Silver Ears made them a charming bow. "I thank you, twinnies! I'll
bring you both something nice from the play-room some day. Now hurry!
Mammy will soon return and you haven't even laid the table-cloth. Run
and get the spoons from the cupboard, Buster, or I'll tell Mammy to
put you to bed without any supper. Oh, that baby! Can't you jiggle
the cradle, Limpy-toes, while you finish digging out the dish?"

Mother Graymouse looked very sober when she came home. She took a
cracker and some stale cake crumbs from her pocket.

"This is all I could get to-night, my dears," she explained sadly.
"That wicked Thomas Cat is prowling about and I had to be careful. It
is snowing and the drifts are very deep, so I did not dare go across
the street to the store. Ah well, we shall not starve."

"Never mind, Mammy," said Limpy-toes. "Crackers and cake crumbs are
nice."

[Illustration: That Wicked Thomas Cat is prowling about and I had to
be careful.]

"By and by it will be summer, Mammy, and then we can all go out to
hunt for food," added Silver Ears cheerfully.

"But I want some cheese with my cracker," whimpered Buster.

"When your poor Daddy was alive, we had cheese or meat for every
meal. He was a wonderful provider. And so clever! What other family
has a cradle like ours? And my rocking-chair--I'm quite proud of it.
He made 'em all,--every stick of furniture we have, with his own