and commenced his story
in a very grand manner and air:--

"As I perceive, my friends, that your curiosity is more directed to our
adventures in the world, than to our origin and construction, and as few
of you have discoursed upon your native places and earliest histories, I
will not trouble you with mine. Sufficient to the purpose is it that I
made my first appearance in the world on a large stall in the Soho
Bazaar, which was then in all its early glory. I was then, I may say,
splendid in appearance, for I was painted in many brilliant hues, and
there was no lack of gilding about me, so that when I was properly spun,
I appeared like a gorgeous flower, all one mass of dazzling hues.
Indeed, when the lady who superintended the stall took me out of the
folds of silver paper in which I was carefully wrapped, she laughed, and
said to her assistant, 'why surely this must be the King of the Humming
Tops!' I was placed in a very prominent position among all the gay toys
which adorned the counter, and I must say they were all exceedingly nice
in their behaviour, and paid a great deal of respect to me. Many
pleasant days I passed there with my companions, for I was of a rather
high price, and those were dear times for articles of luxury and
pleasure. We had no cheap twopenny and penny toys then, for it was long
before Christmas trees became generally known in England. I have always
regretted the inroads of those new comers, because they have introduced
so many cheap toys--penny toys, indeed; fancy a whole stall devoted to
penny toys!"

"I must beg entirely to disagree with you," interrupted the Ball; "I for
one most distinctly say, that I don't see why all these simple pleasures
should be kept for rich children only. I am sure our friend, the Teapot,
in the course of her story, gave us a very truthful description of the
value of toys to the poor children."

"If I may be allowed to speak again," said the Teapot, eagerly, "I would
say with all my strength that I am glad of the cheapness of common toys.
I am sure the Humming Top has never seen what I have; how should he,
mixing up, as he has done, with only the better class of playthings? But
if I were asked," continued the little motherly Teapot, getting quite
warm on the subject--"if I were asked 'What was the good of toys?' I
should reply, 'To please poor children.'"

"I quite agree with you," remarked the Toy Kitchen; "and though, as I
said before, I am not very clever at