peaceful and happy. Yes, indeed, I flatter myself I had a great deal to
do with that. Every night I sat by my little mouse's pillow, and told
stories and sang songs, till my brother Sun came and winked at me
through the window, and told me it was not night at all, and I must take
myself off and leave the field to him. Stories? dear me, there was no
end to them; and you shall have some of them, if you will. Here is one,
for example, of which Puff was extremely fond. It was called

THE FLEA.

Once upon a time there was a flea.
Wee wee.
And he hopped,
And he hopped,
And he hopped.

And as the flea was hopping one day,

He met a mouse,
Round the house,
And he squeaked,
And he squeaked,
And he squeaked.

And when the mouse saw the flea, he said to him, "what do you do for a
living?" and the flea said "I bite people." Then the mouse said, "as you
have lived upon others, others shall live upon you!" So he caught up the
flea, and he ate him up. And there was an end of the flea.

But as the mouse was squeaking one day,

He met a cat,
Very fat,
And she mewed,
And she mewed,
And she mewed.

And when the cat saw the mouse, she said to him, "what do you do for a
living?" And the mouse said,

"I nibble cheese,
And eat fleas."

Then the cat said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall live
upon you!" So she caught the mouse, and she ate him up. And there was an
end of the mouse.

[Illustration]

But as the cat was mewing one day,

She met a dog,
Named Gog,
And he barked,
And he barked,
And he barked.

And when the dog saw the cat, he said to her, "what do you do for a
living?" And the cat said,

"I eat mice,
Because they are nice."

Then the dog said, "As you have lived upon others, others shall live
upon you!" So he caught the cat, and he ate her up. And there was an end
of the cat.

But as the dog was barking one day,

He met a Chinaman,
Ting-Pan.
And he talked,
And he talked,
And he talked.

And when the Chinaman saw the dog, he said to hi