"'Come, come! get up, you lazy creatures!' cried the roguish elf, enjoying himself immensely.
"All the dolls began to move about and yawn, as if they were just waking up. Milly thought she had never imagined any thing so delightfully funny as the little babies winking their bright black eyes, and crying so that the nurses had to rock the cradles to keep them quiet.
"'Now, then,' said the elf, 'you all dress yourselves as quickly as possible, and then I will tell you what to do.'
"He left them in the bedroom, roused Dinah in the kitchen, and the genteel waitress in the dining-room; then he returned to the parlor, tried the piano, whistling a tune, at the same time winking so drolly at Milly, that she laughed with delight; played a round or so at the billiard-table, and then seated himself in the large arm-chair. In the mean while, the dolls were grumbling over the whole affair.
"'I never heard of such a thing,' said the fat mamma, smoothing her hair before the looking-glass, 'to turn us all out of bed at this time of night, and set all babies crying, too!'
"'Never mind, mamma,' said the daughter in blue silk, shaking out her flounces: 'it is the little lady's birthday, and we can take a nap to-morrow.'
"'Yes,' chimed in the pink-barege sister; 'and she never has broken us, you know.'
"'I am sure I am afraid of my legs, if that Miss Pet only looks at me, for fear they will be smashed,' echoed the white-muslin lady, looking mournfully at her china boots.
"'If Pet could only hear her talk!' whispered Milly to the fairy queen; when lo! in toddled the young lady, and, putting her arm about Milly's neck, stood looking at the wonderful sight also.
"'I am so glad you can see it too, Pet!'