"You must not talk in school, Crackie, dear," he said gently. "The others can't study if you talk."
"But I am hungry," went on Crackie. "Maybe if I had something to eat I wouldn't talk. You could try it, Mr. Rat."
Everybody laughed at that—it sounded so funny—and Mr. Rat tried not to smile as he said:
"No, Crackie, we're not allowed to eat in school. You must please be quiet."
"School is a funny place," said Crackie, still speaking out loud. "You can't talk and you can't eat. What can you do?"
"Really, my dear," said Professor Rat, "you must keep quiet. I'm afraid you're not old enough to come to school."
So Crackie kept quiet for a little while and played with her kindergarten blocks and cut some funny things out of paper. But at last she could not stand it any longer. She cried out:
"Isn't it time to eat yet, Toodle?"
Well, it was so quiet just then, with no one saying anything, or reciting, that Crackie's voice sounded very loudly, and every one laughed.
"Crackie," said Professor Rat, and he had to speak sharply, "you really must keep quiet, or else go home."