第43章 The Twenty-Second of February(5)

"Mistress Mary,"and her "pretty maids all in a row,"passed by to their places in the background;"King Cole"and his "fiddlers three"made a goodly show;so did the royal couple,who followed the great pie borne before them,with the "four-and-twenty blackbirds"popping their heads out in the most delightful way.

Little "Bo-Peep"led a wooiiy lamb and wept over its lost tail,for not a sign of one appeared on the poor thing."Simple Simon"followed the pie-man,gloating over his wares with the drollest antics.The little wife came trundling by in a wheelbarrow and was not upset;neither was the lady with "rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,"as she cantered along on a rocking-horse."Bobby Shafto's"yellow hair shone finely as he led in the maid whom he came back from sea to marry."Miss Muffet,"bowl in hand,ran away from an immense black spider,which waggled its long legs in a way so life-like that some of the children shook in their little shoes.The beggars who came to town were out in full force,"rags,tags,and velvet gowns,"quite true to life."Boy Blue"rubbed his eyes,with hay sticking in his hair,and tooted on a tin horn as if bound to get the cows out of the corn.Molly,with a long-handled frying-pan,made a capital "Queen,"in a tucked-up gown,checked apron,and high crown,to good "King Arthur,"who,very properly,did not appear after stealing the barley-meal,which might be seen in the pan tied up in a pudding,like a cannon-ball,ready to fry.

But Tobias,Molly's black cat,covered himself with glory by the spirit with which he acted his part in,"Sing,sing,what shall I sing?

The cat's run away with the pudding-bag string."First he was led across the stage on his hind legs,looking very fierce and indignant,with a long tape trailing behind him;and,being set free at the proper moment,he gave one bound over the four-and-twenty blackbirds who happened to be in the way,and dashed off as if an enraged cook had actually been after him,straight downstairs to the coal-bin,where he sat glaring in the dark,till the fun was over.

When all the characters had filed in and stood in two long rows,music struck up and they'd anced,"All the way to Boston,"a simple but lively affair,which gave each a chance to show his or her costume as they pranced down the middle and up outside.

Such a funny medley as it was,for there went fat "King Cole"with the most ragged of the beggar-maids."Mistress Mary,"in her pretty blue dress,tripped along with "Simple Simon"staring about him like a blockhead.The fine lady left her horse to dance with "Bobby Shafto"till every bell on her slippers tinkled its tongue out."Bo-Peep"and a jolly fiddler skipped gayly up and down.

"Miss Muffet"took the big spider for her partner,and made his many legs fly about in the wildest way.The little wife got out of the wheelbarrow to help "Boy Blue"along,and Molly,with the frying-pan over her shoulder,led off splendidly when it was "Grand right and left."But the old lady and her goose were the best of all,for the dame's shoes-buckles cut the most astonishing pigeon-wings,and to see that mammoth bird waddle down the middle with its wings half open,its long neck bridling,and its yellow legs in the first position as it curtsied to its partner,was a sight to remember,it was so intensely funny.

The merry old gentleman laughed till he cried;Mr.Burton split his gloves,he applauded so enthusiastically;while the children beat the dust out of the carpet hopping up and down,as they cried:"Do it again!""We want it all over!"when the curtain went down at last on the flushed and panting party,Mother G--bowing,with her hat all awry,and the goose doing a double shuffle as if it did not know how to leave off.

But they could not "do it all over again,"for it was growing late,and the people felt that they certainly had received their money's worth that evening.

So it all ended merrily,and when the guests departed the boys cleared the room like magic,and the promised supper to the actors was served in handsome style.Jack and Jill were at one end,Mrs.Goose and her bird at the other,and all between was a comical collection of military heroes,fairy characters,and nursery celebrities.All felt the need of refreshment after their labors,and swept over the table like a flight of locusts,leaving devastation behind.But they had earned their fun:and much innocent jollity prevailed,while a few lingering papas and mammas watched the revel from afar,and had not the heart to order these noble beings home till even the Father of his Country declared "that he'd had a perfectly splendid time,but couldn't keep his eyes open another minute,"and very wisely retired to replace the immortal cocked hat with a night-cap.