"I think, perhaps, it is a little deaf," said Puff. "It never seems to mind, and yet he calls it all sorts of names sometimes."
"Can a thing be deaf in its legs, Uncle Jack?" asked Fluff.
But Uncle Jack began to laugh, and that hurt Fluff's feelings, so she said nothing more. And now Mrs. Posset came, and the three dear little mice were soon snugly tucked up in bed; the twins together, with their arms round each other's necks, and little Downy curled up alone in his pretty white nest, the sweetest mouse that ever was seen.
DOWNY ASLEEP IN HIS BED.
Ah! now it was my turn. As soon as Mrs. Posset had left the
room, down I came post-haste, on Flash, my swiftest beam. I sat
down on Fluff's pillow, and soon introduced myself to the little mice.
They were fast asleep, of course, but that is the best time to take
children. In fact, I never can get on with them when they are
awake, their heads are full of so many things. "Yes," I said, "I
really am the Man in the
Moon. I live in a silver
palace——"
"Really silver?" asked
Puff.
"Yes, really silver,
from top to bottom, from roof to cellar,
walls and floors, tables and chairs, dishes
and spoons are all silver, as bright as Flash,
who is dancing about the room here."
"I should think a silver bed would be
rather hard," said Fluff.
"Not when it has a cloud mattress and
pillow," I replied. "That makes it soft
enough, I can tell you."
Then I told them how the clouds were
divided into three classes, and how one
kind was good to sleep on, and another
good to ride on, and the third good (very
good, too,) to eat.
"Does it taste like the white part in floating island?" asked Fluff.
"Rather like it, but a great, great deal nicer, more like whipped cream."
"And is that all you have to eat?"
"Oh, no! I have ice cream whenever I want it. All the mountains up here are covered with ice cream instead of snow, and I have only to send a beam out a few steps and I have all I want; pink or white, or any color I choose."
