"It is a very pretty story," said Percy. "Are there more like it in the book where you read it?"
Mabel was just going to answer, when her attention was caught by Ted.
"I do believe he's asleep," she said softly, for Ted had curled himself up like a dormouse in his little nest at her side. But just then the two-legged dormouse gave a funny chuckle, which showed that whether he had been asleep or not, he certainly was so no longer.
"What are you laughing at, Teddy?" said Percy.
"I were just sinking," said Ted, "what a silly boy Ted were to be afraid of mountains——Ted would like to go up to the very, very top," he went on valorously. "Ted wouldn't mind a bit—not," with a prudent reservation, "not if thoo and Mabel was wif me."
CHAPTER VI.
LITTLE NARCISSA.
| "But, I think, of all new-comers |
| Little children are the best." |
From this time, I think, Ted lost his fear of mountains and giants. It was not till a long time afterwards that he explained to his mother exactly how it had been, and by that time he was of course quite big enough to understand that Mr. Brand had only been joking. But still he did not much care about seeing that gentleman again. He generally managed to be out of the way when he saw the dog-cart with the gray horse driving in at the gate, and just once, when he would not have had time to run off without actual rudeness, which little Ted never was guilty of, he only waited to shake hands and say "Quite well, thank thoo," before he disappeared in so unaccountable a manner that he could not be found as long as Mr. Brand's visit lasted.