picnic! going to apicnic! oh! Jollykaloo! Jollykaloo!"

[Illustration]

"Aha!" I said to my dog, "the mice are going to have a picnic. Let uswatch now, and see where they go: and then we shall have all the fun ofit, and none of the trouble. " So we watched, and saw them all get intothe carriage except Nibble, who stood on the steps with his hands in hispockets, evidently waiting for something. The something soon proved tobe José, the brown donkey, whom Thomas now led up the path, looking verygay with his Mexican saddle and scarlet tassels. Nibble mounted himnimbly, and took the reins and the whip. "Thank you, Tomty!" he said. "And good-bye! I wish you were going to the picnic, Tomty!" "Thank youkindly, sir!" replied Tomty. "The hens and me will be having a picnic inthe barn-yard, Master Nibble, I'm thinking. "

"Now, Uncle Jack, I am ready!" cried the young horseman. "I will leadthe way, and you can follow!"

"Thank you!" said Uncle Jack, who was holding in the spirited horseswith some difficulty, "you are extremely kind, I am sure!"

"Get up, José!" cried Nibble, "Hi! go on, sir!" But José was notinclined to go on. He shook his head, and pointed his long ears backwardand forward, but not a step would he stir, for entreaties, threats, orblows. Then Tomty slyly took a sharp-pointed stake, and poked MasterJosé from behind. Ah, that was another matter! up went his heels in theair, and off he went at full gallop, while all the occupants of thecarriage shouted with laughter, as they saw donkey and rider dash alongthe avenue, and finally vanish in a cloud of dust. 

"Come, Pollux! come, Castor!" said Uncle Jack, "it would never do forthe donkey to get to the Glen before us. "

Castor and Pollux thought so too, for they tossed their heads, andquickened their pace to a fast trot, though they were far too wellbehaved to think of breaking into a gallop. 

"Oh! isn't it nice to go so fastly?" exclaimed Fluffy, giving Downy ahug. "Just like queens in their chariots. See those two little tinychildren, Downy! They are smaller as you, and perhaps they think we arequeens, only we haven't any crowns; but we might have left our crowns athome for fear of robbers. "

"Yef, wobbers!" said Downy, with a knowing nod. 

"No I don't think we will be queens, " said Brighteyes. "Let us be wildbeasts in a caravan, going to the menagerie, and then we can sing themenagerie song. " "Oh! yes! yes!" cried all the others. And then theysang the following song, each singing a verse in turn, and thenimitating the voice of the creature she represented while the otherverses were sung. It was a lively game, you may believe. 

[Illustration]

 The Tiger is a terrible beast! He lives in jungles of the East, On bad little boys he loves to feast: Oh! fiddledy, diddledy, dido!

 The Lion he doth rage and roar; And when he hits you with his paw, You never are troubled with nothing no more, Oh! fiddledy, diddledy, dido!

 The Buffalo doth proudly prance, Whenever the hunters will give him a chance, And over the prairies he leads them a dance, Oh! fiddledy, diddledy, dido!

 The Crocodile doth open his jaws, Like great big ugly tusky doors, And gobbles you up without a pause, Oh! fiddledy, diddledy, dido!

[Illustration: "THEY STOOD LOOKING AT THE MICE. "]

By the time the last verse was finished the four mice were howling androaring in a manner frightful to hear, and Uncle Jack's patience finallygave way. "Children, " he said, turning round, "I cannot possibly endurethis. Be quiet at once, or I will drive you to the Lunatic Asylum andleave you there! See, the people are all coming out of their houses tostare at you!" So indeed they were, and one little girl, who stood withher mother at a cottage gate, staring with might and main, cried:"Them's all mad, be'nt them, mother?" "No, little girl!" said Puff, withgreat dignity. "We are wild beasts going to a menagerie!" And thecarriage whirled away leaving the child not much the wiser. 

Now they turned into a lovely wood road, when the trees bent down overthe carriage, and whispered in the mice's ears. But the mice did notunderstand, as usual; they only rubbed their ears and said the leavestickled them. Uncle Jack stopped the horses, and told the mice to tumbleout, which they did speedily. 

[Illustration]

One took a basket, and another a bottle, and all went trotting down themossy path that led to the lovely glen, while Uncle Jack stayed tounharness the horses, and then followed with the "biggy-wiggy basket, "as Downy called it. Indeed, it was a pretty sight to see those littlecreatures, playing about like so many fairies in that lovely greenplace. You should have seen the little flower-spirits start up to lookat them, as they frisked about among the trees. Little Primrose threwkisses to them, and Violet offered them a dew-drop in her deepest purplecup; but the merry mice thought nothing of the flower spirits andneither saw nor heard them. 

"Oh! the brook! the lovely brook!" cried Brighteyes. "We _must_ take offour shoes and stockings and wade in it. Mayn't we, Uncle Jack?" UncleJack nodded, and off went four pairs of shoes, and four pairs of scarletstockings. Oh? the little white feet! how pretty they looked, shiningthrough the clear water, that looked so brown in the still pools, andsparkled so white over the rocks and the tiny rapids. 

[Illustration]

That was fine sport, certainly. Fluff fell in, of course, but nobodyseemed to mind it much, and Fluff herself least of all, for it was avery warm day, and Mrs. Posset was not there to lament the "ruination"of her white frock. 

Suddenly Brighteyes exclaimed: "But where is Nibble?" Sure enough, wherewas that famous horseman? nobody had seen him since he had gallopedaway up the avenue. "Oh, dear!" sighed Fluff, "perhaps he played wildbeast, and somebody took him and put him in the Lunatic Asylum! Do youthink anybody did, Uncle Jack?"

"I don't think he would be likely to play wild beast all alone. My fearis that _José_ may have been playing, and----but see!" he added, lookingback towards the path by which they had entered the glen, "here comesthe young man himself, so now we shall know all about it. "

Nibble came down the path slowly, looking very serious. His clothes werecovered with dust, his hat was battered out of all shape, and he carriedhis whip under his arm, instead of snapping it gayly as he had done whenhe started. José was not to be seen. 

"Well, Nibble, my boy, what has happened?" asked Uncle Jack, cheerily. "Has José been rolling with you again?" "Yes, Uncle!" answered Nibble, as he drew near, and threw himself on the mossy bank where his uncle wasseated, "he is the worst donkey I ever saw! he wanted some thistles inthe hedge, and I wouldn't let him eat them, of course. So then he kickedand reared, but he couldn't get me off _that_ way, and I whipped him agood bit. But then he lay down and rolled, and then I _couldn't_ stay onyou see!" "I see!" said Uncle Jack. "You were certainly justified ingetting off. And then José went home, I suppose?" "Well, yes, I supposehe did, " said Nibble, reluctantly, "and I have walked a long way, Uncle, and I want my dinner. " "Bless me!" cried Uncle Jack, "dinner already?Well, come out of the water, you little Nixies, and let us see about ourgrand feast!"

Patter, patter, came all the little white feet, over the mossy stones, and over the green turf, and I could not tell whether they lookedprettier in the water or out of it. There was a rush for the baskets, and their contents were tumbled out pell-mell on the grass. Forks, spoons, tarts, sandwiches, lemons, followed each other in rapidsuccession. 

"Now this will never do!" said Uncle Jack. "Too many cooks spoil thebroth, as we know, and we must not spoil our feast. Nibble, do you goand gather brush and make a fire. Hap and Hazard shall pick some flowersto make wreaths and posies, and Brighteyes shall help me to set thetable. " "And what fell I do?" asked little Downy, piteously; "I muf dofomefing!" "So you shall, Downy, " said Uncle Jack; "you shall chase allthe butterflies away, so that they will not eat up the tarts. "

[Illustration]

Now every one was happy and busy. The twinnies wandered off into themeadow near by, filling their aprons with posies, and chatteringmerrily, with little snatches of song mingling with their pretty talk. It was pleasant to hear their sweet voices singing:

 Daisy white and Daisy bright, And Daisy is my heart's delight! I'll twine you now in my true-love's hair, And tell me who is the fairest fair!

 Violet blue and Violet true, And Violet filled with diamond dew! I'll give you now to my true love here, And tell me who is the dearest dear!

Meanwhile great things were accomplished in the glen. A snowy cloth wasspread on the emerald turf, and on it were arrayed all the good things, in dishes and plates, which had been lately hanging on the greatsycamore-tree under which the feast was spread. 

"Nothing like leaves for picnic-plates!" said Uncle Jack. "Now then, Brighteyes, hand out that chicken pie! So! now for the strawberries andthe sponge cake! ha! this certainly does make one hungry. " Indeed itdid, as I felt the pangs of hunger merely from seeing all the goodthings in my mirror. "Go, good dog, " I said to my faithful companion, "and bring me some ice-cream from Mt. Vanilla. And dip the ladle intothat syllabub cloud that is drifting by, for it will make a pleasantaddition. "

Bmfkgth departed on his errand, and I turned again to watch the picnic. The kettle was boiling by this time over Nibble's brush fire, and he wascalling for the coffee-pot, when suddenly a shrill scream was heard fromthe meadow, and Downy's voice cried, "Fomebody come! oh! oh! I'mkilled!" Brighteyes ran to the rescue, and found the little man gazingin terror at a very innocent-looking white cow, who was quietly grazingin the meadow. He ran to his sister, and clung to her, crying, "Dat cowlooked at me! I'm killed!" Brighteyes took his hand and ran backlaughing. "Here is a boy who has been killed by a cow's looking at him, "she said, "and he wants a sandwich. "

[Illustration]

All was ready now. The twins were called, and came back laden withflowers; Nibble came with his coffee-pot, and the grand feast began inearnest. Dear! dear! how good everything looked! chicken pie and smokedtongue and sandwiches, and chocolate custard in a pitcher, andeverything else that you can think of. I never have chicken pie up here, because there are no chickens, but I think it must be very nice, and itwas very evident that the mice thought so. Uncle Jack carved and helped, and everybody ate and drank and chattered merrily. My brother Sun smiledat them, and sent millions of sunbeams, twinkling and sparkling over thegrass and dancing on the ripples of the brook; and when they were toowarm, hosts of merry Winds came flying, and fanned them and kissed them. Among them were the seven little fellows who had blown Nibble andBrighteyes to China, and they whispered, "Dear little Heavy-Ones; willyou take another flying-trip with us?" but the children did not hear norheed them, so nothing further was said. 

When the feast was over, there was a grand washing of spoons and forks, and a putting away of what was good and throwing away of what was bad. Then came blind-man's-buff, and hide-and-seek, and all manner of games;and then more paddling and tumbling in the brook, splashing and dashing, "for all the world like the forty little ducklings!" Uncle Jack said. "Oh! tell us about the little ducklings!" cried all the mice. And theyclimbed up the bank and sat down in a circle round their uncle, holdingup their wet feet to dry in the sun. "About the ducklings, eh?" saidUncle Jack, "well, let me see if I can remember. "

 The forty little ducklings who lived up at the farm, They said unto each other, "oh! the day is _very_ warm!" They said unto each other, "oh! the river's _very_ cool! The duck who did not seek it now would surely be a fool!"

 The forty little ducklings they started down the road, And waddle, waddle, waddle, was the gait at which they goed, The same it is not grammar, you may change it if you choose! But one cannot stop for trifles when inspired by the Muse. 

 They waddled and they waddled, and they waddled on and on, Till one remarked, "oh! deary me, where _is_ the river gone? We asked the Ancient Gander, and he said 'twas very near, He must have been deceiving us, or else himself, I fear. "

 They waddled and they waddled, till no further they could go, Then down upon a mossy bank they sat them in a row. They took their little handkerchiefs and wept a little weep, And then they put away their heads, and then they went to sleep. 

 There came along a farmer, with a basket on his arm, And all those little ducklings he took back to the farm, He put them in their little beds and wished them sweet repose, And fastened mustard plasters on their little webby toes. 

 Next day those little ducklings were very, very ill, Their mother sent for Dr. Quack, who gave them each a pill, But soon as they recovered, the first thing that they did Was to peck the Ancient Gander, till he ran away and hid. 

[Illustration]

"There!" said Uncle Jack, "weren't they funny ducklings?" "Yes!" saidPuff; "is it true, Uncle?" "Part of it is, " replied Uncle Jack. "It istrue about the ducklings running away, and about the farmer's findingthem. I know the farmer. His name is Mr. Thomas Burnham, and a very goodfarmer he is. But I did not see him put the mustard plasters on theirfeet, so I cannot tell about that. " "Then tell us something else, please!" cried Brighteyes. "No! no!" said Uncle Jack; "it is sixo'clock, you bad children! Once upon a time there were five little mice, and it was time for them to go home. That is the only story I can tellyou now. "

[Illustration]

Well, to be sure, it did seem a shame to go home, just when everythingwas so lovely. But Downy was beginning to rub his eyes as if my friendthe Sand-man had been blowing into them, and the shadows werelengthening, and Brother Sun was beginning to call his beams home. Sothe mice bade farewell to the lovely glen, and the merry brook, andtrotted up the mossy path as cheerfully, if not as quickly as they hadtrotted down it. Harum-scarum and flyaway my mice certainly are, butthey are almost always cheerful and obedient, and that is a great thing. Primrose and Violet and the rest looked after them, and said, "God blesstheir merry hearts!" then they curled down under their leaves and wentto sleep, for it was high time. The brook sang its sweetest good-byesong, as it hurried away toward the sea, to tell the gossipping waveswhat a delightful afternoon it had passed; and as if in answer to thesong, I heard Puff and Fluff singing merrily, as the carriage rolledaway:

 "Rosebud fine and Rosebud mine, And Rosebud red as the ruby wine, I'll lay you now at my true-love's feet, And tell me who is the sweetest sweet!"

CHAPTER X. 

THE CARRIAGE CLOUD. 

"GOOD evening to you all!" I said, as I stepped in at the nurserywindow. "This is a night for a journey, if you please. All the rough andunruly Winds are out of the way, for there is to be a match to-nightbetween the North-east wind and a Southern tornado, to see which canblow the harder, and all their relations have gone to look on. But ourseven little friends have no liking for such rough bear-play, and theyare waiting outside, with a carriage-cloud which will hold you all. Sojump up, and call Nibble and Brighteyes. But first, I must know why myFluff has been crying. You must have cried yourself to sleep, my mouse, and that will never do. Tell your old Moonman what has happened, for Ihave been watching a battle in Zululand all day, and have seen neithermice nor mouse-trap. "

"We have had a very melancholy day, Mr. Moonman!" replied Fluff, "VashtiAnn has been hanged, and it is a terrible thing to hang your own child, even if Nibble does it for you. " "Vashti Ann hanged!" I exclaimed. "Dear! dear! how very distressing! what had she done, pray, and how didit all happen?" "We don't think she meant to do it, " said Puff gravely;"but Nibble said she ought to be hanged all the same. You see, we hadjust dressed the baby"--"and she was Vashti Ann's _own_ child!" Fluffbroke in impressively. 

[Illustration: FLUFF. ]

[Illustration]

"Please do not interrupt me, Fluffy!" said Puffy with dignity. "And weset her down in front of her mother, and told her to say her lesson likea good baby, only she can't really say it, you know, but we play shedoes. So then Fluffy went for a walk with the other dolls, but I had todarn a hole in my stocking. Mrs. Posset is teaching me to darn, and itis my duty, but I don't like my duty. So I was sitting by the window, and nobody was doing anything at all, when suddenly Vashti Ann fellright down on the baby's head and"--"and killed her!" cried Fluff, bursting into tears. "Killed her all dead into little pieces!" "Howvery, very shocking!" I said. "And was the wretched mother hurtherself?" "No!" answered Puff. "Her head was china, Mr. Moonman, and thebaby's was wax, you see. " "I see!" said I. "The brass pot and theearthen one!" "If you had ever seen Vashti Ann, Mr. Moonman, " said Fluffthrough her tears, "you would not call her such names as a brass pot. Her hair was gossy as the raven's wing, like the lady in the ballad thatUncle Jack read to us last night; and I never wanted to call her VashtiAnn, but I wanted to call her Isidora Vienna, but Uncle Jack said hername was Vashti Ann when he buyed her, so I couldn't help it. " AndFluff dried her eyes with the end of the pillow-case, and looked verymournful. "Well! well!" I said. "This is certainly very painful. So thenyou hanged Vashti Ann?" "No, Nibble hanged her, " said Fluff, "with aclothesline, and it was a terribul scene, Uncle Jack said it was. Andthen we buried them both together under a rose bush. We are going tohave a monument over them, but Nibble wants to put 'the Murdered and theMurderess' on it, and I won't have it. " "I certainly would not!" said I. "But now you must call Nibble, and Brighteyes too, for the little Windsare growing impatient, and we must be off. Dry your eyes, little one, and think what a fine ride you are going to have!"

Nibble and Brighteyes were summoned; and in a few minutes all the fivemice were sitting comfortably in the very softest, fattest, whitestcloud that the whole sky could produce. How it curled up round theirshoulders, and wrapped itself about them! and how they did enjoy theluxurious softness! then the seven Winds puffed at it, and away it wentlike a ball of thistledown through the air! "Where shall we go, mypets?" I asked, as I rode along, beside them. "You have the wide worldto choose from, und shall go just where you please. " "I want to go tothe North Pole, Mr. Moonman!" cried Nibble. "You promised us to take usthere, you remember, the last time you came. I want to see the icebergs, and the white bears, and all the wonderful things there are there!" "Tothe North Pole it is, then!" I replied. "It is just the night for it, asall the savage Winds are away. "

So we flew northward, far and far away, over cities and hamlets, overvast plains and shaggy forests. By the margin of a pond that we passeda tall night-heron was standing on one leg. He looked up at us, and wasso much astonished that he toppled over and fell into the water with aloud splash. How all the mice laughed, and the merry Winds with them!all, that is, except my little Fluff, who looked sad, and was stillthinking of Vashti Ann. "Fluffy, " I said, "I must see you smile again. Shall I sing you a song that I heard to-day?" "Yes, if you please, Mr. Moonman!" said Fluff meekly. "It is a funny little song, " I said. "Iheard an Irish mother singing it to her baby. She was sitting by thedoor of her cottage with the baby in her lap, and she was paringpotatoes, and all the parings fell into the baby's face, but he did notseem to mind it at all, so I suppose it was all right. "

[Illustration]

 Eight little gurrls wid their aprons on, Wint out to get some wather, But niver a dhrop could be found at ahl, By any mother's daughter. 

 "Now well-a-day!" said the eight little gurrls, "If we git no wather we shall die!" "Oh! the very best way, " said the eight little gurrls; "Will be for us ahl to cry!"

 So they cried and cried, the eight little gurrls, And they cried and they cried all day, And when evening came, there was wather enough For to fill up the salt, salt say!

Fluff laughed a little; and presently she said shyly, "I can sing a songtoo, Mr. Moonman, if you would like to hear it. It is a song about somedogs, and perhaps if you would learn it, you could sing it to your dogwhen you get home. " "Let us have the song, by all means, " I said. "Mydog is very fond of music, and has himself a powerful voice. "

[Illustration]

So Fluffy sang her little song; and in case any of you children shouldlike to sing it for yourselves, I will write down the music as well asthe words. 

[Illustration: Music]

 1. Jippy and Jimmy were two little dogs, They went to sail on some floating logs, The logs roll'd over: the dogs roll'd in, And they got very wet, for their clothes were thin. 

 2. Jippy and Jimmy crept out again, They said, "the river is full of rain!" They said, "the water is far from dry, " Ki-hi! ki-hi! ki-hi-yi! ki-hi!

 3. Jippy and Jimmy went shivering home, They said, "on the river no more we'll roam! And we won't go to sail until we learn how, " Bow-wow! bow-wow! bow-wow-wow! bow-wow!

"Bravo! Fluff, " I said. "That is a good song, and they were sensiblelittle dogs. It is well to be sure about understanding a thing beforeone attempts it, as Master Nibble would find out, if he were oncemounted on this frisky moonbeam, at which he is casting such longingeyes. " "It does look so delightful!" sighed Nibble. "But after all, thecloud is delightful too, and I suppose I should be cold if I were notwrapped up in it. How far north are we now, Mr. Moonman?" "Somewherenear the coast of Labrador, " I replied. "Little Winds, lower the cloud abit, that the mice may see the fishing fleet. The fishermen are allasleep, but the boats are a pretty sight, when they can be seen throughthe fog. "

[Illustration]

Lightly and softly the cloud floated downward, and as they descended, the merry Winds blew the wreaths of fog away, so that we could see thebare brown coast, and the hundreds of fishing-smacks lying at anchor. Lights gleamed at bow and stern. They danced about, as the littlevessels rocked gently on the waves, which seemed to be half asleep, singing soft lullabies to each other. 

 "Ripple blue and ripple green, Foaming crest and silver sheen, Sleep beneath the moon! Till the daylight comes again, Waking us to restless pain All too soon. "

[Illustration]

"Yes, " I said, "this is a holiday-time for the waves, and still more forthe fish. All day long the poor creatures have a hard time of it, forhundreds and hundreds of skilful and eager fishermen are on the look-outfor them. But at night their only enemies are those who live in thewater, and I have heard that the whale and the swordfish go to bed atten o'clock regularly, and never stir from their trundle-beds till sixo'clock in the morning. I do not state that as a fact, however, becauseI am not positively sure about it. " "Dear me!" said Brighteyes. "Justfancy a whale in a trundle-bed! how very queer he would look!" "Does hespout when he's asleep?" inquired Fluff anxiously. "Because thebedclothes would get wet, you know, and he would take cold!"

Here, I am sorry to say, the other mice laughed, and Fluffy does notlike to be laughed at, so she was silent. Then said one of the sevenWinds, "I never saw any of them in bed, but I have seen their races, andvery funny they are. They have hurdle-races every Tuesday afternoon, jumping over the fragments of wrecks which are strewn all over thebottom of the sea. They lead a merry life, those whales; what withhurdle-races and fish hunts and spouting matches. If one could not livein the air, the next best thing would be to live in the water, I think. Hi! yonder is a fleet of icebergs. Look, little Heavyones! that is asight worth seeing. "

[Illustration]

Surely, it was very beautiful, though terrible. My silver beams lightedup the huge masses of ice, till they looked like mountains of crystal, moving slowly over the face of the water. The children gazed at them, half frightened, half-admiring, and wrapped themselves more closely inthe warm, fleecy cloud. The icebergs formed a huge circle, and midway init the cloud floated, rocking like an airy vessel as the Winds breathedsoftly on it. We were all silent for a time: then Brighteyes asked in ahalf-whisper. "Is this the North Pole, Mr. Moonman?" "Why, no, Brighteyes!" said Puff. "It can't be the Pole, for there isn't any polefor it to be!" "Yes, " I said, "that is one way of putting it. We havenot reached the North Pole, my mice, and indeed I think we shall hardlygo so far to-night, for I see that these icebergs are waiting for theNorth Wind to blow them home, and that is a sign that he will soon behere. He is a disagreeable fellow, and might be rude to you, so we willfly over to Greenland instead, and see some little friends of minethere. Will that suit you just as well?" "Oh! yes, " cried the fivevoices. "It will be better, for we want to see what the people are likein these strange places. " So we floated low till we came to a certainsmall Esquimaux village on the west of Greenland. "What are all thosequeer humps of snow on the ground?" asked Fluff. "Oh!" cried Nibble, clapping his hands. "_I_ know! they are houses, for I have seen picturesof them. See! there is smoke coming out of the top of one. And nowsomebody is coming out of the doorway. Oh! it is a bear, Mr. Moonman! dothey have tame bears? And he is brown, and I thought they were allwhite. " "Gently, Nibble!" I said, "your eyes are very sharp usually, butit is shocking that you should not know a boy from a bear. That isNayato, one of the young friends of whom I spoke just now. There comeshis brother Kotchink, and the small figure creeping out of the nexthouse is Polpo, the friend and playmate of the two other boys. Now theywill have fine sport, for this is their play-time, and they are as fondof play as any of you. " The five mice leaned over the edge of the cloudas far as they dared, and watched the Esquimaux boys with breathlessinterest. They were queer little fellows, clad in furs from head tofoot, and were fat and oily-looking, as indeed anyone might be who ateblubber three times a day: but otherwise they were apparently much likeboys all over the world. They chased each other, and playedhide-and-seek behind blocks of ice and snow, and amused themselves inall kinds of ways. Their only playthings were some bones of the seal andwalrus, nicely polished, but they seemed to have just as much fun withthem as if they had been the finest marbles or the most superlative topsthat the world could produce. "How jolly they look!" said Nibble. "Iwish I could jump down and play with them! and oh! don't they talkstrangely, Brighteyes? 'Wogglety wagglety, chacka-chacka punksky'--whatare they saying, Mr. Moonman?" "Nayato is telling Polpo of the narrowescape his father had yesterday, " I replied. "It seems that he was outon the flat ice looking out for seals. He had just harpooned a finefellow, and was just on the point of putting him on his sledge, when heheard a loud snuffling noise behind him; and turning round, saw to hishorror a huge white bear, squatting on the ice within a few yards ofhim, and apparently trying to decide whether the seal or the seal-hunterwould make the more savory meal. Wallop, however, (that is the man'sname, ) had no doubt about the matter. He flung the seal towards hisPolar Majesty, and took to his heels, fortunately reaching hisreindeer-sledge in time to escape being made the second course ofBruin's dinner. 'Chacka-chacka punksky' means 'I will kill that bearwhen I am a man. '"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"Oh! how exciting that must have been!" cried Nibble. "I think I shouldlike to be an Esquimaux, Mr. Moonman! Couldn't you leave me here for aweek or two?" "To live in a snow hut, and eat blubber and drinktrain-oil?" I asked in return. "No, my mouse, I could not, or at least Iwould not. And that reminds me that we must be flying home again, formorning will soon be here. Blow, little Winds, blow the cloud back asfast as you can. "

How the seven little fellows puffed out their cheeks, and flapped theirwings! and how the cloud flew through the air! The mice looked backregretfully, but the Esquimaux boys were already out of sight. Southwardand still southward we flew, the Winds striving with might and main tokeep up with my swift beam. Over land and sea, mountain and valley, forest and meadow, till at last the great linden trees around theMouse-trap were shaking their heads at us, and the tall chimneys pointedat us, and said, "look at those children! they have been out all night, which is shocking. That vagrant Moonman is teaching them the worstpossible habits!"

CHAPTER XI. 

A BIRTHDAY PARTY. 

"UNCLE JACK!" said Fluff, one morning, as she came and stood by heruncle's side in the porch, while he was reading his newspaper. 

"Well, Blossom!" said Uncle Jack, looking up, "what is it? any moremurders in the nursery? we shall have to hang all those dolls beforelong, I am firmly convinced of it. "

[Illustration]

"No! no! Uncle Jack, " exclaimed Fluff, looking much distressed. "It isnothing about the dolls; and you _know_ that was a waxidental murder, Uncle, and I don't see why you laugh about it. " "There! there! littlewoman, " said the good uncle, taking her on his knee and kissing her;"she shall not be teased about her children. But now let me hear quicklywhat you want to say, Blossom, for I must finish reading my newspaper. "

"Well, Uncle, " said Fluff, in a confidential tone, "this is Peepsy'sbirthday, you know, and I want to make some pottery for him. I have madea little, but there is something queer about it, and I want you to helpme. "

"Stop!" said Uncle Jack, gravely. "Let us understand this thingthoroughly. Peepsy, you say? Peepsy? I don't seem to recall the name. Isshe a doll?"

"Oh! _no!_ Uncle Jacket!" cried Fluff. "How could she be a doll when sheis a bird? and besides, she isn't she at all; she is he. "

"Oh!" said Uncle Jack; "a bird! ah yes! that alters the case. And youwant to make some pottery for him, eh? why, what's the matter? have youbroken his water-dish, or his bath-tub?"

[Illustration]

Fluffy sighed and looked despondent. Then she said very gently, "Perhapsyou are not quite well this morning, Uncle Jack, for I cannot make youpossibly understand anything. When I say pottery, I mean pottery withrhymes in it, like the Riginal Poems. Don't you know 'The Lobster'sblack, when boiled he's red?' that's what I mean. "

"To be sure!" said Uncle Jack. "I am certainly very stupid this morning, but now I understand. We are to make some rhymes, (we call it _poetry_, Fluffy dear, not pottery, ) about Peepsy, a bird, whose birthday is to becelebrated to-day. And it is to be like the Original Poems for InfantMinds; and you have made part of it, and I am to help you with the rest. Is that all right, my Blossom?"

"Yes, you clever Uncle!" cried Fluff, clapping her hands. "That is allright, and the paper is all ready in the library, please, dear. "

"Oh! you little monkey!" said Uncle Jack, laughing and laying aside hispaper. "Well, the sooner it is done the sooner it is done with, as Mrs. Posset says. So run along, and I will follow you. "

[Illustration]

Fluff led the way joyfully to the library, and for some time the twowere closeted together, in deep and earnest consultation. At lengthFluff came out, looking very happy and proud, waving a paper in herhand. She ran up to the nursery, where Puff and Downy were, busy withthe doll family, the remaining members of which were more tenderlycherished than ever, since the deaths of Vashti Ann and her daughter. Fluff entered in triumph with her paper. "Here is the pottery, Puffy!"she said. "Uncle Jack says it isn't pottery, but something else; buthere it is, anyhow. "

[Illustration: THE DOLL'S NURSERY. ]

"Oh! how nice!" said Puff. "Sit down and read it to the children andPeepsy, won't you, Fluff?"

So Fluff sat down, and as soon as she had recovered her breath, read asfollows:

 Our Puffy has a little bird, And Peepsy is his name, And now I'll sing a little song, To celebrate the same. 

 He's yellow all from head to foot, And he is very sweet, And very little trouble, for He never wants to eat. 

 He never asks for water clear, He never chirps for seed, For cracker or for cuttlefish, For sugar or chickweed. 

 "Oh what a perfect pet!" you cry, But there's one little thing, One drawback to the bonny bird, Our Peepsy cannot sing. 

 He chirps no song at dawn or eve, He makes no merry din, But this, one cannot wonder at, For Peepsy's made of tin. 

"Isn't it lovely?" said Puff, drawing a long breath. "It prescribes himperfectly. Doesn't it, you dear Peepsy?" she added, holding up a bluecage about two inches square, in which hung the precious bird. "And didyou make it almost all, Fluffy?"

[Illustration]

"Well--no!" said Fluff, considering, "not almost _all_, but almost agood deal of it. I said all the things I wanted to say, and Uncle Jackchanged some of the words, and put rhymes into them. I think it _is_nice, " she continued, "and I am glad you like it, Puff. But now we mustmake haste and dress all the dolls in their best clothes, for Nibble andBrighteyes promised to give Peepsy a birthday party, you know, and theyare getting it ready in the garden, under the cotton-wool tree. "

[Illustration]

"The cotton-wool tree!" said I to myself. "I think I must look and seewhat that means. " So I tipped my glass just a hair's breadth, towardsthe lower part of the garden. There, sure enough, were Nibble andBrighteyes, hard at work amid the new-mown hay. They were making it intofive hay-cocks, which were arranged in a circle under a hugebalm-of-Gilead tree. The ground was covered with the pods which hadfallen from the tree, all filled with white soft silk cotton, and I knewthis must be the cotton-wool tree. Grim was tied to another tree hardby, a position which he did not enjoy, to judge from his impatientjumping and barking. 

[Illustration]

"Yes, Grim, I know it isn't at all nice to be tied up!" said Nibble, inreply to a long howl of protest from the dog. "But we cannot have youjumping over our thrones. When the party is all ready, you shall come toit, so you ought to be patient. Now, Brighteyes, if you will make alittle cotton-wool throne in the middle for Peepsy. I will get the lunchready. Where are the three bones for the dogs?"

"Over there, behind Fluff's hay-cock, " said Brighteyes. "And there arefive gingerbread birds that Susan made, one for each of us, and thewooden turkey out of the doll-house for Peepsy, because he won't reallyeat it, you know. Oh! and we ought to have something for Tomty, Nibble, for we invited him, and he said he would certainly come. You might askSusan for a cup of tea when you go up to call the children, for I heardTomty tell her yesterday that all the vegetables he wanted were breadand tea. "

"Well, so I will!" said Nibble. "And if Susan will not give us any, hecan have a cup of milk, and play it is tea. "

So away went Nibble, jumping on the hay-cocks, and whistling as he went. Soon he returned, with the three little mice trotting behind him, andTomty, with his rake over his shoulder, bringing up the rear. 

"Here we all are!" cried Puff, joyfully. "Is the party ready, Brighteyes? I think Peepsy is very impatient, though he behavesbeautifully. "

[Illustration]

"Yes, everything is ready!" replied Brighteyes. "Here is Peepsy's thronein the middle, and these hay-cocks are ours. Put him on his throne, Puffy--so! now all sit down yourselves, please, and take the dolls inyour laps. " The mice and Tomty obeyed meekly, and perched themselves onthe hay-cocks as best they might. 

"Now, " continued Brighteyes, "we must all have names, of course, becauseit isn't any fun just to be ourselves at a party. I will be the CountessKinchinjunga. What will you be, Nibble!"

"Oh! I am the Bold Baron of Borodino, " said Nibble. "Puff and Fluff canbe the Princess Perriwinkle and the Marchioness of Mulligatawney, andDowny shall be Nosolio, the Niggardly Knife-Grinder of Nineveh. There'sa fine name for you, Downy, boy!"

The Niggardly Knife-Grinder smiled contentedly, and said, "Yef, I'm dat, only I tan't say it. "

[Illustration]

"And now, " said Nibble, "we will have the lunch, and then we must allmake speeches to Peepsy, because that is the proper thing. CountessKinchinjunga, produce the feast!" Nibble said this with a very lordlyair, and waved his hand with great dignity; but unfortunately at thatmoment he lost his balance, and rolled off the hay-cock, to the greatamusement of the other mice. But Brighteyes uttered a cry of distress. "Oh! Nibble, you have rolled on Tomty's cup of tea and upset it. Whatshall we do?"

"Never mind, Miss!" said Tomty, smiling, "sure I'm not hungry, Miss, letalone it's almost dinner time. And thank ye kindly all the same, MissBrighteyes. "

[Illustration]

"Well, Tomty, you shall hear the speeches, anyhow, " said Nibble, consolingly, "and that will be the best part of it; though I am verysorry I upset the tea, " he added, "and you shall have my gingerbreadbird, if you like, instead. " But Tomty declined the bird, with manythanks; and now the "party" began in earnest. Grim was untied, and asharp whistle from Tomty brought Gruff and Grab to see what was goingon. Each dog received a huge bone as his share of the feast, and eachshowed his delight in his own way. Then the five gingerbread birds weredistributed, and the wooden turkey, which was certainly a work of art, was placed before Peepsy's cage with a great deal of ceremony. Peepsyhimself manifested no excitement, but no doubt he enjoyed himself in hisown way. Then the turkey was handed round to all the dolls, FannyElssler and Katinka and Sally Bradford; and Puff declared that they allhad as much as they could possibly eat, which was probably true. Whenthe feast was over, Nibble rose and said, solemnly, "the speeches willnow begin. Tomty, you are the oldest, and you shall make the firstspeech to Peepsy. " "Is it the little tin fowl in the cage, sir?" askedTomty. "Well, Mr. Peepsy, I've lived forty years, men and boy, and nevermade a speech yet, sir, but here's wishing you good health, and longlife to you, Mr. Peepsy; and if you live till you sing a song, you'llcome to a good old age, I'm thinking. " And Tomty sat down, amid theapplause of his audience. 

"That was a very good speech, Tomty, " said Nibble, with a patronizingair, "though it was short. Now hear mine, all of you. Ahem!" and theyoung orator, standing on the top of his hay-cock, struck an imposingattitude. "Friends, Romans, and Tomty, lend me your ears! this isPeepsy's birthday, and he is one year old. I bought him myself at JaneEvans's shop, so I ought to know. He will never be one year old again, and neither shall we, which makes us all sad. " "I isn't fad a bit!"interrupted Downy, with a gleeful chuckle. "Well, you ought to be!" saidNibble, "but you are too young to know much, I suppose. Peepsy is sad, and he might weep if he had any eyes, but they are only little holes inhis head. It is sad not to have any eyes, but it is an advantage not tobe able to weep. If Puff hadn't had any eyes, she wouldn't have madesuch a fuss yesterday when I jumped on her toe from the apple tree, because I didn't mean to. " "I don't think that is very nice to put in aspeech, Nibble!" said Puff, looking rather hurt. "Well, " said Nibble, hastily, "I won't say anything more about it, but I want to say this:

 "When I bought him at Jane Evans's shop, Peepsy was glad. Now that he is one year old and knows that he won't be it any more, Peepsy is sad. "

"That is poetry, " he added, "and that is the best way to finish aspeech. "

[Illustration]

Upon this Nibble sat down, and after a moment's pause, Brighteyes rose, and spoke as follows: "Peepsy, I am afraid you think it is very hardthat you have to stay in your cage all the time. I know I should notlike to live in a cage, but then I am not afraid of cats. But if youwere to come out and be alive, you would be dreadfully afraid of thechina cat in the doll-house, you know you would. Thus we see that allthings are for the best! and I am sure your cage is a perfect beauty, which must be a great comfort. Perhaps you think you would like someworms, Peepsy; and we would certainly get you some if you could eatthem, but you cannot. My dear Peepsy, I will now conclude my speech, wishing you many happy returns of the day. "

Now it was Puff's turn, but to my surprise, this little mouse, who isgenerally very ready with her tongue, seemed to hang back. "Let Fluffyread the pottery!" said Puff. "I am so hot, and my head aches so, Idon't think I can make my speech. "

So Fluff read the famous piece of pottery, to the great delight of all. Meanwhile I was looking more closely at Puff, and though I was--well, how many miles off? answer, some of you big children! certainly a greatmany!--still I could see plainly enough that the child was not well. Hercheeks were hot and flushed, and her blue eyes shone with a strangebrightness, very different from their usual sunny light. I was glad tosee that Tomty was also observing his little pet; and presently he saidquietly, "Miss Puff, dear, the sun is too hot for you. Shall Tomty giveyou a ride on his shoulder, and we'll find Mrs. Posset?"

[Illustration]

"Yes, please, Tomty!" said Puff, wearily; "I am so _very_ tired, thoughI don't know why I should be. "

The other mice clustered round their sister, and kissed and patted her. They saw that Tomty looked anxious, and when he had carried Puff up tothe house in his arms, they soon followed, taking Peepsy and the dollswith them. The three dogs only remained under the cotton-wool tree, discussing the party very gravely, and wondering why it was that humanbeings never cared to gnaw bones. And so, rather sadly, ended Peepsy'sbirthday party. 

[Illustration]

 I jumped on the back of a dragon-fly, And flew and flew till I reached the sky. 

 I pulled down a cloud that was hiding the blue, And all the wee stars came tumbling through. 

 They tumbled down and they tumbled round, And turned into flowers as they touched the ground. 

 So come with me, little children, come, And down in the meadow I'll pick you some. 

CHAPTER XII. 

SICKNESS IN THE MOUSE-TRAP. 

I was very anxious about my little Puff, though I had so much to attendto during the rest of that afternoon, that I could not even look in myglass to see how things were going at the Mouse-trap. A young and giddyComet had got his tail twisted round one of my mountain-peaks, and couldnot disentangle it, and this was a pretty piece of work, as you mayimagine. He wriggled and flounced about in a truly disgraceful manner, and it was only by making Bmfkgth bite his nose _very_ hard indeed thatI was enabled to get him free, and send him off to his grandmother witha good scolding. (A comet cannot move his tail when his nose is bitten. This is a fact not generally known on the earth. ) But late in theevening, when I knew it was sleepy-time for all the little people downbelow, I mounted my faithful Flash, and flew down to see how my mice ingeneral, and my Puffy mouse in particular, were doing. 

I found the aspect of the nursery somewhat changed. Downy's crib wasgone, and Puff was alone in the large bed. Uncle Jack was leaning overher, listening to her heavy breathing, and beside the bed sat Mrs. Posset, in a huge wrapper and a night-cap, evidently prepared to sit upall night. As I came in, Uncle Jack was just saying "The doctor says itis certainly scarlet fever, Mrs. Posset, so I shall send the otherchildren off by the early train, to their aunt, who is at thesea-shore. "

"Dear to goodness, sir!" cried Mrs. Posset. "And who is to go with thelambs? and Downy never away from me a night since he was born, that isto say, further than the next room!"

"I shall go with them, of course, " said Uncle Jack, "and I shall takeSusan as nursery-maid, that they may not give Mrs. Wilton too muchtrouble. You will have time to pack their things in the morning, Mrs. Posset. I must go now to give John and Thomas their orders, and you areto call me if Puffy wakes, remember!"

Then Uncle Jack went out softly, and Mrs. Posset, after settling herselfcomfortably among her cushions, put on her spectacles, and opening ahuge Bible which lay in her lap, began to read. Now was my chance, forthe good nurse was far too wide awake to hear anything I said, and Puffwas in a heavy, feverish sleep. 

"So, now we are going to have some delightful evenings together, " Isaid, as I sat down by her pillow. "You have the scarlet fever, mymouse, and all the other mice are to be sent away to the sea-shore, itseems. "

"Are they?" said Puff. "I am glad of that, for then they will not beill. But it will be very lonely without them, Mr. Moonman. And shall Ifeel so sick all the time, I wonder?"

"I hope not, indeed!" I replied; "and as for loneliness, not a bit ofit. In the day time you will have Mrs. Posset and Uncle Jack to takecare of you and pet you, and at night you will have me, and the dollsbeside. I see that you have Sally Bradford here beside you. You willfind her quite companionable, I assure you. "

"But the dolls cannot talk, Mr. Moonman!" said Puff. "I have often andoften tried to make them, but they never say a word. "

[Illustration]

"That is because you only try in the day time, Miss Puff!" said SallyBradford, in a shrill voice. "No well-bred doll would ever think oftalking in the day time, as Mr. Moonman can tell you. Try us at night, when you are asleep, and you will find that we have quite as much to sayfor ourselves as other people. "

"But it seems so queer to be doing things when one is asleep!" saidPuff. 

"Why queerer than to do them when one is awake?" I asked. "The dollswonder at you quite as much as you wonder at them, depend upon it! Andnow, what shall I do to amuse you, mouse of mine? will you have a story, or a song, or what will you have?"

"Of course I will have both, if I may, Mr. Moonman!" answered Puff. "Ishould like to hear stories and songs every days and all nights, andnever stop!"

So I sang, and all the dolls sat up in their beds to listen. TheJumping-Jack held up his hands with delight, and the wooden Nutcrackergrinned from ear to ear. Only Mrs. Posset sat up in the big chair, wideawake, and heard never a word. 

[Illustration]

THE FAIRY TEA-PARTY. 

 I went to take tea with the three little fairies Who live in the depth of the hazel wood. And what do you think we had for supper? Oh! everything dainty and everything good. 

 There was tea in a buttercup, cream in a blue-bell, Marigold butter and hollyhock cheese, Slices of strawberry served in a nutshell, And honey just brought by the liveried bees. 

 We sat 'neath the shade of a silvery mushroom, All lined with pale pink, nicely fluted and quilled, And around us the cup-moss held up its red goblets, Each one with a dew drop like diamond filled. 

 We ate and we drank and we chatted together, Till the fireflies lighted us off to our beds; And we all fell asleep in our cots made of rose leaves, With pillows of thistledown under our heads. 

"How nice that must have been!" sighed Puffy. "I wish I could see allthe lovely things you see, Mr. Moonman! Don't you want Fluffy and me tocome up and be your little girls in the Moon? then we could see all thewonderful things for ourselves. "

"And I should not have the pleasure of telling you about them, " Ireplied, "which would be truly melancholy. No, no, my little one! youare far better off where you are. But now we are to have a story, andwhat shall it be about?"

"Tell her about the poor little woodmouse, Master!" said Flash, who hadbeen staring at Sally Bradford with all his might for ten minutes, inthe vain hope of making her wink. "The little woodmouse?" I said. "To besure! you mean the one that Twinkle saw in the forest the other night. It is rather a sad story, but Puffy shall hear it. It seems, Puffy, that Twinkle, who, as you know, is one of Flash's brothers, was in theoak wood one night last week, wandering about as is his wont, chattingwith such flowers as were still awake, and seeing all that he could see. As he twinkled over the grass near the foot of a great oak tree, henoticed something moving, and stopped to see what it was. The somethingturned out to be a woodmouse, the prettiest little lady woodmouse thatever was seen. She was sitting under a huge yellow toadstool, (verydifferent from the pink-lined mushroom which sheltered the three littlefairies, ) feasting on acorns to her heart's content. Twinkle said it wasreally astonishing to see how fast she cracked and ate them, throwingthe shells to right and left, and glancing about with her sharp blackeyes, in constant fear of some intruder. Presently she heard a rustlingamong the leaves, and, anxious to make sure of her supper, she hastilyput two acorns into her mouth, cramming one into either cheek. Then shesat up, and tried to look very dignified, as another little woodmouse, as sleek and bright-eyed as herself, appeared upon the scene. Heevidently knew the little lady, for when he saw her he stopped and madea low bow, pressing one paw on his heart in a most affecting manner. Then advancing toward her, he said softly, 'Miss Woodmouse. I have beensearching for you all the evening, for I have been very anxious to seeyou. I trust that my presence is not disagreeable to you, MissWoodmouse?' He paused for a reply, but none came, so he went on. 'Lovelycreature, I have long admired you, and thought you the fairest mouse Iever gazed upon. The brightness of your eyes, the length of your tail, the sharpness of your whiskers, all proclaim you the belle of theforest. How happy should I be, if I could claim these charms for myown! I have a very snug nest, lined with moss, and well stored with nutsand acorns for the winter. Say, will you share that nest with me? MissWoodmouse, will you be mine? answer me, I implore you!'

[Illustration: MISS WOODMOUSE. ]

"Poor little Miss Woodmouse! it was really pitiful to see her distress. She could not speak, on account of the two acorns in her mouth; and shewas so ashamed of being greedy, that she did not dare to take them out. So she just sat still and looked at the little gentleman, who in turnsat and looked at her, much amazed at her silence. 

"'Alas!' he said, 'am I so hateful to you that you will not even speakto me? One word, Miss Woodmouse, to say that I may hope!' But not oneword could Miss Woodmouse say, though her long tail quivered withemotion; and at length her little lover, fairly discouraged, turnedsadly away, and disappeared among the fallen leaves. 

"Then little Miss Woodmouse took the two acorns out of her mouth, andlooked at them; but her appetite was gone. She threw them away with anexclamation of sorrow, and putting her little pink pocket-handkerchiefup to her little black eyes, she hurried off to her lonely nest. "

"Now that is the whole story, and the moral of it is that we should notbe greedy. Lay it to heart, my Puff, and do not insist upon drinking thewhole of that medicine that Mrs. Posset is preparing for you. You willhave to wake up and take it now, Mousekin, so good-bye for the present!"

Puffy smiled a good-bye, and opened her sweet eyes with the smile stillon her face. I looked back as I stepped out of the window, and will doher the justice to say that she showed no disposition to be greedy asfar as the medicine was concerned. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIII. 

OFF TO THE SEA-SHORE. 

UNCLE JACK was as good as his word, and the next morning was a busy timeat the Mouse-trap. 

[Illustration]

Trunks were packed, jackets were brushed, and wonders were accomplishedin the way of getting ready before breakfast. As I looked in my glass, there seemed to be only two rooms in the house where there was no bustleand confusion: one was the nursery, where Puff lay, half-awake andwondering what all the noise was about; and the other was the room nextto it, where my dear little Fluff was kneeling by the bed, praying thather darling sister might be "quite all perfectly well" very soon. 

And now the carriage was announced; the "good-byes" were softlywhispered at the nursery door, and away went four of my mice, leavingthe poor old Mouse-trap quite deserted, with only Mrs. Posset and thecook and faithful Tomty, beside the poor little sick mouse. 

[Illustration]

A few hours journey on the train brought the travelers to the lovelysea-shore place where Aunt Grace Wilton was spending the summer: andwhat was their delight on leaving the train, to find Aunt Grace herselfwaiting for them, with her basket-wagon, and Max, the pretty black pony. I know Mrs. Wilton, though she does not remember me. I used to pay herfrequent visits when she was a child, and now I go to see Roger, herlittle boy, who is a great friend of mine, and a fine little fellow. Hehad the scarlet fever when he was two years old, so that his mother hadno fear of his taking it again. Well how all those mice managed to getinto that pony-carriage is more than I can tell you: but they did manageit somehow, and after bidding good-bye to their dear Uncle Jack, who wasgoing back in the next train, as he did not like to stay away from Puff, they rolled away at a fine pace toward Glenwood, while Susan followed inthe carts with the trunks. 

[Illustration]

A very pretty place Glenwood is, and very much delighted the four micewere, when they tumbled out of the carriage, and saw Roger waiting towelcome them. Here I will make a little picture of Roger, by the way, asof course a great many of you have never seen him. 

"How do, Nibble?" he cried, jumping up and down with joy as he saw hiscousins. "How do, all of you! come and see my pets! I-have-a-cat-and-some-birds-and-a-rabbit-and-a-lamb-because-I-haven't-any-brothers-and-sisters-you-know-and-a-dog--big-enough--to-eat-them-all-up-and-do-you-think-Puff-would-like-a-white-kitten?"

Roger said all this as if it were one word, and it was no wonder thatthe four mice looked rather bewildered. 

"Gently, Roger! gently!" said his mother, laughing. "Your cousins cannotunderstand a word you say, if you talk so fast. "

"I heard 'lamb' and 'kitten, ' Auntie, " said Fluff, sedately, "and Ishould like to see them very much indeed. "

[Illustration]

"I want to go down to the beach, please, Auntie!" cried Nibble. 

"And so do I!" said Brighteyes, eagerly. 

"Very well, dears, " said Mrs. Wilton; "you may run wherever you like, ifyou are not tired. I shall take little Downy in the house with me, for Isee he is very sleepy, and wants a nap. But, my chickens, don't you wantsome lunch before you go out to play?" she added, turning back from thedoor. 

"Oh! no, Auntie!" they all cried. "We had lunch in the train, as much aswe wanted. "

And off they all scampered in different directions, while Mrs. Wiltonwent into the house, carrying little sleepy Downy in her arms. Fluff andRoger walked away hand in hand, and I tipped my glass so that I couldfollow. 

"Have you many pets, Fluff?" asked Roger. 

"No!" replied Fluff. "We have only the three dogs, and José, the browndonkey, and the kitten that Brighteyes found in the tree. But then wehave a great many dolls, " she added, "and I suppose you have'nt anydolls, because you are a boy. "

[Illustration]

"Animals is better than dolls, " said Roger. "Here is my lamb, under thistree. Isn't he lovely? here, Belladonna, come and have some sugar, dear!" The lamb, which was a very pretty one, came up to be petted, andate a lump of sugar with every sign of approval. 

"What did you say his name was?" asked Fluff. 

"Belladonna, " replied Roger, "because he wears a bell, you know. _I_think it is a very pretty name, but Mamma laughs at it. "

"It's medicine, isn't it?" said Fluff, doubtfully. 

"Well, yes!" said Roger; "but that doesn't make any difference. Rhubarbis medicine, too, and yet it makes nice pies and tarts. "

"So it does!" said Fluff; "I never thought of that. And have your otherpets, medicine-names, too, Roger?"

"The dog is Blanco, " replied Roger. "I called him that before I had him, because I thought he was going to be white, and Blanco means white. Andthen he went and was black when he came, but I don't like to changenames, so I called him so just the same. And I call my cat Plunket, after the story of the Chattering Cat, and the rabbit is Binks, and--oh!well, let us go in and see them, for they are all in the play-room, andit is hot out here!"

[Illustration]

And Roger led the way to the house, while Fluff followed meekly, wondering, as she said afterwards to Brighteyes, how any one could talkso fast without "getting his tongue all tied up with his teeth. "

In the large, sunny play-room I left the two little ones, having a grandgame of romps with Blanco and Binks, while the birds, let loose fromtheir cage, fluttered about their heads, in no fear of the well-behavedcat, who sat and looked at them as if she had no idea that they weregood to eat. Yes it was a regular Happy Family, and a very prettysight. 

[Illustration]

But I wanted to see what Nibble and Brighteyes were about, so I turnedmy glass towards the beach, which was not far from the house, though inthe other direction. There I found my two eldest mice deep inconsultation. Nibble was just saying, "but, Bright, mermaids don't havelegs and tails, too, for that would be ridiculous. Don't you remember?

 'The little white mermaidens live in the sea, In a palace of silver and gold. And their neat little tails are all covered with scales, Most beautiful for to behold. '

But it doesn't say anything about legs, and there aren't any in thepictures. " "I can't help it, Nibble!" replied Brighteyes, ratherpettishly. "I can't cut off my legs, and I _am_ going to play mermaid. Ican be the queen, and queens have everything they want, I know. " And sheturned round, displaying to my view a superb tail of seaweed, fastenedto her sash, and trailing upon the ground. 

"Well, " said Nibble, "it is a lovely tail, after all. But we must takeoff our shoes and stockings, and put them in the fort for safe keeping. Then we can play 'wild white horses' and 'mermaid' too. "

The shoes and stockings were soon off, and safely hidden in a sand fortof very superior construction. Then began a wild rushing up and down thesmooth sandy beach, with much neighing and kicking on Nibble's part, while Brighteyes waved her seaweed tail in a graceful and effectivemanner, and sang her song of the mermaids. 

 "On wild white horses they ride, they ride, And in chairs of pink coral they sit, They swim all the night, with a smile of delight, And never feel tired a bit. "

"Look!" said Nibble, "at that line of rocks running out into the water. What fun to jump from one to the other! come on, Brighteyes!" No soonersaid than done. It was no easy matter to jump from one smooth slipperyrock to the next, without losing foothold, but that made it all the moreexciting. 

"I am the Nixie!" said Brighteyes, "and you are the knight who caughther asleep and cut off one of her golden ringlets, so that she could notdisappear or turn into a fish. Sing, now, and catch me if you can!"

[Illustration: ON THE BEACH. ]

She sprang lightly to the next rock, and thence to the next, whileNibble, pursuing her, sang:

 "Nixie, white Nixie, I have you now! The magic ringlet is clipped from your brow. You vanish no more 'neath the shining tide, And I have you and hold you, my snow-white bride!"

Brighteyes sang again:

 "Hunter, rash hunter, your triumph's not long, Your arm drops down 'neath the spell of my song. You turn to ice and you turn to stone, And the sea-waves laugh as they hear you moan. "

Here the Nixie waved her tail triumphantly, and flirted it in thehunter's face in a way that was too provoking to be endured. The rashyouth sprang forward, alighting on the rock and on the Nixie's toe atthe same instant. There was a moment of shrieking and clutching at theair, as they tried to regain their balance, and then with a loud splash, pursuer and pursued disappeared beneath the water. 

This was really past a joke, and I became much alarmed. As for Bmfkgth, that excellent dog was quite frantic with excitement, and his green hairstood on end, causing him to present a truly remarkable appearance. Inanother minute, however, we saw the two brown heads emerge from thewater; Nibble clambered up the rock, and pulled his sister up after him;then breathless and dripping, they jumped and climbed back over the longline of rocks, till they reached the shore. They sat down on the beachand looked at each other in silence for a few minutes. Then Nibble said, "I say, Brighteyes, ain't you just glad that Mrs. Posset isn't here?look at your frock, now!" "Oh! I don't want to look at it!" saidBrighteyes; "and besides your knickerbockers are just as bad. But wehave lost our hats, Nibble, and they were our best ones. We ought tohave taken them off when we took off our shoes and--but, goodness me!where _are_ our shoes and stockings? Nibble, where is the fort? I don'tsee it anywhere. "

Indeed, it would have been strange if they had seen it, for the risingtide had completely covered it some fifteen minutes before. As for theshoes and stockings--"Look, Bright!" said Nibble, grasping his sister'sarm, and pointing to the water. Yes, sure enough, there they were. Farout of reach, floating serenely along, the boots nodding a gracefulfarewell to their former owners as the little waves bore them off ontheir voyage of discovery, while the stockings, less courageous, hadyielded to despair, and floated limp and piteous, stretching out theirscarlet length in a vain appeal for rescue. 

This last blow completely sobered the bold spirits of my two mice, andas the loud ringing of a bell proclaimed that dinner-time was come, theyturned silently and mournfully towards the house. 

[Illustration]

 A bee came tumbling into my ear, And what do you think he remarked, my dear?

 He said that two tens made up a score, And really and truly, I knew that before. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

STORIES AGAIN. 

[Illustration]

POOR little Puff! she certainly was very ill. All day long she tossedand moaned in feverish pain, to the great distress of her good uncle, and the faithful Mrs. Posset. They were very, very anxious about her;but the doctor, who came every day, said that there was no immediatedanger, as long as the child slept so well at night. All night long sheslept quietly, sometimes smiling in her sleep, and always lookingpeaceful and happy. Yes, indeed, I flatter myself I had a great deal todo with that. Every night I sat by my little mouse's pillow, and toldstories and sang songs, till my brother Sun came and winked at methrough the window, and told me it was not night at all, and I must takemyself off and leave the field to him. Stories? dear me, there was noend to them; and you shall have some of them, if you will. Here is one, for example, of which Puff was extremely fond. It was called

THE FLEA. 

 Once upon a time there was a flea. Wee wee. And he hopped, And he hopped, And he hopped. 

And as the flea was hopping one day, He met a mouse, Round the house, And he squeaked, And he squeaked, And he squeaked. 

And when the mouse saw the flea, he said to him, "what do you do for aliving?" and the flea said "I bite people. " Then the mouse said, "as youhave lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So he caught up theflea, and he ate him up. And there was an end of the flea. 

But as the mouse was squeaking one day, He met a cat, Very fat, And she mewed, And she mewed, And she mewed. 

And when the cat saw the mouse, she said to him, "what do you do for aliving?" And the mouse said, "I nibble cheese, And eat fleas. "

Then the cat said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall liveupon you!" So she caught the mouse, and she ate him up. And there was anend of the mouse. 

[Illustration]

But as the cat was mewing one day, She met a dog, Named Gog, And he barked, And he barked, And he barked. 

And when the dog saw the cat, he said to her, "what do you do for aliving?" And the cat said, "I eat mice, Because they are nice. "

Then the dog said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall liveupon you!" So he caught the cat, and he ate her up. And there was an endof the cat. 

But as the dog was barking one day, He met a Chinaman, Ting-Pan. And he talked, And he talked, And he talked. 

And when the Chinaman saw the dog, he said to him, "what do you do for aliving?" And the dog said, "I slay the cat, and likewise the rat. " Thenthe Chinaman said, "as you have lived upon others, others shall liveupon you!" So he caught the dog, and he cooked him with rice, and atehim up. And there was an end of the dog. 

But now, you see, the Chinaman had eaten

 The dog, Named Gog, And the cat, Very fat, And the mouse, Round the house, And the flea, Wee wee. 

So when he had eaten them all, they all disagreed with him, and he died. And there was an end of the Chinaman, Ting-Pan. 

This was Puff's favorite story, and I had to tell it at least once everynight, and often twice. Then when that was done, she would call for"Michikee Moo. " You have never heard that, I'll warrant, for you do not, most of you, understand the Pawnee dialect, and "Michikee Moo" is aPawnee ballad. The Indian mammas sing it to their pappooses, as theyrock them in their bark cradles under the trees, in the western forests. I had to translate it into English, of course, for Puff; so here it is. 

MICHIKEE MOO. 

AN INDIAN BALLAD. 

 Whopsy Whittlesy Whanko Whee, Howly old growly old Indian he, Lived on the hill of the Mungo-Paws, With all his pappooses and all his squaws. There was Wah-wah-bocky, the Blue-nosed Goose, And Ching-gach-gocky, the Capering-Moose; There was Peeksy Wiggin, and Squawpan too, But the fairest of all was Michikee Moo. Michikee Moo, the Savoury Tart, Pride of Whittlesy Whanko's heart. Michikee Moo, the Cherokee Pie, Apple of Whittlesy Whanko's eye. 

 Whittlesy Whanko loved her so That the other squaws did with envy glow. And each said to the other "Now what shall we do To spoil the beauty of Michikee Moo?" "We'll lure her away to the mountain top, And there her head we will neatly chop!" "We'll wile her away to the forest's heart, And shoot her down with a poisoned dart!" "We'll 'tice her away to the river side, And there she shall be the Manitou's bride!" "Oh! one of these things we will surely do, And we'll spoil the beauty of Michikee Moo!"

 "Michikee Moo, thou Cherokee Pie, Away with me to the mountain high!" "Nay, my sister, I will not roam; I'm safer and happier here at home, " "Michikee Moo, thou Savoury Tart, Away with me to the forest's heart!" "Nay, my sister, I will not go; I fear the dart of some hidden foe. " "Michikee Moo, old Whittlesy's pride, Away with me to the river-side!" "Nay, my sister, for fear I fall. And wouldst thou come if thou heardst me call?" "Now choose thee, choose thee thy way of death, For soon thou shalt draw thy latest breath. We all have sworn that to-day we'll see The last, fair Michikee Moo, of thee!"

 Whittlesy Whanko, hidden near, Each and all of these words did hear. He summoned his braves, all painted for war, And gave them in charge each guilty squaw. "Take Wah-wah-bocky, the Blue-nosed Goose! Take Ching-gach-gocky, the Capering Moose! Take Peeksy Wiggin, and Squawpan too, And leave me alone with my Michikee Moo! This one away to the mountain-top, And there her head ye shall neatly chop. This one away to the forest's heart, And shoot her down with a poisoned dart. This one away to the river-side, And there let her be the Manitou's bride. Away with them all, the woodlands through. For I'll have no squaw save Michikee Moo!" Away went the braves, without question or pause, And they soon put an end to the guilty squaws; They pleasantly smiled when the deed was done, Saying "Ping-ko-chanky! oh! isn't it fun?" And then they all danced the Buffalo dance, And capered about with ambiguous prance; While they drank to the health of the lovers so true, Brave Whittlesy Whanko and Michikee Moo. 

"I wish I had an Indian doll, Mr. Moonman!" said Fluff one night, afterI had sung this ballad to her. "A little pappoose! it would be so nice!"

"Nothing is easier!" I replied. "Take Katinka, there, who has long blackhair; stain her face and neck with walnut juice, and paint her withstripes and spots of red and yellow. Then wrap her up in a blanket andput some beads round her neck, and you have an Indian doll. She will bea truly lovely object, according to Indian ideas, which indeed may notbe quite the same as your own, but what of that?"

"Thank you kindly, Mr. Moonman!" said Katinka, who was spending thenight on Puff's bed. "I am very sure my dear little mother will donothing of the kind. Walnut juice, indeed! and for me, who have thefinest complexion in the doll-house! You might take Sally Bradford, now, and she would not look more like a witch than she does now; but I am aFrench doll, and am not used to such treatment. "

"Don't abuse Sally Bradford, Miss!" I said. "She is an excellent doll, for whom I have a great respect; and as for your fine complexion, why, we all know that 'handsome is as handsome does;' and I should like toknow who does all the work in the doll-house. But speaking of witches, Iwonder if Puff has ever heard the story of the witch who came to seelittle Polly Pemberton. That is a queer story. "

"No, I have never heard it, Mr. Moonman!" cried Puff eagerly. "Was it areal witch? do tell me the story!"

[Illustration]

"Oh! as for being real, " I replied, "that is none of my business. Mybusiness is to tell the story which I will do. I heard a little girl inNew Haven, telling it to her brothers and sisters the other night, andshe frightened them half out of their wits. I will try to tell the storyjust as she did. Did you know, children, that there were witches in oldtimes? well, there were, or people thought there were, which came tomuch the same thing for the witches. Hear this story, and then see whatyou think about the matter. 

[Illustration: POLLY PEMBERTON. ]

"Well, once there was a little girl, about eight years old. I shallcall her Polly, but you need not feel obliged to follow my example. Ifyou prefer to call her Kamschatka, I don't mind in the least. Thislittle girl lived with her father and mother, in a little red cottagewhich stood quite by itself near a thick wood. Every day her parentswent to the village, which was a mile or more away, to work, and theyleft little Polly in charge of the house, for she was a good and quietlittle girl, and never was lonely or sad. One day Polly was sitting bythe window, knitting, when she saw a queer-looking old woman comingalong the road; such a queer old woman. Have you ever seen a picture ofCinderella's fairy godmother? well, she looked just like that, pointedhat, red cloak, and all. When the old woman saw Polly, she stopped, andlooked earnestly at her; then she hobbled slowly up to the door andknocked. Polly ran and opened the door. "How are you, my child?" saidthe old dame; "let me in. I'm your grandmother. " Polly had always beentaught to be respectful to old people, so she let the old woman in, andpolitely handed her a chair; but she could not help saying, as she didso, "excuse me, ma'am, but I don't think you can be my grandmother. ""That shows how much you know about it!" replied the old woman; "how oldare you?" "Eight years old, " said Polly. "Very well!" said the oldwoman; "now I am ninety-six years old, just twelve times as old as youare; therefore, I'm your grandmother. " "But I don't see----" beganPolly. "Oh, if you want to argue about it, " said the old dame, "here weare, " and she drew from her pocket a small book, and opening it, readaloud, "Take a little girl eight years old, and multiply her by twelve;what will be the result? Answer: her grandmother. There!" she said, triumphantly, "what do you think of that?" Poor Polly did not know whatto think of it. She looked at the book, which looked exactly likeColburn's Arithmetic. "_Is_ that Colburn's Arithmetic, ma'am?" she askedtimidly. "Colburn's Fiddlestick!" said the old woman, shortly. "Here'sanother for you. Put a boy up an apple-tree, and divide him by a goodsized bull-dog; what will remain? hey?" "I'm sure I don't know, " saidpoor Polly, faintly. "Mince-meat, of course, " said the old woman. "Youdon't know much, evidently. " "What a dreadful looking cat!" thoughtPolly. And indeed, he did not look like an amiable animal. His greeneyes shone with an uncanny light, and his long claws were constantlysheathing and unsheathing themselves, as if they longed to scratchsomebody. However, the old woman certainly seemed fond of him. "Hobble-gobble!" she said, "prince of cats, black diamond, blazingemerald, attend!

 Kickery punk, punkery kick, Bring the teapot and be quick!"

The cat gave one spring, and in the twinkling of an eye he reached thecupboard where the silver was kept. Now the door of the cupboard waslocked, as Polly, in her surprise, (which was fast turning into terror, )thankfully remembered. The cat, finding it locked, turned and looked athis mistress, who, striking her stick on the floor, exclaimed

 "Scratchery, patchery, tooth and nail; Open the door with a quirk of your tail. "

Quick as thought the creature turned round and inserted the tip of histail in the key hole. In a moment the door flew open, and seizing thesilver teapot in his claws, the cat sprang back with it to his mistress, who, snatching the teapot, hid it under her red cloak. At this Pollysprang to her feet, with a cry of mingled fear and anger; but the witch(for this certainly must have been a witch, if ever there was one, )pointed her stick at her, and muttered some strange words which soundedlike "Buggara wuggera boogle jum, Hobble-gobble!" She said this lastword suddenly and sharply, and Polly was quite startled; but fancy heralarm when a large black cat crept out from beneath the red cloak, andsitting down on his mistress's knee, looked up in her face with an airof unearthly sagacity, and poor Polly fell back in her chair, unable tomove hand or foot. There she sat, motionless, but perfectly conscious, watching this dreadful old hag. And what do you think the creature didnext? She took some strange looking herbs from her pocket, and put themin the teapot, which she then filled with water and set on the stove. Then, calling to her cat, she began to hop slowly round the stove on onefoot. The cat followed her, hopping first on one black foot and then onanother, but keeping its unearthly green eyes fixed on Polly all thetime. The witch kept muttering strange words like those which had thrownthe spell on Polly; while her companion moved in time if not in tune. 

 "Buggara wuggara, boogle jum jum! I will have all, and my cat shall have some. Boogle jum! boogle jmm! buggara boom! Down with the teapot and up with the broom!"

"By the time she had hopped round the stove six times, the water in theteapot was boiling furiously. The old hag stopped and said "Hobblegobble, prince of cats, produce the broom-stick!"

"The cat jumped up on the stove, without seeming to mind the heat in theleast, though the iron was nearly red hot. He lifted the lid of theteapot, and took out--what do you think, now? You will never believe me, but I am not responsible for the story. He took out--a broom. A longbroom, with a bright red handle, which seemed somehow as if it wasalive, for it actually wriggled as the cat, leaping down from the stove, handed it to his mistress. The old woman snatched it, and waved it threetimes round Polly's head. Then she mounted the stick as if it were ahorse, and calling once more to her cat, she rose in the air, andvanished up the chimney, the cat sitting beside her on the broom-stick, and grinning hideously at Polly as long as he remained in sight. Thatwas truly dreadful, was it not? that comes of leaving little girls aloneall day, which is a very bad plan. "

"But is that all?" asked Puffy. "Doesn't it tell what became of Polly, and the teapot? You haven't told any end to the story, Mr. Moonman. "

"Exactly!" I replied. "There isn't any end to it. But there is an end tothis night, and that end has come. Farewell, my mouse, till to-morrownight. "

And I whisked away, leaving Katinka and Puff so much astonished that onefell off the bed, and the other woke up. Wasn't that funny?

CHAPTER XV. 

FOLLOWING A SUNBEAM. 

"AUNTIE, " said Downy, one morning, "I'v dere any people in de fun?"

"In the fun, dear child?" answered Mrs. Wilton. "What do you mean?people are often in fun. Is that it?"

[Illustration]

"Oh! no, Auntie!" said Fluff, who was sitting beside Downy on the broadwindow-sill, eating her porridge, "I know what he means. He means 'inthe sun, ' but he cannot say 's, ' you know, so he says 'f' instead. "

"Oh!" said Aunt Grace. "In the sun; of course. I understand now. Well, Downy boy, I have never been in the sun, so I really cannot tell you. Iheard of a little boy who did go once, however. Fluffy, tell Downy thelittle story I told you the other day, about the sunbeam. I would tellit to him myself, but I must speak to cook about dinner. "

"Well, Downy, " said Fluff, in an important tone, as she settled herselfmore comfortably on the window-sill, "Once upon a time there was alittle boy, and his name was Wynkyn. "

"Nebber heard dat name!" interrupted Downy. 

[Illustration]

"Well, it was his name just the same, " said Fluff, "for Auntie said so. So he wanted to know what was in the sun. So somebody told him--"

"Whobody was it?" inquired Downy. 

"Oh! I don't know! anybody!" said Fluff. "I wont tell it if youinterrupt me, Downy. "

"I wont adain!" said Downy. "Do on, Fluffy!"

"Somebody told him, " continued Fluff, "that if he put his foot on theend of a sunbeam, it would turn into a golden ladder and lead to thesun. So he did, and so it did, --turned into a ladder, I mean; allshining gold, going right up into the sun. So he went up, and up, andup, and the upper he went the brighter the ladder grew. At last he cameto the sun, and there were ever so many little boys and girls, all madeof gold, running about and playing, and having a splendid time. And theyall came and played with Wynkyn, and gave him all sorts of lovelypresents to take back to the earth. 

 A golden hat and a golden coat, A golden ball and a golden boat, A slate all covered with golden sums, And a golden pudding with diamond plums. 

So he was very happy, and thought he would stay there all his life. Butwhile he was running after one of the little golden boys, he tumbled offthe sun, and fell down the ladder, turning somersaults all the way. Andwhen he came down to the earth again he had lost all the presents exceptthe pudding, but he had held that all the way down. So he sold it to aman for forty million hundred dollars; and then he was so rich that theymade him King of Siam, and he rode on a white elephant with pink earsall the rest of his life. "

"Iv dat all?" asked Downy. 

"Yes, that's all, " replied Fluff. "I made up the last part of it, because I couldn't remember just what Auntie told me after he came downthe ladder. And now, Downy, pet, " she continued, "I must go, for oldMargaret has promised to show me the new chickens. Finish your porridge, and then you can come too!" and away ran Fluff, leaving the Downy mousealone, looking very thoughtful over his porringer. He was silent forsome time; then laying down his spoon, he said with an air of decision, "I'm doin' to do!" With that, he slid down from the window sill, andtrotted out of the house as fast as his little fat legs would carry him. I knew perfectly well that his intention was to go up to the sun, but Idid not think he would get very far. On the lawn he paused, and lookedabout him. Plenty of sunbeams there; every blade of grass had one, forthe little sparklers, who are very vain, had come to look at themselvesand admire their own brightness in the drops of dew which lay on everyleaf and flower and spear of grass. Downy ran here and there, puttinghis foot down wherever he saw a flash, and then looking expectantly upinto the air. But no golden ladder appeared, and at length I heard thelittle mouse say, "Deve ivn't de right kind of funbeamv. I'll dofomewhere elfe. " So off he went, pattering over the grass and over thegravel paths, still stamping on every spot of sunshine, and stilllooking up for the golden ladder. I was just beginning to think it wastime some one came to look after the mouse, when I heard a loud screamfrom the farm-yard. Turning my eyes in that direction, I saw somethingthat was really shocking. 

Fluff had gone, as you know, with old Margaret, Mrs. Wilton's goodhousekeeper, to see a new brood of chickens which had just been hatched. They were the prettiest little downy things in the world, and Fluff'shappiness was complete when Margaret put them all in her apron, and toldher she might carry them to the new coop which had just been made forthem and their mother. Now Billy, the donkey, was in the shed, by whichFluff was standing, and for some minutes he had been looking out of thewindow, deeply interested in my mouse's straw bonnet. Was it good toeat, or was it not? that was the question which was agitating Billy'smind at that moment. On the whole, he thought the only way to decide thematter was to try it; so stretching his head quietly out of the window, he seized the bonnet in his teeth, and tearing it from Fluff's head, heproceeded to chew it as calmly as if it had been a wisp of hay insteadof a Tuscan straw. It was Fluff's scream that I heard, and I found thelittle mouse overcome with grief at the loss of her bonnet, the lastfragment of which was just disappearing between Billy's capacious jaws. 

[Illustration]

"Never mind, Miss Fluffy, dear!" said Margaret, soothingly; "come in toAuntie with me, and we'll tell her all about it. She'll buy you a newbonnet, I promise you, or make you one out of Master Billy's ears. "

So they went into the house, after putting the chickens carefully intheir coop, and told Mrs. Wilton about the sad misfortune. Aunt Gracecould not help laughing at first; but she comforted Fluff, who wasreally very much cast down, and promised to make her the prettiestbonnet that heart could desire. 

"But where is Downy?" she asked; "did you leave him in the farm-yard, Margaret?"

[Illustration]

"Sure, ma'am, I have not seen the child this morning!" said Margaret. 

"Why, I left him in the dining-room, finishing his porridge!" exclaimedFluff. "Isn't he there now, Auntie?"

"No!" replied Mrs. Wilton. "He is not anywhere in the house, and Ithought he had gone with you. Where can the child be?"

Then there was a great hurry-scurry, in the house and out of it. All theother children were summoned, but none of them had seen Downy: so theyall started off to look for him, Mrs. Wilton and Margaret, Nibble andBrighteyes, Fluff and Roger, all going in different directions, andcallings as they went: "Downy! Downy boy! where are you, Downy?" but noDowny answered. 

If people only knew a little more, how much better they would get on! atevery step the children might have found out where Downy was, if theyhad only taken the trouble to listen. The old Drake quacked to them inhis loudest tones: "down by the brook! down by the brook! stupidcreatures! down by the brook!" the fir-trees on the lawn pointed theirlong green fingers towards the brook. The birds sang, the dogs barked, the leaves whispered, the hens cackled, and each and all said the samething, over and over again! "Down by the brook! down by the brook!" andso the whole family looked on the beach, and in the orchard, and up anddown the road, and all over the barn and the stable, and in the pig-sty. If you will believe me, it was not till after a two-hour's hunt thatthey found the little fellow, curled up in the long grass by the side ofthe brook, fast asleep. 

[Illustration]

You may imagine how Aunt Grace caught him up, and kissed and petted andscolded him all in a breath. But Downy struggled to get down, and criedout "Don't take my foot off! don't take my foot off! naughty Auntie!a-a-a-ah! a-a-ah!"

"What is it, dear?" said his aunt. "Wake up, Downy dear! you have beenasleep, and we all thought you were lost, and were dreadfully frightenedabout you. What is the matter with your foot, my precious?"

Downy rubbed his eyes and looked about him, seeming very much puzzled. 

"Why, where'v ve ladder?" he asked. "And where'v my dolden puddin? Ididn't want to tome down from de fun! a-a-a-ah! I want to be de King ofFiam, and wide on a white elephant!"

Well, they all told him he had been asleep and dreaming; and they pettedand consoled him, and took him into the house, and Aunt Grace gave himan apple almost as big as his own head. But all day long Downy was verymelancholy. He smarted under a sense of injury, and could not forgivehis aunt for taking his foot off the ladder; and it was many a daybefore he forgot the golden pudding and the white elephant. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

UNDER THE SEA. 

[Illustration]

THE four mice had been settled at Glenwood for more than two weeksbefore I was able to pay them one of my evening visits. Little Puff hadbeen very ill indeed, and all my spare time had been devoted to her. Besides this, there was a revolution in Meteoria (the place where themeteors come from, my dears), and numbers of the inhabitants hademigrated, and had been whizzing past my palace constantly, requiring myutmost care to prevent it from catching fire. 

But the revolution was over in a week, and about the same time Puffbegan to be a little better. Then she went on improving so fast that Ithought I really must go and tell her brothers and sisters about it. Sooff to Glenwood I went one fine night, where I was greeted, as usual, with a chorus of delight. 

"Oh! Mr. Moonman!" cried Fluff, clapping her hands. "And we thought hedidn't know the way here! How _did_ you know where to find us, Mr. Moonman, dear?"

"Why, if you come to that, " I replied, "there are very few places in theworld that I cannot find, and Glenwood is not a very hard one todiscover, my mouse. Now I have good news for you. I have just come fromPuff's nursery; she sends her love to you all, and says she is nearlywell, and wants to know what you have been doing all this time. "

Then rose a clamor of questions from all sides, which I answered as bestI could. Yes, she sat up every day, and she had broiled chicken fordinner, and dip-toast for supper, and Uncle Jack had given her a lovelynew doll, with flaxen hair curling all over her head, whose name wasScarlatina Clematis Alfarata; but Puff called her Tina, "for short. "

"Did I know that Downy had been ill?" Brighteyes asked. 

"No I did not know it! What had been the matter?"

"Oh! it wasn't much!" broke in Nibble: "I don't see why they made such afuss about it. I made a feast for him, because Aunt Grace wanted me toamuse him while she gave Brighteyes her French lesson; and I cooked thefeast in Roger's little stove, and some of the black paint got into thefood and made it disagree with him. Things are always disagreeing withpeople; I don't see why. People eat oil, and I don't see why theyshouldn't eat paint; there's a great deal of oil in paint, Uncle Jacktold me so. "

[Illustration]

"Well, " I said, "you might spread paint instead of butter on your bread, and see how you like it. Personally, I am inclined to take Downy's viewof the matter. But now, we must not stop too long, for we have a longway to go to-night. I am going to fulfil my promise at last, and takeyou to see Patty! What do you say to that, all four of you?"

The mice did not say much that was intelligible, but their shrieks ofdelight, their jumping and clapping of hands, were quite satisfactory. The big cloud was waiting outside, and the seven Winds were there, too, impatient for a frolic; so I tumbled my mice and their cousin mouse outof their beds and into their soft white carriage, and away we all wentpost-haste, or rather comet-haste, for it is a long way to the IndianOcean. Merrily puffed the winds, and merrily chattered the five littleones; we told stories, and sang songs, and altogether the trip was madeso quickly that we were almost sorry to hear the Winds talkingHindostanee to the waves of the great silent water over which we weresweeping. Down floated the cloud, down and down, until it rested lightlyon a bit of smooth sandy beach. 

"Out with you, mice of mine!" I said. So the mice tumbled out of thecloud again, and looked about them in much amazement and some terror. 

"I fink I'm afraid!" said Downy to me, confidentially. 

"Oh, no!" I replied. "You are not afraid. You are delighted, my dear, but you are delighted in Hindostanee, and that may be a differentsensation from being delighted in English. "

This explanation seemed to comfort the little fellow, so I turned to theelder mice and said, "Patty is expecting you to-night, so everythingwill be in readiness. All you have to do is to go out on that flat rockyonder, and wait till a fish comes and speaks to you. Then you mustsay--

 "'Bobbily Bungaloo, Indian fish. To visit your mistress is what I wish. '

"After that he will manage everything for you, and will take you atonce to Patty. I shall wait here till you return, for going under thewater is very apt to give me the asthma. Run, now, and be good, all ofyou!"

[Illustration]

It required some courage for the little ones to leave their old friendand start off on such a strange and out-of-the-way expedition; butNibble and Brighteyes led the way boldly, and the three others followed, clinging closely to each other. They soon reached the rock, and foundBobbily Bungaloo swimming about, waiting for them. He greeted themkindly, and bade them follow him, and one by one they all disappearedunder the water. 

Of course, however, I can see perfectly well what goes on under thewater. Dear me, yes! it would be a pity if I could not do that. I sawthe mice go down, down, down, through the clear water. All around themswam myriads of fishes, all eager to greet the little strangers who hadcome so far. There were large fishes and small fishes, some all head andsome all tail, some ugly enough to frighten one, and others so beautifulthat the children were sorely tempted to catch them and carry themhome. All were kind and friendly, and said many pleasant things, whichBobbily Bungaloo, who is a very learned fish, translated into Englishfor the mice's benefit. At length they arrived at the bottom of the sea, and saw at a little distance before them, the palace of my cousin Patty. As I may have told you before, this palace is simply a huge round pearl, hollowed out into many chambers. A more superb dwelling-place can hardlybe imagined. It is really like a small moon under the water, so brightand beautiful is it. The children were speechless with admiration andwonder, as they well might be. 

[Illustration]

"H'm!" said a fat oyster, opening her shell to peep at them, "I shouldthink they had never seen a pearl before. My necklace also is worthlooking at, if they only knew enough to look down. "

But the mice had no eyes for anything except the pearl palace, especially as Patty herself now appeared in the doorway, waiting towelcome her little guests. 

She kissed them all, and led them into a great hall, the walls andceiling of which were of mother-of-pearl, while the floor was of pinkcoral, laid in a hundred beautiful patterns. At one end of the hall wasa throne of pearl, and on this Patty seated herself, bidding thechildren sit down on some pretty pink coral stools beside her. 

"Now, my dears, " she said, "what shall Patty do to amuse her littlefriends? I think we will have some lunch first, for you must be hungryafter your long journey. Then I will take you through the palace, andthen you shall sail in one of my pretty boats. How does that programmeplease you?"

She rang a bell, and a tall merman in a splendid livery, glistening withpearl buttons, made his appearance, carrying a huge silver tray heapedwith sea-delicacies. The children were really hungry, and they soonfound that the dishes were as good as they were strange. 

"What _is_ this, Patty?" asked Brighteyes; "it is delicious, but Icannot imagine what it is. "

"That, " said Patty, "is a fricassee of sea-anemones. They are very nice, I think, and we cook them in a great many different ways. Nibble, there, is eating fried gold-fish, and Fluff and Roger are busy over a dish ofscallops in jelly. "

"Oh! how nice everything is!" sighed Fluff; "I wish I knew whether itwere all real or not. Mr. Moonman always laughs at me when I ask him ifI am dreaming him and all the good times we have with him. Are you real, Patty? do tell me!"

But Patty only laughed and said, "I am as real as a great many things inthis world, dear child! Take some anemones, and don't trouble yourselfabout their being real, as long as they are good. "

When the children had finished their lunch, she took Downy by the hand, and bade the rest follow her: and then she led them through thedifferent rooms of the wonderful palace. Dear! dear! such a palace as itwas! I really thought those mice would never get their mouths shutagain, so wide did they open them in their amazement. The first roomthey went through was hung with green sea-weed, beautifully fringed, andthe carpet was of softest moss. Here were sitting numbers of prettymermaids, sewing and embroidering on great pieces of kelp, with needlesmade of the spines of some fish. They all nodded and smiled at thechildren, but did not speak, for they knew nothing but Hindostanee. 

"To think, " murmured Brighteyes, softly, "that we should really be inthe same room with a dozen mermaids! and their neat little tails _are_covered with scales, just as the song says, and they are sitting in pinkcoral chairs. Oh! if I could only find out where the sea-flower grows, so that I might remember all this!"

Then they passed through halls of deep-red coral, and lovely littlerooms which seemed entirely made of small bright shells set closelytogether, until they came to the Sun and Moon rooms, which my good Pattyhas named in honor of my brother and me. The Sun room is all gold fromfloor to ceiling, burnished gold, which shines so that one really has toshade one's eyes on going into it. From the glittering ceiling hangnumbers of diamond lamps, which swing perpetually to and fro with aslow, steady motion, flashing and sparkling like real sunbeams. My room, which is next to this gorgeous apartment, is no less beautiful, beingall of fretted silver, with lamps of pearl, which shed a lovely softlight nearly equal to that of my own beams, though not so bright. Ofcourse the mice were enchanted beyond measure with all this splendor;but when they begged to be allowed to stay in the lovely silver room andplay, Patty smiled and said, "we have yet many things to see, dearchildren, and the night is short. Besides, puss-in-the-corner is nobetter fun in a silver room than in a plastered nursery. Come then, andsee the play-room of my little mermaids!"

She threw open a door, and there was a sight which made the mice fairlysqueak with amazement and delight. It was a vast room, all of whitecoral, with lovely pictures painted on the walls and ceiling, and asfull as it could be of little tiny sea-children, frolicking about, andplaying just as many pranks as land-babies play. They surrounded thechildren with exclamations of wonder and delight. Children must have alanguage of their own, certainly, for though the Indian sea-babies knewno more of English than the American babies did of Hindostanee, it wasnot ten minutes before they were all perfectly good friends, and wereplaying together in the most delightful way. Nibble and Roger werealmost breaking their necks in the vain endeavor to turn somersaults asfast as their little friends with the tails. Brighteyes was hugging andpetting "the loveliest baby in the world, if it _hasn't_ any toes, "which she had taken from its nurse's arms, while Fluff and a littlemermaiden of her own age were deeply confidential in a corner, on thesubject of their respective dolls. Fancy, will you, children all, awhite coral doll with a long pearly tail, and hair of pale yellow seamoss, very fine and soft! Truly, it was a lovely creature, and Fluffwould gladly have exchanged the most cherished of her waxen babies forit. The little mermaid sang pretty songs to her dolly, and rocked it ina cradle of amber with sea-weed curtains. Presently Patty said, "LittleFluff, will you not sing an English song for my sea-babies? singsomething about flowers and fairies, for those are things that we havenot here, and the little ones like to hear about them. "

So my Fluff sang this little song, which she called "The Fairy Wedding:"

[Illustration]

 Blue bell, bonny bell, ring for the wedding! Gallant young Hyacinth's married the rose; Here we all wait for the marriage procession, Standing up high on our tippy-toe-toes. 

 Blue bell, bonny bell, ring for the wedding! First the three ushers on grasshoppers ride; Coxcomb, Larkspur, and gallant Sweet William, Handsome young dandies as ever I spied. 

 Here in a coach come the bride's rich relations, Old Madame Damask and old Mr. Moss; Greatly I fear she has not won their blessing, Else they'd not look so uncommonly cross. 

 Here comes his Excellence Baron de Goldburg, Leading the Dowager Duchess of Snail; Feathers and fringe on the top of her bonnet, Roses and rings on the end of her tail. 

 Blue bell, bonny bell, ring for the wedding! Here come the bridesmaids by two and by two. Gay little Primrose, fair little Snowdrop, Peachblossom, Jasmine and Eglantine too. 

 Last come the lovers, wrapped up in each other, Thinking of love, and of little beside; Blue bell, bonnie bell, ring for the wedding! Health and long life to the beautiful bride!

[Illustration]

Loud were the cries of delight over Fluffy's song; but they soon changedinto exclamations of sorrow, when Patty told the mice that they must bidgood-bye to their little sea friends, as it was nearly time for them togo home. All the little sea-maidens and boys pressed round them, kissingthem, and begging them to come again, which they gladly promised to do. Fluffy hugged her new friend and said "good-bye, you dear! I think you_must_ be real, you are so lovely!" and so they left the beautifulplay-room, and the coral doors shut behind them. 

At the gate of the palace they found a lovely boat waiting for them. Itwas a great purple mussel-shell, lined with pearl, and cushioned withsoftest moss. In this Patty told the mice to seat themselves, and then, kissing them all, she bade them good-bye, and touched the shell with hersilver wand. Up floated the strange boat, up and up, while the childrenleaned over the side as far as they dared, and threw kisses to their"dear delightful lovely Patty!" Multitudes of fishes surrounded them asbefore, and Bobbily Bungaloo, as a guard of honor, swam before the boat. At last I, waiting patiently by the rock, saw the five little heads riseabove the water. Lightly my pets jumped from their purple boat; theybade farewell to Bobbily Bungaloo and his train, and then came runningto me, all talking at once, and so fast that their remarks sounded quiteas much like Hindostanee as like English. 

"Now, " I said, "you shall tell me all about everything as we go along;but we must start at once, for there is no time to be lost, I assureyou!"

So they wrapped themselves up in their cloud again, and the Winds blew, and the children chattered, and the cloud flew through the air at atremendous rate. Indeed, our seven little airy friends were so bent uponshowing their utmost speed that they forgot where they were going, andwould have blown my mice to California if I had not stopped them. As itwas, it was nearly daybreak when we reached Glenwood. The seven Windswere so weary that they did not trouble themselves about the cloud afterthe children had got out of it, but bidding the little ones farewell, they fell fast asleep in the bed of lilies under the window; and I alsodeparted, while my pets called after me, thanking me for "the mostdelightful of all the delightful nights!"

CHAPTER XVII. 

GOOD-BYE. 

[Illustration]

WELL, it was not long after this that my four mice went back to theMouse-trap, for Puffy was quite well again, and begged that she mightnot be left alone a moment longer than was necessary. So one happy daythe little mouse, still pale and thin, but beaming with delight, claspedher twin in her arms, on the old stone steps, while the other micedanced about them. Mrs. Posset cried over her Downy; Tomty came up fromthe garden with his pockets full of apples for his pets; Gruff and Grimand Grab barked their noisy welcome; while good Uncle Jack smiled onthem all, and was well-pleased to have all his little ones around himagain in the dear old Mouse-trap. 

And here, though it is really melancholy to think of, I must leave myfive mice. There are many and many more things that I should like totell you about them, but we must wait till another time for all that. The fact is that Mr. Estes, the gentleman who is going to be so verykind as to put all these stories into a book for me, (for neither my dognor I could possibly do that for ourselves, and I don't know of anybook-binding star in the whole firmament, ) says he really cannotundertake to print any more of my nonsense at present, as he has manygrave and learned books to publish. It is my private opinion that thereis often as much moonshine in grave and learned books as there is inchildren's stories; but perhaps I am not a good judge, for I see more orless moonshine in everything. 

However that may be, the fact remains that I must say good-bye for thepresent to the Five Mice in the Mouse-trap, and to you, Patchko andTinka, Jimmy and Jenny, Alice and Amy, and all the rest of you. Be goodchildren, now! don't forget to shut the door after you when you go outof a room; don't forget to shut your eyes when you go to sleep; andabove all, don't forget your old friend, _THE MAN IN THE MOON_

 * * * * *

Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired. 

Page 66, Illustration caption, "JOSE" changed to "JOSÉ" (JOSÉ OPENINGTHE GATE. )

Page 81, "alway" changed to "always" (I always ride on)

Page 130, "Possett" changed to "Posset" (Mrs. Posset was not there)

Page 132, "pleasan" changed to "pleasant" (It was pleasant)

Page 141, "Pluffy" changed to "Puffy" (said Puffy with dignity)

Page 144, "liketo" changed to "like to" (should like to sing)

Page 151, "suid" changed to "said" ("To be sure!" said Uncle)

Page 173, "faries" changed to "fairies" (the three little fairies)

Page 197, word "in" removed from text. Original read (it in intoEnglish)

Page 191, extra word "he" removed from text. Original read: (what do youhe think)

Page 205, lines were printed out of order. Every attempt was made tocorrect the text for readability. 

Originally text:

 At this Polly sprang to her feet, with a cry of mingled fear and anger; but the witch (for this certainly must have been a witch, if Hobble-gobble!" She said this last word suddenly and sharply, and Polly was quite startled; but fancy her alarm when a large black cat crept out from beneath the red cloak, and sitting down on his mistress's knee, looked up in her face with an air of unearthly sagacity, ever there was one, ) pointed her stick at her, and muttered some strange words which sounded like "Buggara wuggera boogle jum, " and poor Polly fell back in her chair, unable to move hand or foot. There she sat, motionless, but perfectly conscious, watching this

Now reads:

 At this Polly sprang to her feet, with a cry of mingled fear and anger; but the witch (for this certainly must have been a witch, if ever there was one, ) pointed her stick at her, and muttered some strange words which sounded like "Buggara wuggera boogle jum, Hobble-gobble!" She said this last word suddenly and sharply, and Polly was quite startled; but fancy her alarm when a large black cat crept out from beneath the red cloak, and sitting down on his mistress's knee, looked up in her face with an air of unearthly sagacity, and poor Polly fell back in her chair, unable to move hand or foot. There she sat, motionless, but perfectly conscious, watching this

Page 214, "conld" changed to "could" (and could not forgive)

"Jose" was changed to "José" eleven times. 

 Page 69, catch Master José 82, and even José 124, José, the brown donkey 125, Get up, José! . .. But José . .. . Poked Master José from 131, _José_ may have been playing . .. . José was not to be seen Has José been rolling . .. Then José went home 183, three dogs, and José