instant.

"Oh, Mamma! it was such a pretty dream," cried Teddy.

"Was it, darling?" said mamma. "Try to go to sleep again, dear, for it
is very late, and you can tell me all about it to-morrow. Good-night, my
little boy."

CHAPTER NINTH. DOWN THE RAT-HOLE.

THE next day Teddy was allowed to go about and follow mamma into the
sewing-room, where he had the little cutting-table drawn out and his
toys put on it, and played for a long time.

In the afternoon Harriett stopped for a little while, and as soon as
Teddy saw her his thoughts went back to the Counterpane Fairy and the
story, and he cried out: "Oh, Harriett! I know what you dreamed last
night."

"What did I dream?" asked Harriett.

"Why, you dreamed about the soap-bubbles and me; didn't you?"

"How did you know I dreamed that?" asked Harriett.

Then Teddy told her all about standing by the lake and seeing the dreams
go past, and how he had shut the ugly one up in the toy-closet.

Harriett listened with great interest. "Wasn't that a funny dream?" she
cried when he had ended.

"A dream!" said Teddy. "Why, that wasn't a dream, Harriett. That's the
story the Counterpane Fairy showed me. And don't you know you did dream
about the bubbles?"

Harriet was silent awhile as if pondering it, and then she said, "My
canary-bird flew away this morning."

"Who let it out?" asked Teddy, with interest. "Did you?"

Harriett hesitated. "Well, I didn't exactly let it out," she said. "I
guess I forgot to close the door after I cleaned its cage." Then she
added hastily: "But mamma hung the cage outside the window, and she says
she thinks maybe it'll come back unless someone has caught it."

Teddy wanted to hear a great deal more about the canary, but Harriett
said she must go now, so he was left alone again to play with his toys.

After dinner his mother went down-town to buy a present for Harriett,
for the next day was to be the little girl's birthday. Teddy wanted to
get her a bag of marbles, but she thought perhaps she would be able
to find something Harriett would like better than that. She would look
about and see.

Before she went she made Teddy lie down on the bed, and covered him over
with the silk quilt, so that he might rest for a while. Then she kissed
him and told him to try to take a nap, and promised to be back soon.

After she had gone Teddy dozed comfortably for a while. Then he grew
wide awake again, and turning over on his back he raised his