Well, as it happened, just then Aunt Piffy, the fat lady bear who lived with Mrs. Stubtail, being her sister, in fact; Aunt Piffy, as it happened, just then, was coming in from the kitchen with a large plate of doughnuts she had just baked.
And, of course, Neddie, being in such a hurry, ran right into Aunt Piffy, doughnuts, plate and all, and then——
Oh dear! Such a time as there was!
Aunt Piffy suddenly sat down, and it is a mercy she didn’t sit on Neddie, for if she had there would have been quite a sad happening, as Aunt Piffy was very large and stout. And the plate fell from her paws, and broke into twelve pieces, or maybe thirteen, for all I know, and the doughnuts rolled all over the floor, one even bumping down the cellar stairs.
“Oh, dear! What happened?” gasped Aunt Piffy, and she could hardly breathe, she was so excited.
“I—I guess I happened,” said Neddie, looking all around at the scattered doughnuts. “But I—I didn’t mean to,” he added. “I’ll help pick up the cakes.”
“First, if you please, help me up,” said Aunt Piffy, puffing and blowing to get her breath.
“I’ll help you!” exclaimed Tommie Kat, for he had heard, from out on the porch of Neddie’s cave-house, the noise of the fall and had come in see what had caused it.
So Tommie and Neddie helped Aunt Piffy get up on her hind paws, and then Neddie began gathering up the spilled cakes.
“May I help at that, too?” asked Tommie, and Aunt Piffy answered: