re was very little water in the kettle, but,
though Ted did not think about that, it was all the less trying for his
patience. And I hardly think either, that the water could have been
quite cold in the first place, or else the fairies came down the chimney
and blew up the fire with their invisible bellows to help little Ted,
for certainly the kettle began to boil amazingly soon--first it simmered
gently and then it began to sing more loudly, and at last what Ted
called "moke" began to come out of the spout, and he knew that the
kettle was boiling.

Ted was so used to hear nurse talking about the kettle "boiling" for
tea, that it never came into his head that it was not necessary to have
"boiling" water to wash his poor little hands. I don't indeed know what
might not have happened to the whole of his poor little body had not
his mother at that moment come into the room. A queer sight met her
eyes--there was Ted, more than half undressed, barefooted and red-faced,
in the act of lifting off the steaming kettle, round the handle of
which, with wonderful precaution, he had wrapped his pocket-handkerchief.

Ted's mother kept her presence of mind. She did not speak till the
kettle was safely landed on the floor, and Ted, with a sigh of relief,
looked up and saw her at the door.

"I is decking myself, muzzer," he said with a pleased smile, and a
charming air of importance, "Poor baby cried, so I told nurse I would
deck myself, and nurse didn't mind."

"_Didn't_ she?" said his mother, rather surprised.

"Oh, she thoughtened p'raps I'd find thoo, I amember," Ted continued,
correcting himself.

"But did nurse know you were going to boil water?" said his mother.

"Oh no," said Ted, "it were only that my hands is _so_ dirty. Zem needs
hot water to make zem clean."

"Hot water, but not _boiling_," said his mother; "my dear little boy, do
you know you might have scalded yourself dreadfully?"

"I put my hankerwick not to burn my hands," said Ted, rather
disconsolately.

"Yes, dear. I know you meant it for the best, but just think if you had
dropped the kettle and burnt yourself. And nurse has always told you not
to play with fire or hot water."

"Ses," said Ted, "but I weren't _playing_. I were going to wash my hands
to be nice to go out wif thoo," and his blue eyes filled with tears. But
they were soon wiped away, and when his mother had with the help of
_some_ of the hot water made face and hands as clean as could be,