get employment were pleased, for the idle ones were shoved out of the
way. It became a custom with the children of the village to resort to
the old castle at their play hours; and it was surprising to see how much
was done by ten or twelve of them, each doing but a little at a time.

One morning Edmund and the little manufacturers were assembled very
early, and they were busy at their work, all sitting round the meal
chest, which served them for a table.

"My hands must be washed," said George, a little boy who came running in;
"I ran so fast that I might be in time, to go to work along with you all,
that I tumbled down, and look how I have dirtied my hands. Most haste
worst speed. My hands must be washed before I can do anything."

Whilst George was washing his hands, two other little children, who had
just finished their morning's work, came to him to beg that he would blow
some soap bubbles for them, and they were all three eagerly blowing
bubbles, and watching them mount into the air, when suddenly they were
startled by a noise as loud as thunder. They were in a sort of outer
court of the castle, next to the room in which all their companions were
at work, and they ran precipitately into the room, exclaiming, "Did you
hear that noise?"

"I thought I heard a clap of thunder," said Mary, "but why do you look so
frightened?"

As she finished speaking, another and a louder noise, and the walls round
about them shook. The children turned pale and stood motionless; but
Edmund threw down his hammer, and ran out to see what was the matter.
Mary followed him, and they saw that a great chimney of the old ruins at