Dickory Dock | Page 3

her good behaviour, and Flossy almost wore
herself out in devising amusements for her. She would toss all her hair
over her face and dance wildly up and down, and contort that same
little, funny, freckled face into all sorts of grimaces; and when the baby
laughed and crowed, and made chirrupy sounds, she was abundantly
satisfied. Peter, too, was most ingenious in keeping off the fatal sounds
of baby's wailing: he would blow into a paper bag, and then when the
baby had screwed up her face, and was preparing to let out a whole
volley of direful notes, he would clap his hands violently on the bag
and cause it to explode, thereby absolutely frightening the poor little
creature into smiles.
Peter would sing all kinds of nursery rhymes for the baby, and walk up
and down with it, and even run with it until his arms ached very badly
indeed. But after all, the one who suffered most in the cause of the baby
was Snip-snap. The patience with which he bore being dressed up in all
kinds of costumes, being made to represent grannie with her spectacles,
and lame John with his crutch, and a soldier in full-dress uniform, and a
sailor with a broken arm, and everything in the world, in short, except a
spirited little dog with four legs, was truly wonderful. He never did
attempt to bite, and he was only once guilty of barking; but during the
grandmother exhibition he could not help throwing up his head and
giving a prolonged and unearthly howl. But the naughty baby only
laughed quite merrily over the howl, and the two children begged of
Snip- snap to do it again. He never did howl any more--that was his last
despairing protest--in future he submitted to the baby's caprices, but
with the air of a broken-hearted dog.
Peter and Flossy had commenced their care of the baby without any
special love for her, but of course they could not long hold her in their
arms, and play with her, and think for her, and earnestly desire to win

her smiles and banish her tears, without the usual thing happening. The
baby stole their little hearts into her own safe keeping. Notwithstanding
his sufferings she also stole Snip-snap's heart. After that the baby was
of course mistress of the situation.
The children took care of her by day, and the lodgers knew nothing
about her existence; but at night Martha, the old nurse, went into her
nursery and slept with her, and attended to her wants. Peter and Flossy
having learned the mystery of amusing the small mite, were tolerably
happy about her during the daytime, but at night they were obliged to
be parted from her, and in consequence at night they were full of fears.
Martha meant to be kind, but she was tired, and she often slept soundly,
and did not hear the baby when she awoke and demanded attention.
Flossy became quite a light sleeper herself, and would sometimes steal
into the nursery and try to quiet the baby; so that, on the whole, for
some time, even at night, the lodgers heard no sound of the new little
inmate. But all happy and worthy things come to an end, and so, alas!
did the baby's good behaviour. There came a night, about three months
after her arrival, and when she was about six months old, when baby
was very restless, cross, and fidgety, with the cutting of her first tooth.
The children had quite worn themselves out in her cause in the daytime,
and Snip-snap had allowed himself to be arrayed in all his costumes for
her benefit; but Martha had come to bed as tired and weary as the baby
herself, and in consequence she fell fast asleep, and never heard the
little creature's cries.
Peter and Flossy heard them at the other side of the wall, and knowing
that they were much louder and more piercing than usual, they both got
up and, hand-in-hand, went to the nursery door. Snip-snap also
followed them, but unwillingly, and with his tail between his legs. The
door on this unfortunate night was locked, and the children could not
get in. Martha slept on, and the baby screamed on, and presently poor
Peter and Flossy heard Mr Martin get up and ring his bell violently.
Mrs Potts was also heard to open her room door and come out on the
landing, and sniff in a very disagreeable way, and go back again.
Flossy's heart quite beat with terror, and Peter said:

'It's all up, Flossy; they'll all know about our baby in the morning.'
'What'll they do?' asked Flossy in an awe-struck voice.
'I don't know,' answered Peter. 'I daren't think. Something bad I 'spect.'
Then