table and break his squeaking bird. There was a sharp convenient
wire inside the bird, and of course the Lamb ran the wire into
Robert's leg at once; and so, without anyone's meaning to, the
secret drawer was flooded with ink. At the same time a stream was
poured over Anthea's half-finished letter. So that her letter was
something like this:


DARLING MOTHER, I hope you are quite well, and I hope Granny is
better. The other day we ...


Then came a flood of ink, and at the bottom these words in pencil
-


It was not me upset the ink, but it took such a time clearing up,
so no more as it is post-time. - From your loving daughter,
ANTHEA.


Robert's letter had not even been begun. He had been drawing a
ship on the blotting-paper while he was trying to think of what to
say. And of course after the ink was upset he had to help Anthea
to clean out her desk, and he promised to make her another secret
drawer, better than the other. And she said, 'Well, make it now.'
So it was post-time and his letter wasn't done. And the secret
drawer wasn't done either.

Cyril wrote a long letter, very fast, and then went to set a trap