ince there were no real persons up in the attic--no boys or girls or
grown folks--to spy around, the toys and other things in the dusty top
of the house could do as they pleased. The toys could pretend to come to
life, and even such a thing as a Spinning Wheel could whirl about and
speak.

Thus when the Spinning Wheel had invited whoever wished to get on and
have a Merry-Go-Round ride, and the harsh voice had called: "Make way!
Here I come!" the Stuffed Elephant hardly knew what was going to happen.

Then, all at once, a big brown Rat--a real, live rat and not a toy--ran
from a hole in the corner, and, with a squeal of delight, jumped up on
the twirling Spinning Wheel.

"Here I go on the Merry-Go-Round! I ride this way every night!" squeaked
the Rat to the Elephant and the other Christmas toys which Mr. Dunn had
hidden in the attic until it was time for Santa Claus to come around.

"Do you, indeed?" asked the Elephant. "You must have lots of fun."

"I do," answered the Brown Rat. "But who are you?" and he stood up among
the spokes of the Spinning Wheel and looked over toward the moonlight
patch on the floor where stood the new toy.

"I am a Stuffed Elephant," was the answer. "And I have just had the most
dreadful adventure! I was pitched out of the auto into a snow bank."

"I don't like snow!" squeaked the Rat. "It's too cold. But I am glad to
see you, Mr. Elephant. Don't you want a ride on this Merry-Go-Round?"

"Thank you, I'm afraid I'm too big," answered the Elephant. "And I never
before saw a Merry-Go-Round that spun this way, like a wheel. In Mr.
Mugg's store, where I came from, there was a toy Merry-Go-Round, but it
spun like a top."

"I'm not a regular Merry-Go-Round," said the Spinning Wheel. "I just
make believe I'm one up here in the attic. Time was when I used to spin
yarn for the grandmother of Mr. Dunn. But now all yarn is spun in
factories by machinery, and spinning wheels are out of fashion. So I am
up here in the dust, and it makes the time pass more quickly to pretend
I am a Merry-Go-Round."

"Yes, and we Rats and Mice have good times!" cried the brown chap, as he
wound his tail among the spokes of the wheel, to hold on tightly as he
spun around and around.

"I believe I'd like a ride, too," said a Tin Soldier, which was another
toy Mr. Dunn had brought home.

"All right! Climb up!" called out the Rat.

So the Tin Soldier, being able to pretend to come to life since no
prying eyes saw hi