“Come! What do you say to your uncle, Philippe?” asked Grandmother.
“I forget what I say,” answered Philippe miserably, “but I am very glad to see you, my—my——Ah! Now it comes to me!” And he started again: “Good health to you, my dear and illustrious uncle. It gives me the most——”
“Fiddlesticks!” interposed Uncle Pablôt, laughing.
“—the most great pleasure to welcome you, and——”
“Yes, yes—” said Uncle Pablôt, cutting him short again. “But what do you say to this?” and he reached into the folds of his cape and handed Philippe something small and shining.
“What is it?” asked Philippe.
“Ho! That is better. At least you did not learn that by heart, did you, my boy? Here, I will show you.” Whereupon he put the bright present to his lips and blew a shrill blast that rattled the pots and made Grandmother drop her sausages in alarm. (She dusted them very carefully before putting them in the hot pan that was waiting to cook them.)
“A whistle!” shouted Philippe, dancing with joy. Then he ducked under the table to show his beautiful new present to Avril.
“And here is a present for the other little one,” said Uncle Pablôt, handing the shyly smiling girl a toy spade with a bright green handle and a wreath of early spring flowers painted on the tiny blade.
