"All the same," said Ann, "I don't think I like it, Rudolf. I wish
Betsy would bring the lamp!"

It was almost dark now, and they could not see, but only hear, Peter
as he came shuffling out of his den, dragging his unhappy cub, and
prowled around the darkest corners of the room. Being a bear, he was
not at all afraid, but made himself very happy for a while with
pouncing and growling, searching for honey, and eating imaginary
travelers. Then the cub escaped, and Peter tired of his game. Rudolf
and Ann heard him tugging at the door of an old-fashioned cupboard in
a far corner of the room, and presently he came over to the fire,
carrying a wooden box in his arms.

"Oh, Peter, you naughty boy!" cried Ann. "You've been at the cupboard,
and Aunt Jane said expressly we were not to take anything out of it!"

"You are just like Bluebeard's wife," began Rudolf, but Peter--as was
his way--paid no attention to either of them. He put the box down on
the hearth-rug, and got on his hands and knees to open it. Then, of
course, the other two thought they might as well see what there was to
see, and all three heads bent over the box. After all it contained
nothing very wonderful, the cover itself being the prettiest part, Ann
thought, for on it was painted a bright-colored picture of a little
girl in a funny, high-waisted, old-fashioned dress, making a curtsy to
a little boy dressed like an old gentleman and carrying a toy ship in
his hand. The box was filled with old toys, most of them chipped or
broken. There was a very small tea-set with at least half of the cups
missing, a wooden horse which only possessed three legs, and the
remains of a regiment of battered tin soldiers.