Daddy told Mirabell and Arnold their usual good-night story.  Then the children went to bed and Mother put the Calico Clown on the mantelpiece where he would be safe for the night.

“Whoever sees Sidney first in the morning,” said Mother, as she, too, got ready to go to bed, “may be the one to give him his toy.”

Then the lights were put out and the house was still and quiet.  Ordinarily, when this time came, the Calico Clown, like the other toys, would have been at his liveliest.  But now he was so tired, with all his adventures of the day, that he just gave a long sigh and said: 

“I am not going to stir!  I am just going to lie down here and sleep until morning!  Enough has happened for one day.”

So he stretched out, with a pen wiper for a cushion, and went to sleep.

Bright and early the next morning Sidney ran over to the house of his cousins.

“Is my Calico Clown here?” he cried.

“Yes,” answered Arnold, who was also up.  “I’ll get him for you.”

“Oh, thank you!” said Sidney, when he had his toy once more.  And a little later the Calico Clown was back home.  But his adventures were not over.

CHAPTER X

THE TOY PARTY

“Oh, Sidney! aren’t you glad you have your Calico Clown back?” cried his sister Madeline when she saw her brother coming toward the house with his toy which he had got at Arnold’s home.  “I just guess I am!” said the little boy.  “I thought I’d never see him again.”

“And I’m glad, too,” cried Herbert, as he made his Monkey go up and down the Stick.  “Now we can get ready for our circus.”

“Are you going to have a show?” asked Madeline.

“Yes,” answered Sidney.  “We have a Clown and a Monkey, and they’re always the funniest things in a circus.  Don’t you remember when we had the show with my Monkey in it?”

“Yes.  And that was lots of fun,” said Madeline.  “But I know something better than a show.”

“What?” Sidney asked.

“A party,” went on Madeline.  “Let’s have a Toy Party.  That will be better than a show, even a circus show.”

Sidney wanted to know how it would be better, and Madeline said: 

“’Cause you can have things to eat at a Toy Party, and you can’t always have things at a circus, lessen you buy ’em; and maybe not then, ’cepting peanuts and lemonade.  Let’s have a Toy Party and we can get mother to give us real things to eat.”

“Oh, that will be fun!” cried Sidney.  “I should say so!” agreed Herbert.

“And we’ll ask Dorothy to bring her Sawdust Doll,” said Madeline, “Arnold can bring his Bold Tin Soldier, and Mirabell her Lamb on Wheels.  And I’ll bring my Candy Rabbit.”

“You did have a party for him,” said Herbert.

“Well, this one can be for Sid’s Calico Clown,” explained Madeline.  “And you can bring your Monkey on a Stick, Herb.”