They danced again before the mirror and sang,

     “We’re locked in safely, that we know,”

The mirror said,

     “Down the chimney he can go.”

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes said, “Oh” and “Ah,” and “Oh” and “Ah.”  “We never thought of the chimney!  What shall we do with the chimney?”

They built a roaring fire, and none too soon, for they could hear the “patter, patter, patter” of feet upon the roof.

Bushy-Tail climbed down from the roof.  He looked in at the window and said, “Please let me in, please let me in.”

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes sat as still as they could in their little chairs by the fire and never winked an eyelash.

Bushy-Tail said, “Let me in or I will come down the chimney, fire or no fire.”

Then Snubby Nose coughed and Tippy Toes sneezed.

Bushy-Tail climbed the roof once more.  Out came the smoke in great puffs.  He gave it up and then went away down the path growling every step of the way.

All this time Bunny and Susan were coming nearer every minute.  They said, “What if we should meet Bushy-Tail?”

In less time than it takes to tell it, Bushy-Tail came down the bend of the road scolding and waving his beautiful tail to and fro.

He howled, “Bring out Snubby Nose, bring out Tippy Toes or I will eat you up.”

I do not know what in the world would have happened if Grandpa Grumbles had not come sailing along just then.  He came sailing down in his green cotton umbrella and said, looking hard at Bushy-Tail,

     “Jump inside and have a ride,
     There’s room for you and me beside.”

Bushy-Tail jumped into the umbrella.  He was pleased you may be sure.  They rode away, and away, and away, over houses, over tree-tops, and over a big blue lake.  Then they began to sail slowly down, down, down.

Bushy-Tail said, “Oh, Grandpa Grumbles, don’t land us in the lake!  Oh, Grandpa Grumbles, look out what you are doing!”

Grandpa Grumbles then said loudly,

     “Speak into my better ear,
     I am so deaf I cannot hear.”

Bushy-Tail cried out as loud as he could, “Oh, Grandpa Grumbles, we are going down into the lake!  Look out, look out!  We shall be drowned!”

Grandpa Grumbles shouted,

     “Speak a little louder, please,
     Shall we sail above the trees?”

Bushy-Tail got so excited he did not know what he was doing.  He got right out of the umbrella and went splash, dash, into the lake.

[Illustration:  “BUSHY-TAIL WENT SPLASH, DASH, INTO THE LAKE”]

Grandpa Grumbles, as he sailed homeward, said,

     “Sink or swim, just as you please,
     For I have no desire to tease.”

He left poor Bushy-Tail to swim to shore.

When Grandpa Grumbles got home he saw smoke coming out of his chimney.  He grumbled,