ook turkey; Willy asked for a drum-stick, and his cousin Mary said he
wanted it to beat the monkey he eat in the morning. Bella chose a
merry-thought; little Sarah liked a hug-me-fast; Carry took a
wishing-bone; Thomas said he would have the other drum-stick to help
beat the monkey, and Fanny thanked her Grandma for a wing, so that she
could fly away when the beating of the monkey took place.

But this was not half the good things, for they afterwards had some
delicious game, such as partridges, and woodcocks, and some fried
oysters. All this pleased the grown people most. The children saved
their appetites for the dessert. Well, after this the cloth was taken
off, and under that was another table-cloth just as white and fine as
the first.

Then came something that was quite astonishing. What do you think it
was? It was a great plum-pudding all on fire! it blazed away terribly,
and Willy thought they had better send for the fire-engines to put it
out; but it was blown out very easily, and the children each had a very
small piece, because it was too rich to eat much of, and their parents
did not wish them to get sick.

After that there came ice-cream, and jellies, and sweetmeats, that were
perfectly delicious; and then the other white cloth was taken off, and
under that was a beautiful red one. Then the servants put on the table
what the children liked best of all, and that was a dish of fine
mottoes, and oranges and grapes and other nice fine fruits.

The children sent the mottoes to each other, and had a great deal of
sport. Some one sent Willy this:

"Oh William, William, 'tis quite plain to see
That all your life, you will a monkey be."

He thought his cousin Mary had sent it, because he saw that she was
trying very hard to look grave--so he sent this to her:

"Dear Mary, you are too severe,
You are too bad, I do declare;
Your motto has upset me quite,
I shan't get over it to-night."

Mary laughed when she read it, and said she had been just as cruel to
Thomas, for she had sent him this--

"The rose is red, the violet blue,
The grass is green and so are you."

They had a good laugh at Thomas, but as he laughed as hard as any one,
it did no harm. Little Sarah had a great many mottoes. Her Mamma read
them to her, and it pleased her very much. She said it was a very nice
play, but she was tired with sitting such a long time at table, so her
Mother let her slip down from her