e mountain.

On they came, growing bigger and bigger--through the sliprails, across
the potato paddock, over the bridge, round by the bracken-patch, past
the black stump, through the gate, and here they were, right at the
front door.

"Oh, I AM glad to be home again," cried Emily Ann. "And do look at the
Little House. He seems to be smiling."

"Of course he is smiling," answered Sym; "but he has a very dirty face."

"The storm did that," said Emily Ann. "Now hurry and get the fire
alight, and I'll put the kettle on." And they went inside laughing
and singing, while the little dog flew round the house, barking for
dear life, and pretending he was very busy seeing everything was
in order.

"Now I suppose you're happy," said the big Blue-gum to the Little
Red House.

"Happy?" cried the Little House. "Of course I am. Why, I'm a home
again!" But suddenly he remembered that his own happiness had made
him forget all about his old friend's troubles; and he tried his best
to look serious, as he said: "But what about YOU? Are the white-ants
still troubling you?"

"Ah!" replied the Blue-gum. "Don't let that worry you. Yesterday I
had a talk with the doctor--Doctor Tree-creeper, you know--a very
clever little bird he is, and he knows all about white-ants. He
examined me thoroughly all over. He says that they have hardly got
under my skin yet, and he will have them all out in a couple of days.
So THAT'S all right."

"Well, I am glad," shouted the Little Red House. "Now we are ALL happy!"

Then Sym got the fire started, and the smoke curled up, and the Little
House had his gay blue feather once again. Sym began to sing his
Tinker's Song louder than ever, and Emily Ann, who was getting the
meal ready, joined in and sang too. Very soon the kettle also began
to sing, and, when the pan heard that HE began to sing. Then Doctor
Tree-creeper arrived to attend to the white-ants, and, as he walked
round the trunk of the big Blue-gum, tapping it just like a doctor,
HE began to sing. And two Kookaburras, who were sitting on the fence,
were so tickled with it all, that they laughed and laughed till they
made everyone else laugh with them.

"This is quite like old times," laughed the big Blue-gum. "Are you
contented now?"

"Am I contented?" cried the Little Red House. "Am I contented? Well,
what would you think?"

And then--well, most ordinary grown-up folk would tell you that just
then Emily Ann drew down one of the front blinds