“Thomas Junior’s too busy catching rats and the Gilly Galoo Bird can’t sneeze ’’cause he’s made of iron. He’s a magic bird and lives in Daddy’s carpenter shop. Want to see him?”
Muffs did want to see him. The carpenter shop sounded as new and strange to her as her elevators and subways did to Tommy. Each felt that the other was a little unreal. Afraid to take each other’s hands, they started up the road side by side. A big black cat darted out from somewhere in the bushes and began following them.
“That’s Thomas Junior,” Tommy explained. “He likes to go places with me ’cause I’m his master. There’s the house,” he added, pointing to it as they turned the bend in the road.
Muffs saw two houses, like twin shadows, against the white sky. A walk connected them and at the far end of the walk on a little flight of steps, sat a girl whom she knew must be Mary. She was rocking a baby carriage gently back and forth and singing a lullaby that fitted the tune of Rock-a-bye Baby, and went like this:
Go to sleep, baby. You are so dear.
Go to sleep, baby. Sister is near.
Go to sleep, baby. Mother will come.
Go to sleep, baby and sister will hum
Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm ...
But while she was humming, Tommy and Muffs came into the wood yard.