WILLIE AND THE TFREEDEEDLE.

“ Allright. Dve got on my clean dress, so I can go,” said Willie.

When they reached the tree where the Owl lived, the Treedeedle gave a
shrill whistle, and down from the tree came a basket on a rope.

Willie and the Treedeedle got into the basket, and were drawn up to a great
limb. There they saw a little door standing open. Inside, they found the Owl
sitting at a little desk writing a letter. “What are you writ-
ing?” asked the Treedeedle looking over the owl’s shoulder.

“T’m writing a letter to the Man in the
Moon; he sent me an invitation to dinner. Is
this your friend Willie ?”

“Yes; let me introduce you to the Owl,
Willie.”

The Owl shook Willie’s hand with one of his
claws, and said, “Perhaps you and the Tree-
deedle would like to go with me to the Man in
the Moon’s to dinner. I'll send the letter after I get there.”

“Of course we'll go,” cried the Treedeedle. “Willie is “Sty SAV THE ove
all dressed, and I can dress in a jiffy, if you will lend me a
wash-basin. I forgot to put my wash-basin in my pocket when I came away.”

“All right,” said the Owl; “you can go behind that screen, and I will go
behind this screen, and we will dress.”

So Willie sat down on a little stool and waited while the Treedeedle and the
Owl splashed and scrubbed behind their screens.

They washed so violently that they dashed the water over the screens and
sprinkled the whole room. Then the Owl curled all his feathers with a curling-
iron in the latest style.

“‘ Now for the paper collars!” cried the Owl. “ We can’t be dressed with-
out paper collars. Ill lend you and Willie each one.”

Willie didn’t think he needed a paper collar, but he did not want to hurt the
Owl’s feelings, so he let the Treedeedle and the Owl put on his collar for him,
and it came way up around his ears.

“ How are we going to get to the moon?” asked Willie.

“Oh! I have a comet tied to my back fence,” said the Owl, “ and he will
take us there.”

Willie had never seen a comet; so he followed the Owl and the Treedeedle
out into the Owl’s back yard with a good deal of curiosity.

The comet looked like a big star switching a long fiery tail. They all got
on the comet’s back ; first the Owl, then the Treedeedle and then Willie.

“ Now hold on tight,” said the Owl, untying the comet from the fence; and
away they went like the wind, straight for the moon. Willie held on to the
Treedeedle’s coat-tails, and they went so fast it almost took his breath away.

When they reached the moon, the comet stopped, and they got off his back