idn't mean to do that. The ball rolled, and I slipped."

"Well, there is no great harm done, I am glad to say," said the China
Cat, again carefully looking at the tip of her tail. "But if you had
landed a little harder you would have broken it, and then I should be a
damaged toy, and Mr. Mugg would have had to sell me for half price."

"But didn't I do a good jump?" asked the Jack of the Trumpeter.

"One of the finest I ever saw," was the answer. "But suppose we play
something more quiet."

"Let's have a dance!" proposed the Talking Doll. "The Trumpeter can play
for us. I love to dance!"

[Illustration: The Jumping Jack Danced With the China Cat.

_Page 12_]

"So do I," said a Soldier Captain, who was one of a number of wooden
soldiers in a box. "May I have a waltz with you, Miss Doll?"

"Yes," she answered. "Thank you, Captain."

And while the Trumpeter played, the toys danced. The Jumping Jack danced
with the China Cat, but she said his style was jerky. Then Tumbling Tom
danced with the white cat, but Tom kept falling down all the while so
that dance was, really, not a success.

"Let's play tag," said the Talking Doll after a while. "I am sure the
Trumpeter is tired of playing so many tunes for us."

"All right! Tag will be fun!" agreed the China Cat. "I'll be it.
Scatter now, so I shall have to run to tag you."

The toys spread themselves about the shelves of Mr. Mugg's shop, and the
China Cat, whose shiny coat was as white as snow, was just getting ready
to run after the Trumpeter when suddenly the toy pussy gave a loud mew.

"Take her away! Take her away! Don't let her come near me!" cried the
China Cat. "Oh, Captain!" she exclaimed to the wooden soldier, "don't
let her get near me! Take her away!" and the China Cat acted so
strangely that the other toys did not know what to think.

CHAPTER II

A NICE LITTLE GIRL

Everybody had been so happy and jolly in the toy shop, and there was so
much fun going on, that when the China Cat acted so oddly and mewed so
loudly, there was great excitement for a time.

"Don't tell me there is a fire!" cried a little Ballet Dancer, whose
skirts of tissue paper and tulle would be sure to flare up the first
thing in case of a blaze.

"No, there isn't a fire," said a toy Policeman. "If there was I should
turn in an alarm."

"But what is the matter?" asked the Talking Doll. "Did that crazy
Jumping Jack again step on the China Cat's tail?"

"Indeed I did n