d I!" joyfully exclaimed the Elephant.

"I don't remember seeing you there," the Nodding Donkey said, swaying
his head up and down.

"I was one of the very newest toys," went on the Elephant. "I suppose
you were there last year, or the one before."

"Yes," said the Donkey, "it was some time ago, and I have had many
adventures. Tell me, did you ever have a broken leg?"

"Mercy, no!" exclaimed the Elephant.

"Well, I did. And Mr. Mugg mended it for me," went on the Donkey,
proudly. "This Sawdust Doll here," he went on, "has also had many
adventures. Tell him about them, Sawdust Doll."

"Oh, it would take too long," replied Dorothy's plaything. "But they are
all in a book. And Dorothy's brother Dick has a White Rocking Horse, and
his adventures are in a book, too."

"For that matter I have had a book written about me," said the Donkey.

"So have I!" declared the Calico Clown, jumping up and down. "It tells
about my trousers catching fire."

"I wonder if I'll ever have a book written about me," sighed the
Elephant.

"Perhaps," answered the Lamb on Wheels. "You are much larger than I, and
there is a book about me. But let's have some fun, now that the children
are out of the room."

"All right," agreed the Elephant. "This is like it used to be in Mr.
Mugg's store after closing time. What shall we do?"

"I know what I should like to do," said the Calico Clown, as he looked
at the big stuffed toy.

"What?" asked the Nodding Donkey.

"I should like to ride on the Elephant's back," went on the Clown. "All
my life I have wanted a ride on an elephant's back, and I never yet had
the chance."

"You shall have it now," replied the kind Elephant. "I'll come over and
get you. Can you climb up? I'm pretty tall, you see."

"I'll stand on top of this toy trolley car," said the Clown.

One of Archie's presents was a toy trolley car, and by jumping up on
this the Clown managed to reach the Elephant's back.

"Now hold on tightly, and you won't fall," said the Elephant. "If I had
thought, I could have lifted you up in my trunk, as I did the Rolling
Mouse. But I'll lift you down again. Sit tight now."

So the Clown sat tight, and the Elephant walked around the room with
him, giving the gay fellow a fine ride. The Sawdust Doll was just making
up her mind that she would be brave enough to get on the Elephant's
back, when, all at once, the Nodding Donkey cried:

"Quick! Quiet every one! The children are coming back!"

"