After the thimble game the children played “Blind Man’s Buff,” “Puss in the Corner” and “Going to Jerusalem.”

Pretty soon it was time to eat ice cream and cake.  That is one of the nicest times at a party, I think; and Dick, Arnold and Herbert, as well as the other boys and girls, thought the same thing, I am sure.  While they were in another room, eating the good things, the Candy Rabbit and the Sawdust Doll were left to themselves.

“I have been wanting to talk to you for the longest time!” said the Sawdust Doll.

“And I have so many things to tell you,” said the Candy Rabbit.  “Such remarkable adventures!”

He started to hop across the table, to get nearer to the Sawdust Doll, but he did not see the thimble which the children had been playing with, and which had been left on the table.  The Candy Rabbit jumped on the thimble, which rolled out from under his paws.

“Oh, look out!  You’re going to fall!” cried the Sawdust Doll.

And down fell the Candy Rabbit.

[Illustration:  Candy Rabbit Has a Tumble.
                               Page 107]

CHAPTER X

IN A BOY’S POCKET

“Are you hurt?” asked the Sawdust Doll anxiously, looking with sympathy at the Candy Rabbit.  “Let me help you up!”

“Oh, thank you, I can get up myself,” answered the sugary chap.  “And I am not at all hurt.  The table cloth was soft.”

He was just going to get up and hop over to the Doll when, all at once, the Sawdust toy exclaimed: 

“Be quiet!  Here come the children back!”

And into the room trooped the boys and girls, having finished eating the ice cream and cake.

“Oh, look at my Bunny!” cried Madeline.  “Somebody jiggled him over on his side.”

She set him up straight again, near the Sawdust Doll, and then she helped the other children have fun in more games.  After a while Dick and Arnold went off in a corner by themselves, and began playing with Arnold’s Bold Tin Soldier.  While they were doing this a boy named Tom saw them.

“I wonder what they are doing?” thought Tom.  “I wonder what they are looking at?  It’s something Arnold has in his pocket.  I wish I had something in my pocket to play with.  Maybe I can find something!”

I am sorry to say Tom was not always a good boy.  Sometimes he was cross and unpleasant.  He would pull the hair of little girls, though I hardly believe he meant to hurt them.  He only did it to tease them.

Tom saw Madeline’s Candy Rabbit on the table, and, as the other boys and girls were just then in another room, no one saw what Tom did.  Sneaking up to the table, Tom reached over, took the Candy Rabbit, and put him in his pocket.

“Now I have something to play with,” whispered Tom to himself.

Tom had many other things in his pocket.  There was a small rubber ball, some pieces of string, a broken knife, two or three nails, some round, shiny pieces of tin, a whistle that wouldn’t whistle, a red stone, a yellow stone, and many other odds and ends.  Down among these objects the Candy Rabbit was pushed and jammed.