t way too," said the ex-Pirate.

"Yes, and I came up first," put in Tommy. "You were last up. Did you
shut the door?"

"I guess I did not," admitted the ex-Pirate. "But it was the Sheep's
fault; he put it out of my mind."

By this time the excitement had abated, and the animals were scattered
in groups again. The Dachshund went waddling about the floor on his
short crooked legs, to the great amusement of the Storks and Cranes, who
still had long straight legs, and Tommy said,

"Well, I never knew before how it happened that those dogs had such
funny legs." But the Gopher said nothing, and still trembled for fear
some one would find out he had come in through the trap.

The wind was blowing fiercely outside, and as it howled around the
corners and under the eaves of the Ark it sounded notes like those of an
AEolian harp.

"Music, isn't it?" remarked Tommy. "It sounds like a fiddle."

The ex-Pirate almost jumped off the rafter.

"Fiddle!" he exclaimed. "Who said fiddle? Is there a fiddle on board? If
there is, I'm going to jump!"

"I did not say there was a fiddle on board," remonstrated Tommy. "I said
it _sounded_ like a fiddle."

"Oh!"

"What are you so afraid of a fiddler for?"

"If I tell you you will easily understand," answered the ex-Pirate, with
a deep sigh.

"Well, tell us. Is it interesting?"

"Yes, and I can give it to you in rhyme. Will you have it in four verses
or in six?"

"I guess four will do," answered the little boy, and he leaned over and
pulled the Gopher up closer. "Come and hear the poetry," he said.

The ex-Pirate turned toward his audience on the rafter, and recited:

"There once was a fiddler whose name was McPhee,
And he fiddled, he fiddled, did he.
He fiddled so loud and he fiddled so long
That the neighbors all thought there must be something wrong
With this fearful old fellow, this fiddler McPhee,
For he fiddled, he fiddled, did he.

"So one day the neighbors all went up to see
What the cause of this unceasing fiddling could be.
They appointed committees to go in and speak
In behalf of them all to this fiddling freak,
Who had fiddled all day and all night for a week;
But their efforts all failed with this frightful McPhee,
Who fiddled for fun, he fiddled, did he.

"The first man to face the fiddler McPhee
Was a fat little fellow, who said, 'Sir,' said he,
'You fiddle all night and you fiddle all day,
You fiddle and fiddle your who