the entire dozen with a face full of maternal woe.
“You must,” commanded Demi; and with a farewell kiss to each,
Daisy laid her blooming dolls upon the coals.
“Let me keep one, the dear blue thing, she is so sweet,” besought
the poor little mamma, clutching her last in despair.
“More! more!” growled an awful voice, and Demi cried, “that’s the
Kitty-mouse! she must have every one, quick, or she will scratch
us.”
In went the precious blue belle, flounces, rosy hat, and all, and
nothing but a few black flakes remained of that bright band.
“Stand the houses and trees round, and let them catch themselves;
it will be like a real fire then,” said Demi, who liked variety even
in his “sackerryfices.”
Charmed by this suggestion, the children arranged the doomed
village, laid a line of coals along the main street, and then sat
down to watch the conflagration. It was somewhat slow to kindle
owing to the paint, but at last one ambitious little cottage blazed
up, fired a tree of the palm species, which fell on to the roof of a
large family mansion, and in a few minutes the whole town was
burning merrily. The wooden population stood and stared at the
destruction like blockheads, as they were, till they also caught and
blazed away without a cry. It took some time to reduce the town to
ashes, and the lookers-on enjoyed the spectacle immensely,
cheering as each house fell, dancing like wild Indians when the
steeple flamed aloft, and actually casting one wretched little
churn-shaped lady, who had escaped to the suburbs, into the very
heart of the fire.
The superb success of this last offering excited Teddy to such a
degree, that he first threw his lamb into the conflagration, and
before it had time even to roast, he planted poor Annabella on the
funeral pyre. Of course she did not like it, and expressed her
anguish and resentment in a way that terrified her infant destroyer.
Being covered with kid, she did not blaze, but did what was worse,
she squirmed. First one leg curled up, then the other, in a very
awful and lifelike manner; next she flung her arms over her head
as if in great agony; her head itself turned on her shoulders, her
glass eyes fell out, and with one final writhe of her whole body,
she sank down a blackened mass on the ruins of the town. This
unexpected demonstration startled every one and frightened Teddy
half out of his little wits. He looked, then screamed and fled
toward the house, roaring “Marmar” at the top of his voice.
Mrs. Bhaer heard the outcry and ran to the rescue, but Teddy could
only cling to her and pour out in his broken way something about
“poor Bella hurted,” “a dreat fire,” and “all the dollies dorn.”
Fearing some dire mishap, his mother caught him up and hurried
to the scene of action, where she found the blind worshippers of
Kitty-mouse mourning over the charred remains of the lost darling.
“What have you been at? Tell me all about it,” said Mrs. Jo,
composing herself to listen patiently, for the culprits looked so
penitent, she forgave them beforehand.
With some reluctance Demi explained their play, and Aunt Jo
laughed till the tears ran down her cheeks, the children were so
solemn, and the play was so absurd.
“I thought you were too sensible to play such a silly game as this.
If I had any Kitty-mouse I’d have a good one who liked you to play
in safe pleasant ways, and not destroy and frighten. Just see what a
ruin you have made; all Daisy’s pretty dolls, Demi’s soldiers, and
Rob’s new village beside poor Teddy’s pet lamb, and dear old
Annabella. I shall have to write up in the nursery the verse that
used to come in the boxes of toys,
“The children of Holland take pleasure in making,
What the children of Boston take pleasure in breaking.”
Only I shall put Plumfield instead of Boston.”
“We never will again, truly, truly!” cried the repentant little
sinners, much abashed at this reproof.
“Demi told us to,” said Rob.