ked. "I am sorry for this, Teddy. If many more things happen
I shall have to get rid of Uncle Toby's pets."

"Oh, don't do that!" begged the little Curlytop boy. "I'll put the rats
and mice back in the cage and I'll fasten the door so they can't get out
again. Don't send Uncle Toby's animals away, Daddy! We want to have a
circus with them!"

"And I'll help pay for the buns the rats ate," added Jimmy. "It was
partly my fault for making Ted forget."

"Oh, no, I can't allow that," said Mr. Martin, "though it is very good
of you to offer, Jimmy. I will pay Mr. Capper for the buns the rats ate,
and after this Teddy must be more careful."

"Can we take away the buns and cookies the mice didn't eat?" asked the
little Curlytop chap, as he and his chum began picking up the pets and
putting them back in the cage. The animals were tame and did not mind
being handled.

"Take away all the buns in the window! They are of no more use to me!"
exclaimed the baker. "But, Mr. Martin, I will not charge you full price
for the things--only what it cost to make them. For, as you say, it was
an advertisement. And I know the boys did not mean it."

"Indeed we didn't!" cried Teddy. "We can take the broken buns and feed
them to Skyrocket and Top, and Mr. Nip and Jack will eat them, too," he
said to his father. "It will be just as good as buying stale bread for
the monkey and the parrot, Daddy. I guess they'll like buns better."

"I shouldn't be surprised if they did," laughed Mr. Martin. "Well, as you
say, Teddy, it will save buying stale bread." Some of the pets were fed
on this, and now the broken buns would take its place for a few meals.

By this time the crowd began leaving the bakery, as the excitement was
over. Teddy and Jimmy picked up the last of the rats and mice, putting
them back in the mended cage.

"And make sure the door of the cage is fastened," Mr. Martin said to
Teddy, as the baker was paid for the buns. "We don't want the creatures
getting loose again."

"It's good and tight," Teddy said. "They won't get out again except when
we take them out to do circus tricks."

Carrying the cage of white mice and rats between them, Teddy and Jimmy
walked down the street in front of Mr. Martin, and soon the pets were
safely back in the barn.

"I'm a crack-crack-cracker!" cried the green, red and yellow parrot, as
the boys entered. The talkative bird whistled, at which sound Skyrocket
and Top, who were asleep in one corner of th