ChapterVIIINibbles’ ReturnChapter 8 header
Chapter 8 header
Awaythey sailed towards home, as happy as two little mice could be.
Mr. Scratchetty-Claw towed them for a long way, until he became so sleepy that he had to stop and take a nap. He shed tears when he said good-bye to Nibbles and Teenie Weenie, but he soon settled himself comfortably on a mud bank in a shady spot, and in two minutes was snoring so loudly that you could have heard him half a mile away.
Nibbles and Teenie hoisted their sail, and, as they floated along, Teenie Weenie sang this song:
“Two little mice sailed down the streamOne lovely summer day.The sky was blue, the banks were green,The birds in the tree tops sang unseen,As they merrily sailed away.“Their silken flag was red and white,Their sail a butterfly’s wing;With a firefly their pilot light,They went to seek their fortune bright,And found it in a ring.“Deep buried in the golden sand,Beneath the water blue,Far away in a distant landThe little mice went hand in hand,And sought the token true.”
“Two little mice sailed down the streamOne lovely summer day.The sky was blue, the banks were green,The birds in the tree tops sang unseen,As they merrily sailed away.“Their silken flag was red and white,Their sail a butterfly’s wing;With a firefly their pilot light,They went to seek their fortune bright,And found it in a ring.“Deep buried in the golden sand,Beneath the water blue,Far away in a distant landThe little mice went hand in hand,And sought the token true.”
“Two little mice sailed down the streamOne lovely summer day.The sky was blue, the banks were green,The birds in the tree tops sang unseen,As they merrily sailed away.
“Two little mice sailed down the stream
One lovely summer day.
The sky was blue, the banks were green,
The birds in the tree tops sang unseen,
As they merrily sailed away.
“Their silken flag was red and white,Their sail a butterfly’s wing;With a firefly their pilot light,They went to seek their fortune bright,And found it in a ring.
“Their silken flag was red and white,
Their sail a butterfly’s wing;
With a firefly their pilot light,
They went to seek their fortune bright,
And found it in a ring.
“Deep buried in the golden sand,Beneath the water blue,Far away in a distant landThe little mice went hand in hand,And sought the token true.”
“Deep buried in the golden sand,
Beneath the water blue,
Far away in a distant land
The little mice went hand in hand,
And sought the token true.”
For more than a week they sailed up the pretty river, but at last, one afternoon at sunset, they reached home. Quietly they stole up to the cottage and peeped in at the window.
Mrs. Poppelty-Poppett
There was Mrs. Poppelty-Poppett cooking supper, while Sniffy and Snuffy were peeling potatoes, and Gobble was eating an apple behind the door.
Mouse family cooking
Nibbles tapped gently on the window-pane, and Mrs. Poppelty-Poppett turned quickly around. With a squeak of perfect delight, she cried: “Oh, here is Nibbles!” and ran to the door, upsetting the soup-kettle right into the fire in her haste. Of course, Sniffy and Snuffy, Gobble and the baby, all ran out, too, and then they all talked together so fast that no one knewwhat any one else was saying. Pretty soon they quieted down, and Nibbles told them of his wonderful adventures, and of the finding of the Lucky Ring. When he gave his mother the bag of gold, poor little Mrs. Poppelty-Poppett did not know whether to laugh or cry with happiness, so she did both. She had worked hard for her children, and now there would be comfort and plenty for the rest of her life.
Mice greet Nibbles
After a little while she dried her eyes, and thought of supper. It was all in the fire and burned up!
“Never mind,” said Nibbles. “Teenie Weenie and I would far rather have some of your nice corn cake and toasted cheese than soup.”
Mrs. Poppelty-Poppett serving a meal
“Indeed we would,” said Teenie Weenie.
So they all helped, and in a few minutes everything was ready; and how good the supper tasted!
When at last they went to bed, they all dreamed of bags of Lucky Rings, and rivers of gold, guarded by Alligators, who ate nothing but toasted cheese and corn bread.
Nibbles in bed