"Gabble, gabble, gabble," said Ninny; which was goose-talk for "Oh! of course I do;" and she flapped her wings, and stretched out her long neck, and made more of a goose of herself than ever, and was so glad at getting the invitation, that she created quite a hullabaloo with her gabbling; but for all that, Jack the boy, and Carlo the dog, and Minnie the cat, and Bunny the rabbit, and Jenny the wren, and Ninny the goose, all talking together, made a most enchanting party. They were all nice people; no owls, or tigers, or cross old cooks with broomsticks, or grisly bears. No, indeed! They were all perfect darlings; and were quite ready to travel to the very top of the North Pole, if there was any fun to be found there.
But the baker lived considerably this side of the North Pole, on the very top of a steep hill; and up they all ran, and hopped, and leaped, and jumped, till they got to the house.
But when they arrived there, they found the front door locked.
So Jack began to knock, and Carlo began to bark, and Minnie began to mew, and Bunny began to squeak, and Jenny began to chip, and Ninny began to gabble; but for all the knocking, and barking, and mewing, and squeaking, and chipping, and gabbling, nobody came to the door; and poor little Jack began to think he would never get his loaf of bread after all.
All of a sudden, Jack thought of the back door. Off they hopped, and ran, and leaped, and jumped, to the back of the house.
The hill went down on this side perfectly straight, like the side of a house, and there was scarcely room for them to stand.
Dear me! that door was locked too. So they each began again to knock, and bark, and mew, and squeak, and chirp, and gabble, as hard as ever they could; all crowding round the door in a bunch.
Just as they were making all the noise they could, suddenly—open flew the door! and out jumped a tremendous DOG!!! right into the middle of them, growling, and barking, and making his great white teeth snap together like a pistol shot!!