“Sparkle Spry did as he was bid, but though he brought the wood as fast as he could, he found that he couldn’t bring it fast enough. Pretty soon the King of the Clinkers called out to him:
“‘You can rest now. The flour is all gone, and we have hardly begun.’
“‘There’s plenty in the storehouse,’ said Sparkle Spry.
“‘How many barrels?’ asked the King of the Clinkers.
“‘Two hundred,’ Sparkle Spry answered.
“The King of the Clinkers wrung his hands in despair. ‘Hardly a mouthful—hardly a mouthful! It will all be gone before the chickens crow for day. But run fetch the key. Two hundred barrels will keep us busy while they last.’
“Sparkle Spry brought the key of the storehouse door, and the little men swarmed in and rolled the barrels out in a jiffy. Only one accident happened. In taking the flour out of one of the barrels, after they had rolled it near the dough trough, one of the little men fell in and would have been drowned but for Sparkle Spry, who felt around in the loose flour and lifted him out.”
“Drowned!” cried Sweetest Susan.
“Of course,” answered Tickle-My-Toes. “Why not? I ought to have said ‘smothered,’ but now that I’ve said ‘drowned’ I’ll stick to it.”
“Better stick to the story,” remarked Mr. Rabbit solemnly,—“Better stick to the story.”