e. "But I do wish you'd
put me down, Mr. Elephant. I am nervous up on your back, broad and big
as it is."

"All right, Miss Rolling Mouse, I'll lift you down," trumpeted the
Elephant. "And here you are at your own place on the shelf."

The big toy, stuffed as he was with cotton, reached back with his trunk,
gently picked up the mouse in it, and set her down where she had started
to roll from. As she had said, the wheels no longer whizzed around, as
the spring which made them move had all uncoiled. It had "run down," as
it is called.

"There you are!" went on the Elephant, after he had gently put down the
Mouse toy. "Any time you are afraid of falling off the shelf, just call
for me and I'll save you with my trunk."

"You are very kind," said the Mouse. "And so big and strong!"

"Isn't he big, though!" giggled the Sawdust Doll. "I wonder if he is
strong enough to give me a ride on his back?"

"Of course he is!" brayed the Nodding Donkey.

"Do you want a ride on my back, Miss Sawdust Doll?" asked the
good-natured Elephant. "All right! Up you go!"

With a swing of his trunk he set the Doll on his back as he had done
with the Mouse. Then the Stuffed Elephant carefully walked around among
the other toys, taking care not to step on any of them.

"I'm glad the Elephant has come to stay with us," whispered a little
Celluloid Doll. "I'd love to ride on his back, but I don't like to ask
him."

"I'll ask for you if you're too bashful to do it," said the Calico
Clown, and he did.

"Why, of course I'll ride you, too, Miss Celluloid Doll," chuckled the
Elephant. "I'll ride all of you in turn--that is all but the very
largest toys. They might make my seams come open and the cotton stuffing
puff out."

For the Elephant was made of gray cloth, you know, and he was sewed
together, his tusks of wood being stuck in on either side of his trunk.

"I thought Elephants were always afraid of mice," said the Celluloid
Doll, when she was having her ride.

"Pooh! Me afraid of a little mouse!" laughed the big Elephant. "I guess
not! What made you think that?"

"It's in some of the story books," went on the tiny Celluloid Doll. "The
story says real, live elephants are afraid of mice because they fear the
tiny creatures will crawl up the nose holes in their trunks."

"That may be all right for real, live elephants," laughed the big,
stuffed toy. "But I am only make-believe, you know, like the rest of
you toys. The Rolling Mouse c