The Adventures of Herr Baby

e as silly as

re as joll

*

you tell u

hear a word

e voice, and the three big ones jumped u

in the rocking-chair and lo

'll have a cup of our tea, w

ad and honey,

thing would ever make them believe that when mother came up to the nursery at tea

dainty piece of bread and butter. "We persuaded Lisa to give it us extra, you kno

matter with him?"

mself into. One little leg and a part of his body were stuck fast in the open space between the bars at the back, his head had somehow got under the arm of the chair, and could not be got out again without help. And Baby was far too proud to call out for help as long as there was a chance of his doing without it. But he really wa

ing too small. Him h

and she didn't want them to do so, for Baby had really been very brave, and now when he was trying hard not to cry it would ha

shake, as if to make sure that his head, and his legs, and all the rest of him, were in

s going to tell you, mother. He stopped in the middle of his tea to

d the horses, and the fireplaces, and the tables, and the cups, and the saucers," his eyes wand

lway trains all to ou

if mother was in fun or earnest. His little puzzled

ave had lots of packings to do in our lives? Why, we had to pack up two houses when we came away from India, and that was much much farther away than where we're going now!

n thoughtless Denny, b

py to talk about that time," he

dears, happy and good, that my sorrow is not so bad as it was. And I am so glad you and Celia c

und mother's neck. "Him and Fritz will soon grow big, and be werry good to mother,"

o all of you too. What would we d

hers and ganfathers, and no stockings and s

mind not having," said Fritz; "I

s sisters; "what a

a hard thing, so long as it isn't anything in books," said Fritz, sturdily. "Some peo

will say to books,"

," said Baby. "Him wa

m sure you won't like it once you begin. Did y

le, it's always about how good they were. And they say always, 'Dear me, how happy children should be nowadays; we were never allowed to do so and so when we were little.' That's the way old

ce. "Just look how Baby's clambering all over mother! O Baby, you nearly knocked

mother-but Denny had the good qual

and honey?" she said eagerly, as mother ro

must go, dears. I have a good many things

g?" sai

!" said Denny. "Of course mothe

s fac

e said dolefully. "'Appose we forgotte

write down all we have to take," said

d, mother," said Celia, "you've not answered my question. Is it true th

" said moth

ry about something naughty you did when you were little. You know it would be a good lesson for u

you are," said

her knee where he had again perched himself, to kiss her. "

minute rather puzzled. Th

a very little story, but it is as long as I have time for jus

ere a little girl, moth

was a little girl

r heads. But Baby, to whom it

ther to have no mother. Had you no shoes

an Denny, but mo

ere our brothers, for we had several, and though they were generally away at school there seemed always something to do for them-letters to write to them, if there was nothing else-and then, in the holidays, there were all their new shirts, and stockings, and things to get to take back to school. Helen seemed always b

ing Fritz. "It's beginning-it always do

ns out of books. She had to learn to be very active, and very thoughtful, and, above all, very patient. For the little sister she had to take care of was, I am afraid, a very spoilt little girl when she first

himself "i

s a story about mother when her was a little girl;" and the corners of

h took my fancy more tha

to E

Helen because she would not begin to pack up at once. I was always teasing her to know what trunks we should take, and if all my dolls might go, and I am sure poor Helen often wished she had not told me anything about it till the very day before. I got in the way of going up to the big attic where the trunks were kept, and of looking at them and wondering which would go, and wishing Helen would let me have one all for myself and my dolls and their things. There was one trunk which took my fancy more than all the others. It was an old-fashioned trunk, but it must have been a very good one, for it shut with a sort of spring, and inside it had several divisions, some with little lids of their own, and I used to think how nice it would be for me, I could put all my dolls in so beautifully, an

g trunk with the little cu

d exactly what I said. She answered me hurriedly that s

a and Lady Regina into the li

fterwards that when I spoke of cupboards she never thought I meant

urse than the inside divisions, for the trays I had taken out, which lay on the top of the lower spaces, were a good depth, and there had been no division between them. It came into my head that it would be much easier if I were to get into the box myself-I could stand in the big hole, as I called it, and reach over to the little divisions where I wanted to put the dolls, and it would be far less tiring than trying to reach over from the outside. So I clambered in-it was not very difficult-and when I found myself really inside the trunk I was so pleased that I sat down cross-legged, like a little Turk, to take a rest before going on with what I called my packing. But sitting still for long was not in my way-I soon jumped up again, meaning to reach over for Lady Regina, who was lying on the floor beside the trunk, but, how it happened I cannot tell, I suppose I somehow caught the tapes which fastened the lid; any way down it came! It did not hurt me much, for I had not had time to stretch out my head, and the weight fell mostly on my shoulders, sideways as it were, and before I knew what had happened I found myself doubled up somehow in my hole, with the heavy lid on the top of me, all in the dark, except a little line of light round the edge, for the lid had not shut quite down; the hasp of the lock-as the little sticking-out piece is called-had caught in the fall, and was wedged into a wrong place. So, luckily for me, there was still a space for some air to come in, and a little light, though very little. I was dreadfully frightened at first; then I began to get over my fright a little,

in a box like that, besides, they would be sure to stop my ever coming up to the attic again. So it was not till I had tired myself out with trying to push up the lid that I set to work to screaming, and that made it all the more provoking that my calls brought no one. At last I got so

ing the matter, and it was all for you I came up here. I hate dolls-they never do nothing

rwards I found, from what they told me, that I must have slept quite two hours. When I woke up I could not think where I was. I felt so stiff and sore, and when I tried to stretch myself out I could not, and then I remembered where I was! It seemed quite

said. 'Oh no, nurse, she couldn

the window all the same, for I heard them open

re; I'se shut up in the bi

ded very faint and squeaky from out of the trunk, besides the

y! I'se up here.

n, children, in all my life. And in half a minute she had dashed up th

and the servants who were with her had got the lid unhooked and raised, and had lifted me out-I was in floods of tears. I clun

e that,' and when I told her that I had asked her and she had given me leave, she said she had not at all known what I meant, and that I must try to remember not to tease about things once

r sto

listening with sole

It would be so dedful sad if him was to get shuttened up like poor little

looked as if they were beginning to think about crying. But mother and Ce

go across the sea wit

w how to do anything with

tickets, and counting the luggage, and all that-they're such big men

ly. "You'll make him cry just when mother's been comforting

air. "Auntie will not know what has become of me. I have be

," said Denny, whose tongue never could be still for lon

ng matter. Mother's story had sunk deep into his mind. Tr