They told stories, sang songs, made up riddles for one another to guess
and played tag and hide-and-go-seek. They were allowed to do all this
because it was night and no one was watching them. But as soon as
daylight came and Mr. Mugg or Miss Angelina or Miss Geraldine or any of
the customers came into the store, the toys must be very still and
quiet.

"Is this the only store you were ever in?" asked the Donkey of the Cat,
as they sat near each other after a lively game of tag.

"No, I was in one other," was the answer. "It was a store in which there
lived a Sawdust Doll, a Lamb on Wheels, a Monkey on a Stick and many
other playthings."

"Why did you leave?" asked the Donkey. "Was it because there were no
other cats there for you to mew to?"

"No, it was not that," was the answer.

"Then why did you leave?" asked the Nodding Donkey.

"Well, one Christmas I was bought by a gentleman who sent me to a lady,"
was the answer. "She was a lady who was always changing things that came
to her from the store. She would buy a thing one day and change it, or
send it back, the next.

"And when I came to her as a Christmas present, she happened to have a
little China Dog. I guess she thought the dog might bark at me. Anyhow,
she sent me back to the store, only she sent me here instead of to the
store where the Calico Clown and the other toys lived, and the mistake