and wise, therefore I will with all my heart attend you now, and
see what we can find.' So saying, we began to climb; but not
without difficulty, for very frequently the bits of mortar which
we stepped upon gave way beneath our feet, and tumbled us down
together with them lower than when we first set off. However, as
we were very light, we were not much hurt by our falls; only
indeed poor Brighteyes, by endeavouring to save himself, caught by
his nails on a rafter, and tore one of them from off his right
fore-foot, which was very sore and inconvenient. At length we
surmounted all difficulties, and, invited by a strong scent of
plum-cake, entered a closet, where we found a fine large one,
quite whole and entire. We immediately set about making our way
into it, which we easily effected, as it was most deliciously
nice, and not at all hard to our teeth.

Brighteyes, who had not before partaken of the bird-seed, was
overjoyed at the sight. He almost forgot the pain of his foot,
and soon buried himself withinside the cake; whilst I, who had
pretty well satisfied my hunger before, only ate a few of the
crumbs, and then went to take a survey of the adjoining apartment.
I crept softly under the door of the closet into a room, as large
as that which I had before been in, though not so elegantly
furnished; for, instead of being covered with a carpet, there was
only a small one round the bed; and near the fire was a cradle,
with a cleanly-looking woman sitting by it, rocking it with her
foot, whilst at the same time she was combing the head of a little
boy about four years old. In the middle of the room stood a
table, covered with a great deal of litter; and in one corner was
the little girl whom I had before seen with her mamma, crying and
sobbing as if her heart would break. As I made not the least