The children were never tired of seeing the camels kneel and rise.  They made them carry little burdens,—­stones that were to be cleared from the field, chips from the henhouse.  Sometimes the camels growled; then the children took off a chip or two from their burdens,—­the last ounce, they thought.

The “grateful people” sent a large umbrella, used by the umbrella-maker for a sign, that could be opened over the whole village in case of a rain; and the toy-shop man sent a tin teapot, though Mrs. Dyer did not venture to give Noah and his family any real tea; but it was a very pretty teapot, with a red flower upon it.  Mrs. Noah liked it, though it was almost large enough for the whole family to get into.

All this was not the work of a day, by any means.  First, all Spinville had to come and look at the things, and then it had to discuss the whole affair.  Mrs. Dyer’s knitting got on bravely, for so many of her friends came in to sit in her best parlor, and talk it all over.  Mrs. Dyer agreed with them; she thought it was all very strange.  She should be thankful if only the tigers would never get out.  She did not like having tigers running in and out of the house, even if they were no bigger than your thimble.  She thought it quite likely some of the boys would let them out some day; but it was no use looking forward.  So, day by day, the people came to look at the wonderful village.  There was always something new to see.  At last, one of the deacons declared Jedidiah ought to charge so much a sight.  It was as good a show as the menagerie, any day; and everybody was willing to give ten cents for that, children half-price.

This made great talk.  Should Jedidiah charge for the show, or not?  Mr. Dyer would have nothing to say about it.  Mrs. Dyer thought they might as well; then there would be fewer children in her front yard picking at the currants.  At last it was settled that Spinville should pay two cents a sight, children half-price, and strangers could see the village for nothing; but all those who had contributed anything towards the ark should have a right to visit it with their families, without paying.  There was a great rush after this to see who was going to pay.  It turned out only the schoolmaster’s and doctor’s families had to buy tickets; and when it came to that, Mr. Dyer said he would not let them pay anything.  So Jedidiah did not gain much by it; but he and a few of his friends made some tickets, all the same, printing on them “Noah’s Ark.  Admittance, two cents; children, half-price;” and a good many children bought tickets for the fun of it.

At last there came a crash.  One afternoon, Tim Stubbs, in setting up a new pump, gave a knock to the ark, and sent the whole thing over.  The roof snapped open, and out came all the wild beasts.  The hyenas laughed, the lions roared, the bears growled, and the tigers leaped about to see whom they could devour; Noah jumped up on top of the pump; the elephant knocked out a side of the barn, to see what was the matter; all the wives ran for the houses, and there was a general confusion.  A leopard seized a young chicken.  Mrs. Dyer came out with a rolling-pin in her hand.  Tim and Tom Stubbs declared they would catch the animals, if Jedidiah would only find something safe to put them in.