"So the little servant stood upon her hind legs to place the letters in the tiny bag which the snow-bird carried under his left wing; then she threw her apron over her head, and ran home.
"I suppose there never was such a sweeping and scratching and gnawing in any other mouse family, as went on in this one for the next two weeks. All of them worked so hard, making new holes for their expected guests, that the little servant had an attack of mumps at the last minute, and had to have her head tied up in a rag of cobweb.
"Christmas Eve came at last. Grandpapa had his coat of fur nicely brushed, and Grandmamma wore a new cap with a ruffle round it.
"Presently there sounded the patter of little footsteps, which announced the arrival of the eldest son, and his family of six children. Grandmamma had scarcely kissed them all round, when in walked the eldest daughter, with her husband and baby. She had only just been shown to her room to take off her bonnet, when all the rest came,—a son from the city; a daughter from the next village; and the youngest child, who lived in a distant town, and was an old bachelor.
"What a time there was! Grandpapa grew quite hoarse with shouting at his different sons; and as for the children, there were so many of them tumbling about, it is only a wonder their mothers ever could tell them apart.
"At last the elder ones had their supper and were sent to bed, where they soon forgot every thing in sound sleep. Then all the mothers began to talk together in one corner with Grandmamma about their houses and cook-books, while the gentlemen discussed mouse politics in another. So the evening passed away very pleasantly; and by ten o'clock they were all asleep, too, except Grandpapa: he was so excited, that his wife had to give him a Dover's powder before he could shut an eye.
"The next morning the children were awake bright and early, wanting all sorts of things to eat, and poking into odd places where they should not have gone.
"'O Grandpapa! is there no ice this morning?' cried an eager young mouse; 'I have such a prime pair of skates!'
"'Can you cut a pigeon wing backwards?' asked one of the city cousins. 'I will show you how to do it in style.'
"'May we go, too?' urged all the little mice in chorus.