With Tom Thumbs’s assistance she carried the bolster downstairs, and across the hearth-rug.  It was difficult to squeeze the bolster into the mouse-hole; but they managed it somehow.

Then Hunca Munca went back and fetched a chair, a book-case, a bird-cage, and several small odds and ends.  The book-case and the bird-cage refused to go into the mousehole.

Hunca Munca left them behind the coal-box, and went to fetch a cradle.

Hunca Munca was just returning with another chair, when suddenly there was a noise of talking outside upon the landing.  The mice rushed back to their hole, and the dolls came into the nursery.

What a sight met the eyes of Jane and Lucinda!  Lucinda sat upon the upset kitchen stove and stared; and Jane leant against the kitchen dresser and smiled—­but neither of them made any remark.

The book-case and the bird-cage were rescued from under the coal-box—­but Hunca Munca has got the cradle, and some of Lucinda’s clothes.

She also has some useful pots and pans, and several other things.

The little girl that the doll’s-house belonged to, said,—­“I will get a doll dressed like a policeman!”

But the nurse said,—­“I will set a mouse-trap!”

So that is the story of the two Bad Mice,—­but they were not so very very naughty after all, because Tom Thumb paid for everything he broke.

He found a crooked sixpence under the hearth-rug; and upon Christmas Eve, he and Hunca Munca stuffed it into one of the stockings of Lucinda and Jane.

And very early every morning—­ before anybody is awake—­Hunca Munca comes with her dust-pan and her broom to sweep the Dollies’ house!

THE TALE OF MRS. TIGGY-WINKLE

[For the Real Little Lucie of Newlands]

Once upon a time there was a little girl called Lucie, who lived at a farm called Little-town.  She was a good little girl—­only she was always losing her pocket-handkerchiefs!

One day little Lucie came into the farm-yard crying—­oh, she did cry so!  “I’ve lost my pocket-handkin!  Three handkins and a pinny!  Have you seen them, Tabby Kitten?”

The Kitten went on washing her white paws; so Lucie asked a speckled hen—­

“Sally Henny-penny, have you found three pocket-handkins?”

But the speckled hen ran into a barn, clucking—­

“I go barefoot, barefoot, barefoot!”

And then Lucie asked Cock Robin sitting on a twig.  Cock Robin looked sideways at Lucie with his bright black eye, and he flew over a stile and away.

Lucie climbed upon the stile and looked up at the hill behind Little-town—­a hill that goes up—­up—­into the clouds as though it had no top!

And a great way up the hillside she thought she saw some white things spread upon the grass.

Lucie scrambled up the hill as fast as her short legs would carry her; she ran along a steep path-way—­up and up—­until Little-town was right away down below—­she could have dropped a pebble down the chimney!