hubbins followed close after her,
and then they began to go downward.

"It's a little dark right here," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy; "but I've ordered
the maid to light the candles for you, so you'll see well enough when
you're in the rooms."

"Thank you," said Twinkle, walking along the hall and feeling her way by
keeping her hand upon the smooth sides of the passage. "I hope you won't
go to any trouble, or put on airs, just because we've come to visit
you."

"If I do," replied Mrs. Puffy-Pudgy, "it's because I know the right way
to treat company. We've always belonged to the 'four hundred,' you know.
Some folks never know what to do, or how to do it, but that isn't the
way with the Puff-Pudgys. Hi! you, Teenty and Weenty--get out of here
and behave yourselves! You'll soon have a good look at our visitors."

And now they came into a room so comfortable and even splendid that
Twinkle's eyes opened wide with amazement.

It was big, and of a round shape, and on the walls were painted very
handsome portraits of different prairie-dogs of the Puff-Pudgy family.
The furniture was made of white clay, baked hard in the sun and
decorated with paints made from blue clay and red clay and yellow clay.
This gave it a gorgeous appearance. There was a round table in the
middle of the room, and several comfortable chairs and sofas. Around the
walls were little brackets with candles in them, lighting the place very
pleasantly.

"Sit down, please," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy. "You'll want to rest a minute
before I show you around."

So Twinkle and Chubbins sat upon the pretty clay chairs, and Teenty and
Weenty sat opposite them and stared with their mischievous round eyes as
hard as they could.

"What nice furniture," exclaimed the girl.

"Yes," replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, looking up at the picture of a sad-faced
prairie-dog; "Mr. Puff-Pudgy made it all himself. He was very handy at
such things. It's a shame he turned out so obstinate."

"Did he build the house too?"

"Why, he dug it out, if that's what you mean. But I advised him how to
do it, so I deserve some credit for it myself. Next to the Mayor's, it's
the best house in town, which accounts for our high social standing.
Weenty! take your paw out of your mouth. You're biting your claws
again."

"I'm not!" said Weenty.

"And now," continued Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, "if you are rested, I'll show you
through the rest of our house."

So, they got up and followed her, and she led the childre