"I'll stay here and starve before I'll go to the old museum," said the parrot. And overcome with grief at the idea of breaking up their happy home they embraced, and sobbed aloud on each other's necks.
Now Filbert had watched all that was going on, and felt very sorry for the little creatures; so as soon as they left the room she slipped out from behind the curtain, and in a few minutes did all they had tried so hard to accomplish, and returned to her hiding-place just as the three came in, saying sadly to one another, "The dust must have settled, so we will try and sleep on the floor and forget how hungry we are; and to-morrow we will go to town again, and try very much harder than we did to-day to learn how to keep house."
But here they stopped short and stared in surprise, for the floor was as clean and bright as a new penny; the little white beds were tucked smoothly up, and on the table smoked three bowls of nice hot porridge.
"What good fairy has been here!" they all exclaimed.
"A nut-brown maiden, nut-brown maiden," chirped a cricket on the hearth.
"And where has she gone?" they asked.
"Behind the curtain, behind the curtain," sang the cricket.
And in a twinkling Filbert was dragged, blushing and trembling, from her hiding-place.
"Who are you, and how came you here?" asked the cat.