52 



THE RAT 



I change mine once a year, and I send it to the 

 wash every day, which is more than you do, to 

 judge from your appearance. Dirty, untidy little 

 pig ! And I think it much more sensible to go to 

 the wash with it myself, and see that it is properly 

 done, than to entrust it to some careless washer- 

 woman, who would probably spoil it. Aren't I 

 (you ought to say ' Am I not ') afraid of getting 

 the moth into it ? T wish they would try. I 

 rather like moths for dessert now and then. 



I call gipsies and tramps much the most sensible 

 of all human beings. They feed and sleep in all 

 sorts of different rooms, sometimes in that biggest 

 of all rooms, which has only the stars for a ceiling 

 and the moon for a night-light. The green grass 

 is the carpet, and the flowers make the pattern 

 The trees are the furniture, and the stream is the 

 bath. And the great winds of heaven are the 

 housemaids, who sweep the carpet and shake the 

 furniture. That is the best of all bedrooms ; but 

 some people turn cold and grow frightened, because 

 there is too much air and too much room. There 

 is no doubt that all the windows are open. What 

 are the windows ? How you do bother ! The 

 places where the winds come in, of course. That 

 is why they are called windows. You spoil yours 



