al pond, so he dug a big hole
and planted ferns round it, and then he got a big bath and put it in the
hole he had dug, and filled it with water; and it looked grand, and
Dumpty thought some rocks in the middle of the pond would look grander
still, so he got some clinkers and with great trouble managed to push
them right out to the middle, he was just putting in the last one when
he toppled and fell splash-bash right into the water. He was in an awful
mess when he got out! And his Mother, who came home just at that minute,
was very angry with him. Poor Little Dumpty was very sad and ashamed of
himself.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The CIRCUS always came to Eggy in the autumn, and as Little Dumpty's
birthday was on October 31st his Mother always let him go to it for a
birthday treat. He and Binkie used to go together. It was lovely fun
first of all to go round by the tents and see the men getting ready for
the Show. Little Dumpty felt that he knew quite a lot of what went on
behind the scenes, for one day a man who was putting up the tents let
him hold his hammer for him. Dumpty saw him afterwards playing in the
band and gave him a little nod, but the man was too busy to see him. It
disappointed Dumpty rather. The Circus was always a treat, but the
best part was when the clown with the performing pony said, "Now
Topsy"--that was the pony's name--"you just show me who you think would
make the finest soldier in all this audience," and the pony ran straight
across the ring and nodded its head at Dumpty! It pleased him, because
Dumpty always said he was going to be a soldier when he grew up, and he
often played at being one. That pony knew lots of things, it could say
what the time was, and could tell how many of the Kings of England had
been named Edward, but when the clown asked the pony "who was the
butcher's sweetheart?" Topsy made a great mistake and all the people
laughed, for he went and nodded at Binkie's grown-up sister, and she had
_always_ promised to marry Dumpty when he was big enough.

But I think Little Dumpty liked the winter evenings best of all, when he
and his Mother were so cosy in the little kitchen at the back of the
shop. They used to have great games together. Dumpty had his own
circus, and gave grand performances to his Mother. She used to sit in
the "Royal Box" (which was the corner with a shawl round it, and a
cushion for her feet). She dressed him a little doll, who was master of
th