and most skilful
of them popped down through the skylight and showed him the way up: for
which, by the way, he might have thanked them, but I dare say he did not
think of it. After stumbling over a trunk, and a chair, and nearly
breaking his nose against the edge of a door, poor Uncle Jack finally
reached the large room which he had chosen to be the nursery. Puff and
Fluff, who had tumbled up behind him, looked eagerly to see if Downy's
bed was there. Yes, there it stood, drawing its white curtains primly
round it, and looking very amiable. Fluff gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh," she said, "I was _so_ afraid it had heard what Downy said."

"I think, perhaps, it is a little deaf," said Puff. "It never seems to
mind, and yet he calls it all sorts of names sometimes."

"Can a thing be deaf in its legs, Uncle Jack?" asked Fluff.

But Uncle Jack began to laugh, and that hurt Fluff's feelings, so she
said nothing more. And now Mrs. Posset came, and the three dear little
mice were soon snugly tucked up in bed; the twins together, with their
arms round each other's necks, and little Downy curled up alone in his
pretty white nest, the sweetest mouse that ever was seen.

[Illustration: DOWNY ASLEEP IN HIS BED.]

Ah! now it was my turn. As soon as Mrs. Posset had left the room, down I
came post-haste, on Flash, my swiftest beam. I sat down on Fluff's
pillow, and soon introduced myself to the little mice. They were fast
asleep, of course, but that is the best time to take children. In
fact, I never can get on with them when they are awake, their heads are
full of so many things. "Yes," I said, "I really am the Man in the Moon.
I live in a silver palace----" [Illustration]

"_Really_ silver?" asked Puff.

"Yes, really silver, from top to bottom, from roof to cellar, walls and
floors, tables and chairs, dishes and spoons are all silver, as bright
as Flash, who is dancing about the room here."

"I should think a silver bed would be rather hard," said Fluff.

"Not when it has a cloud mattress and pillow," I replied. "That makes it
soft enough, I can tell you."

Then I told them how the clouds were divided into three classes, and how
one kind was good to sleep on, and another good to ride on, and the
third good (_very_ good, too,) to eat.

"Does it taste like the white part in floating island?" asked Fluff.

"Rather like it, but a great, great deal nicer, more like whipped
cream."

"And is that all you have to eat?"

"O