ou hurry and make them," said
the cat, who was vexed at having failed.

[Illustration]

So the parrot set to, and tried to spread the clothes on the bed with
her beak; but as fast as she pulled them up one side, they slipped off
the other, and at last she gave up in despair.

"Oh dear, we shall have to sleep on the floor," cried the other two.

"Then you had better sweep it first," retorted the parrot.

[Illustration]

So the monkey took the broom and began to sweep, but only succeeded in
raising such a dust that they were nearly blinded, and had to run out of
the house and sit on the door-step until it settled.

[Illustration]

And they were so discouraged that they cried, and cried, until their
tiny handkerchiefs were wet through, and the tears ran down and formed
quite a pool in front of the door.

"It's of no use to try and keep house by ourselves," said the monkey;
"we shall have to go to some museum and board."

"What! leave our own pretty little house, where we have lived so long,"
said the cat.

"I'll stay here and starve before I'll go to the old museum," said the
parrot. And overcome with grief at the idea of breaking up their happy
home they embraced, and sobbed aloud on each other's necks.

Now Filbert had watched all that was going on, and felt very sorry for
the little creatures; so as soon as they left the room she slipped out
from behind the curtain, and in a few minutes did all they had tried so
hard to accomplish, and returned to her hiding-place just as the three
came in, saying sadly to one another, "The dust must have settled, so we
will try and sleep on the floor and forget how hungry we are; and
to-morrow we will go to town again, and try very much harder than we did
to-day to learn how to keep house."

But here they stopped short and stared in surprise, for the floor was as
clean and bright as a new penny; the little white beds were tucked
smoothly up, and on the table smoked three bowls of nice hot porridge.

"What good fairy has been here!" they all exclaimed.

"A nut-brown maiden, nut-brown maiden," chirped a cricket on the hearth.

"And where has she gone?" they asked.

"Behind the curtain, behind the curtain," sang the cricket.

And in a twinkling Filbert was dragged, blushing and trembling, from her
hiding-place.

"Who are you, and how came you here?" asked the cat.

"My name is Filbert, and I came in to rest," said the girl, "for I have
no friends and no home."