"I will show you how to do it in style."
""May we go, too?" urged all the little mice in chorus.
"Grandpapa consented: so the small servant went to show them the way; and they soon reached the pond, which was in reality a frozen puddle, about twelve inches square, and very smooth, on the edge of a wood.
"All the country mice put on their skates, made of beech-nuts, with crooked pins for runners, and began to caper about in a great way. The vain young city mouse then fastened on his, which were tiny apple-seeds beautifully polished, and strapped with gray horse-hairs.
""See," said he, "my skates are rockers;" and sure enough they were, for he soon toppled over backwards, while all the others laughed to behold his fall. If a cat had happened to spy them, what a dainty Christmas dinner she might have had! But no cat did; so they had a splendid time, and went home as hungry as mice can be.
"As for the ladies, they had enjoyed the quiet in-doors very much indeed. You must not suppose that all the children were able to scamper out. There were ever so many babies, that looked just like little bits of pink pigs. Those from the city had nurses, but those from the country had not.
""It is time for my baby"s morning nap," said the city mouse, looking at her watch. "Dear me! is there no cradle?"
"Then Grandmamma sent to the lumber room, and had one her children once used brought out. It was half of a peach-pit, which, when lined with soft paper, made an excellent bed for the fretful baby mouse.
"So the day wore on, and at last they began to get sniffs of nice things cooking. Grandmamma bustled about with her cap-strings flying, and grew very red in the face from scolding the little servant, who was all the while going the wrong way, because she could do nothing but stare at the finery of the nursery maids.
"At last dinner was quite ready; so Grandpapa took his place at the head of the table, and Grandmamma hers at the foot: yet they could see nothing but the tips of each other"s noses, the pile of good things was so high. Before the old gentleman was placed a dish of toasted cheese, that made every mouse present smack his lips with delight; while before his wife was a fine large egg; and the rest of the table held bits of meat, cracker, and blades of wheat. The children had a smaller table to themselves, with just as much to eat as their parents. They behaved pretty well at first, until one roguish little mouse thrust his nose into the cheese, and the next one gave him a push that sent him sprawling across the table. This made all the others frolic, too, so that the city mouse had to come and box their ears all around.
"While she was doing this, the little servant happened to come along, carrying a nut-sh.e.l.l of honey; and what did she do but catch her foot in the beautiful long tail of the city mouse, and spill the honey all down her back. There was a regular uproar at this: the city mouse was so angry, it seemed as though she never would take any more dinner.
"Grandpapa had been very still all this time: he was eating as if he never expected to have the gout again. If his doctor had only seen him, I am sure I do not know what in the world he would have said.
"When they had finished the meal, they made a circle around the fire; and, the ladies not objecting, the gentlemen lit their cigars, which were in reality straw tubes.
""I wish somebody would tell a story," said a little lame mouse, who had been obliged to stay in the house all day, because it could not run and jump like the others, but had to hobble along on a crutch made of a lucifer match.
""Yes, yes, Grandpapa, tell us a story," cried all the other young mice in a breath.
""I don"t know any stories," said Grandpapa, puffing away at his straw cigar. "Ask your uncle."
"So they began to clamor at the bachelor uncle, and he finally consented to amuse them. Now, of all the family, he was the most doleful mouse imaginable; and before he began his story Grandmamma whispered to one of her daughters-in-law, that he had been disappointed in love, which accounted for his melancholy. Whether this was true or not, I do not know; but he also suffered from dyspepsia, and that is apt to make one sad, it is said: so perhaps it was his liver, and not his heart, that was affected. He now drew his seat closer to the fire, and began:--
""I fear I shall not be able to tell you any thing very wonderful: still I can give you some description of my own life since I left home; and, when I have finished, I hope some of my brothers and sisters will also tell us what they have been about. When I was a young mouse, my health was very delicate: the doctor feared a throat affection, so I decided to go farther south for change of air. There was no need for me to settle anywhere: I was not a marrying mouse." [Here Grandmamma nodded and winked, as much as to say, "I told you so."]
""Ordinary society did not suit me at all: to hear a mouse talk of nothing but his dinner, seemed very tame. That reminds me it is time to take my medicine two hours after eating. Dear, dear, I nearly forgot!"
"The bachelor unfastened a bit of goose quill, corked at both ends, that was hung about his neck with a string, and took a pill from it. He then resumed his story:--
""I journeyed on in frequent danger, until I reached the handsome town where I now live. I had to cross a broad beach, and saw the ocean rolling in great waves of foam, before I came to the houses. It was night, and the stars shone brightly overhead; but I was so tired with my day"s tramp, that I crawled into a stone wall, to rest. I was soon disturbed by a squirrel"s scrambling in after me.
"""Good evening, sir," I said; for my mother had always taught me to be especially polite to strangers. "Will you tell me where I can find a night"s lodging?"
"""Do you like gay company?" replied the squirrel, peering at me with his bright eyes.
"""I like grave people better."
"""Why, then, I know the very place," cried he. "Go to the town library, where you can find a set of students."
""I thanked him, and went on until I arrived at the library, where I was received most courteously by the society of literary mice, to which I now belong. Perhaps you may have noticed the leather medal I wear upon my left shoulder. Never shall I forget their kindness that night. They first inquired if I was married, because they did not admit such parties; and when I satisfied them I was not, they at once gave me the hole recently occupied by a brother, who had died of brain fever, brought on by overwork.
""What a delightful time we have of it there! We spend the day getting in stores of provisions, strolling about out of doors, or taking a nap; then when evening comes, and the old librarian places all the books in order before going home, we begin to scamper about, having the place all to ourselves.
""Our president (he has nibbled more books than any of us, and that is why we elected him) calls us about him after a while, and asks what we have seen that is interesting or new. This is a most agreeable arrangement; since one of us is always appointed to be about the library during the day, to hear what the people may say there. I have been particularly useful in this way, and that is one reason I am so much of a favorite.
""One thing troubles me greatly at present, so that I must make off home again as soon as ever I can: I left the whole of the society in such a state of mind over it, that they were not going to allow themselves any Christmas dinner."
""Pray what is the important question?" inquired Grandpapa.
""Why, about a month ago," replied the bachelor, warming one foot at the blaze, "it was my turn to visit the reading-room. I had crept around very quietly for some time, hearing old gentlemen talk over their newspapers, or watching ladies rustle in and out, when a young man and a little girl came in. With them was a tan terrier, which began to trot around, snuffing such mischief as he might, when he suddenly spied me seated at my ease upon a large book, and leaped up at me, barking furiously. If the young man had not seized him by the collar, I do not know what would have become of me. As it was, there he sat under his master"s chair, winking, and ready to eat me alive any minute.
""The little girl kept asking her brother strange questions about different things, until he said,--
"""Did you know, Mimi, that the moon is made of green cheese?"
""She said, "No."
"""It is," he continued. "The wise men that study the stars have just found it out."
""I p.r.i.c.ked up my ears at this, and as I had a chance soon after to make my escape, I did so."
""What!" exclaimed the whole mouse family. "Is the moon nothing but a big slice of cheese, then?"
""Do you believe it, my son?" inquired Grandpapa, rubbing his nose with a puzzled air.
""Dear me, dear me!" sighed Grandmamma, wiping her spectacles, "what next?"
""I don"t know what to believe," continued the bachelor. "I told the others of it that night, and I do not believe the president has slept a wink since. We have searched everywhere to learn if it is really true; we have set an extra watch of four to listen in the library; and if they have not found out something when I go back, I, for one, shall start direct for Harvard University, to settle the matter.
""Now, you see, if the moon is really made of green cheese," he added, shaking his head wisely, "I should suppose it would have been eaten up long ago."
"Here he stopped suddenly. Every one of his nephews and nieces had fallen asleep, some in their mothers" laps, and others huddled together in little b.a.l.l.s upon the floor. A great deal they cared about the moon!
"The lame mouse, however, had listened to every word with bright eyes, and this pleased the bachelor so much, that he patted her upon the head, saying,--
""You are a good child, my dear; I shall leave you something in my will."
"The others were then roused up, and trundled off to bed; but they were so sleepy they did not once think to ask their uncle"s pardon.
""I"ve been thinking," said Grandpapa, "of the time when my gray cousin and I made a trip together. We were both very gay, and one hot summer morning he said to me,--
"""Every one is bound to the mountains: let us go, too."
"""But," said I, "you know my father is away on business, and I am the eldest son, left in charge of the family."
"""Never mind," rejoined he, "we can have such splendid fun!"
""Well, we ran away from home (my cousin lived with us, as he had been left an orphan at a tender age). We travelled along bravely for a time, although the sun was dreadfully hot upon our backs."