nd very soothing and agreeable. Indeed, he was so pleased and comforted at finding himself near the ground once more that he lay back in a crotch between two branches, enjoying the rocking o

ll leaf and loaded with plums, and it flashed across his mind that the winter had disa

ever seen, for the leaves were perfectly white, and the plums, w

ppointment it proved to be quite hard, and as solid and heavy as a stone. He was looking at it in great perplexity, and punching it with his thumbs in the hope of finding a soft place in it, when he heard a rustling sound among the leaves, and, looking up, he saw

aves of the plum-tree suddenly turned over and showed the words "April Fool" printed very distinctly on their under sides. To make the matter worse, the Cockalorum came back and flew slowly

lmonds and bordered by long rows of many-colored motto-papers neatly planted in the ground. He was too much distressed, however, by what had happened in the plum-tree to be interested or pleased with

ar lemon candy, it seemed the most natural thing in the world, as explaining his transparency. He was neatly dressed in a sort of tunic of writing-paper, with a cocked hat of the same material, and he had under his arm a large book, with the words "Hole-keeper's Vacuum" printed on the cover. This curious-looking creature was standing before an extremely high wall, with his back to Davy, intently watching a large hole in the wall

nce the Hole-keeper said snappis

ut of a place, you know, unless the pl

ving. "I never saw anything drop-except once. Then I saw a gum-drop.

ntly. "If you'll only listen to me you'

Hole-keeper, impatiently

, beginning his story over again, "a

ing his book upon the ground in a fury. "That was the b

speechless, staring at the Hole-keeper, who

p to him and speaking in a low, trembling voice. "This mus

ut somehow the words wouldn't come straight. The Hole-keeper, however, seemed perfectly satisfied, and, pickin

hatever in the book, all the leaves being perfectly bla

nd my name in that book?

ought to be out of it. It's the completest system that ever was invented. Oh! here you aren't!"

the sort," said D

most unpleasant time of it crawling through on his hands and knees. To add to his distress, when he came out at the further end, instead of being, as he had hoped, in the open country, he found himself in a large room, with a lofty ceiling, through which a bri

e Hole-keeper in appearance, but denser and darker in the way o

hing the chairs with a little swab as he moved swiftly about th

please,"

next moment a confused sound of harsh voices came through the door, and the little man reappeared, followed by a perfect swarm of creatures so exactly like himself that it seemed to Da

ggling desperately to free himself. "I

TO HUSTLE HIM A

t sight of the Hole-keeper, also struggling in the midst of

ll mean?" said

up to a low platform, where the king was sitting on a gorgeous tin throne. He was precisely like the rest of the creatures, except that he was a little larger, and wore a blue paper coat and a sparkling tin cr

outed the crow

own!" roare

s' shirts, and screaming out hoarse little squawks of pain, while the king thumped furiously with his wand, and the Hole-keeper trembled like a leaf. At last a

k in great agitation, when the king, pointing at him wi

iff little tunic fairly rustling with fright; but before he could utter

really desperate by the Hole-keeper's danger.

nto a hundred pieces, and the air was instantly filled with a choking odor of peppermint; then everything was wrapped in darkness, and Davy felt himself being whirled along