funny thorax and everything."

"Let's change the subject, Miss," said the spider, moving toward the
further side of the tuffet. "This is Christmas Eve."

[Illustration: _Fairly jumped off her tuffet_]

"Yes," answered Miss Muffet wearily. "Sixty seconds make a minute; sixty
minutes make an hour. Even Christmas Eve will come to an end some time;
but what's the good? For then Christmas will come, and that will _never_
get through."

"What do you say to a party?"

Miss Muffet fairly jumped off her tuffet, for she had never had a party
in her life. "Who will invite the people?"

"I will," said the spider.

"But do you think any one will come if _you_ invite them?"

"Why not?"

"Oh! I was just thinking; some people are such 'fraid-cats; and then,
you know, once, one of your family invited the fly to walk into his
parlor. I don't believe the story one bit, but then, you know, Mr.
Spider, it caused talk."

Mr. Spider positively blushed green. "If you have no objection, let's
change the subject again. Business is business; as for flies, there is a
difference of opinion about them, and we can't all live on curds and
whey, Miss Muffet. But this is to be your party, and we should not
invite flies but folks. How would you like to have a literary party, and
invite all the people you've read about?"

"How delightful!" cried Miss Muffet gleefully. "What a dear old spider
you are!"

"Let's write the invitations immediately," said Mr. Spider, taking out
of his pocket a ream of the most delicate cobweb paper.

[Illustration: Chapter II]

They sat down with their heads very close together, and such a number of
letters you never saw as Miss Muffet and the spider wrote. Some of them
were very informal, like those beginning "Dear Little Bo-Peep" and "Dear
Red Riding-Hood." They said, "Won't you come to a party at my house?
We're going to have games." Others were very formal like that addressed
to

The Reverend Swiss Robinson and Family,
Tent House,
Desert Island,

stating that "Miss Muffet requests the pleasure of your company," etc.
Then there were letters addressed to Wonderland and Back of the North
Wind, and to Lilliput and the Land where the Jumblies Live, and to all
sorts of places which are to be found only on the best maps, and are not
in the school geographies at all.

Mr. Spider was very careful and businesslike, and insisted