132 STORIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS 



stairs, not exactly a mew and not a bark ; some- 

 thing more like a whine, the cry of a young 

 animal. Could it be ? Was she to have a new 

 dog for Christmas ? 



She would have liked to have half-a-dozen dogs, 

 but she felt very sure that she would never love 

 any as well as she did Waddles, and then too he 

 might be jealous. No; on second thoughts, she 

 did not care for another dog. 



Soon her father came into the study and asked 

 her if she would like to go up stairs and see a 

 very particular present that had arrived very early 

 in the morning. Of course she would. 



" Is it for me, or for you, or mother ? " she asked; 

 " and am I to guess three guesses before I see it ? " 



" It is for all of us," her father answered ; " and 

 you would never guess what it is, if I gave you a 

 dozen chances." 



"Is it an it or a we f Is it any kind of an ani- 

 mal ? " persisted Tommy- Anne. 



" Yes, little daughter ; it is a 4 we,' and it is a 

 little animal with a soul ! " 



Soon before dusk Tommy-Anne hurried bdck 

 to the study and begged her Aunt Prue, who 

 was passing the door, to light the tree candles 

 for her. 



