WILLIE AND. THE TREEDEEDLE.

“Oh!” he said, “my mamma doesn’t put tacks into her cake; no; I can’t
eat tacks.”

“Not eat tacks!” cried the Treedeedle, munching his cake with delight.
«“ Why, they are so spicy, and sharp, and good; and these are particularly large
ones. Perhaps youd like some lemonade ?”

“Yes,” said Willie; “I think I should.”

So the Treedeedle poured out a glass of lemonade, and handed it to Willie
with such a polite little bow that Willie thought he must be polite, too, and not
find so much fault with the Treedeedle’s lunch.

But as he lifted the glass to his lips, he smelled kerosene, and set the glass
down very quickly. .

“Oh! my mamma doesn’t make lemonade out of kerosene,” said he. “I
can’t drink it.”

“ Not make lemonade out of kerosene!” cried the Treedeedle. ‘“ Why, yes;
one lemon peel to one quart of kerosene is my recipe. I assure you it is very
nice. But perhaps you would like an egg; I'll ring for one.”

The Treedeedle picked up a little silver bell and rang: ding-a-ling, a-ling-
a-ling. In came a little man servant in a green jacket.

“ Hard or soft?” said the Treedeedle, looking at Willie.

“ Hard,” said Willie.

“ Number-thirty-four, bring us some hard eggs,” said the Treedeedle.

The man servant in the green jacket went out.

“Why do you call him ‘ Number-thirty-four ?’” asked Willie.

“ Because that is his name,” said the Treedeedle.

Pretty soon, Number-thirty-four came back with a dish of eggs, and Willie
took one. The shell seemed to have been taken off, so he
bit right into it, and found that it was lard, a ball of lard.

“Oh! my mamma doesn’t have eggs made of lard.
Your cooking isn’t like my mamma’s. I don’t think I’m
very hungry, and I think I will go home now; but if you
will come to breakfast with me sometime, I will show you
what kind of things my mamma cooks. Bread and milk,
and strawberries, and buttered toast, and chicken, and

eee) thingselike that, vou knowns
“OQ, yes! I know,” said the Treedeedle. “I often have
them, too; and door-knob stew, and pincushion pudding, and needle tarts, and
ice-cream made out of broken glass and lemons. I should like to take breakfast
with you, though. Perhaps I will go to-morrow ; and the next time you come to
see me, I will take you to call on my friend the Owl, who lives in the next
tree. Come soon.”
“T should like to go to see the Owl,” said Willie, climbing down the ladder.
“ Then let’s go and call on him now,” said the Treedeedle.