and polish," murmured the Queen.

"_We_ play with bats," Felix went on.

"_We_ play with brushes," continued the Queen; "and here is one of our
players in full costume."

Felix glanced round, but he only saw a boy who looked like a street
sweeper, with a hand-brush in one hand and a broom in the other. He had
on a sailor's hat, and he touched the brim of it with the broom-handle,
as a salutation to the Queen.

"Queer, queerer, queerest!" thought Felix.

"Are you a good brusher?" asked the boy, suddenly; "can you brush the
balls well?"

Felix stared at him.

"Oh!" said the boy; "I thought you would be sure to be a good
cricketer."

"So I am," returned Felix; "I am a good batter. I've got a prize bat."

The boy burst out laughing, so did some magpies and squirrels. So did
the streamlet that was running along so fast. Even the little fishes
popped up their heads and laughed--

"Haha! haha! hoho! hoho!"

There was such a noise that Felix had to ask several times before he got
an answer.

"What are they laughing at?"

"At you," answered the boy.

"It's very rude of them," said Felix, taking up a stone to throw at the
magpies, which were chattering.

"Don't, don't," said the stone. "I don't want to hurt any one."

Felix, in his surprise, dropped the stone, and it fell to the ground,
saying--

"Thank you! thank you!"

"Queer, queerer, queerest!" said Felix to himself. But the Pine Queen
knew what he was saying, for she said--

"Wait till you have seen the practice." Felix rubbed his eyes again, for
though the sun was shining, there was certainly snow upon the ground,
and the two little players, who stood with brush and ball in their
hands, were clad in warm coats and gloves and winter boots, which Felix
thought must prevent their running well. The girl had a scarlet feather
in her felt hat, and the boy a long blue tassel hanging from his velvet
cap. The girl was raising her brush to ward off the ball that the boy
was about to throw.

"Isn't it pretty?" said the Pine Queen--

"Throw, throw, hit, hit!
No danger, not a bit."

But Felix was thinking about "Scour, mop, and dry it," as he looked at
the snow-covered patch of land.

"Ah!" continued the Pine Queen, divining his thoughts, "snow is soft, so
that if the players fall it does not hurt them. But there is no snow to
be seen when the regular game begins."

And the Queen waved a rose that she held in her hand, and in a moment
the scen