Hutchinson gazette., 1900-04-26
were greatly delighted with the as.

were greatly delighted with the as'
Bembly.
"Thls is better than those old
friends after all. These mice have
wealth and manners, q'm glad left
out the Others" said Mrs, Graymouse
10 herself,
And feeling very proud In spirit
she signed TO the orchestra 10 begin
the music for the dance,
When the guests learned that they
were TO waltz upon the pans they
were anxious indeed TO begin, "such
an original Ideal" they cried, "Whc
but Mrs, Grnymouse ever would have
thought of such brilliant plnnl'
And they hocked about her utterlng
congratulations,
And then the dance began, But be-
fore they had trippcd dozen meas
ures, just ns soon In lNcI ns the whole
company had taken places OH the
pms those pans took legs unto them
selves and rose from Oft the floor
For a minute the guests tho, - IL 0
wonderful bit OF magic for II -oA.
teriDlnment, but only for milsute,
For the pans began to teeter, now up,
now down, dipping now TO one side,
then flying up with jerk TO another
There was no keeping ones footing;
no one could stand up on such rock
ing base; and gentleman mice, ca.
plump, tearing their fine clothes and
getting them into muss, Some few
Of the color heads, regaining their
footing for nm instant, tried 10 jump;
but by this time the pans were in a
mad whlrl, Round and round they
few in u dizzy maze, as the elfns,
following Skimmer's orders, twlrled
and tossed them at will,
The poor mice trembled and grew
sick and faint with fright, and Mrs
Graymouse was the most sick and
faint Of them all. What would the
others think? They would all blame
her, Of course. Oh, oh! she had
thought this such fine opening ior
her into the ranks OF the social gods
Now, she would never again dare 10
show her head outside her hole If she
ever came out OF this alive, Never
come out again? No, not If she
starved to deathl But would this
whirring, twisting, turning never
cease?"
1t did, Opening the doors and win
dows, Skinner cried, "Odt with
them!" And out they went into the
nearest snow bank in heap.
The guests hurried to their feet
and peltng the Gray mice with the
hard snow and calling them all sorts
OF evil names and yowing vengeance
they scurried away to their holes
just as u crowd Of bacl, yard cats
hearing the noise and scenting their
prey, bounded over the back yard
fence into the family circle of the
Gray mice.
They would have made sad work Of
them and the ball would have had a
sadder ending, but for the eltns, who
ordered the cats away,
Then out from the corners came
the chcken-house mice, and Tiny Tim
and the Browns and the Bright Eyes
and many other of the poorer nc.
quaintances and friends OF the Gray
mice to comfort Mrs, Graymousc and
her daughters and to help them clear
away the ruins.
But Skinner ordered the family to
one side, and read them lecture
"Never again. said he, "let me hear
you say mean things about your
neighbors and your friends, and see
to II that vain wishes for wealth and
position do not make You forget them
or offer them unkindness BE as kind
to the most poor MS to the most rich,
(They ore often hundredfold more
true and friendly, rs you can see for
yoursclyes), These nre your real
friends, and don't YOU forget It. II
you do. the elfns will give you q
harder lesson than that Of The Dane.
ing Dishpans,'