“It’s plain as plain,” Tommy announced. “We’re not real people at all. Ellen is the baby in the tree-top, I’m Tommy Tucker and you’re the contrary Mary who had the garden. And this,” he added, making a low bow and waving one hand toward Muffs, “is little Miss Muffet who sat on a tuffet only she’s frightened away by dragons instead of spiders.”
Mary stopped humming and looked up in surprise.
“Is your real name Little Miss Muffet?” she asked.
“It’s Madeline Moffet,” the little girl explained, “but Mother’s name is Madeline too so people call me Miss Muffet or Muffins or just plain Muffs.”
“She’s from New York,” said Tommy. “She rides in alligators under the river. I wanted to show her Balo.”
“What’s Balo?” asked Muffs.
“It’s what I call the workshop when I’m playing,” Tommy explained. “All of Daddy’s tools come to life and talk and walk an’ everything. The hammer is a snake, the monkey wrench a gilly galoo bird and Daddy’s old broom is a tailor with a funny face.”
“Are they alive now?” asked Muffs as she stood on tiptoe and peered into the shop window.
“No, because we’re not playing Balo. We’re being make-believe people out of books.”
“I’m being myself,” said Mary, “and I don’t want to play.”