pushed the easy chair aside and saw Racketty-Packetty House.

"Oh!" she said, "there is that Racketty-Packetty old thing still. I
had forgotten it. It must be carried down-stairs and burned. I will
go and tell one of the footmen to come for it."

Meg and Peg and Kilmanskeg were in their attic and they all rushed
out in such a hurry to get down-stairs that they rolled all the way
down the staircase, and Peter Piper and Gustibus had to dart out of
the drawing-room and pick them up, Ridiklis came staggering up from
the kitchen quite out of breath.

"Oh! our house is going to be burned! Our house is going to be
burned!" cried Meg and Peg clutching their brothers.

"Let us go and throw ourselves out of the window!" cried
Kilmanskeg.

"I don't see how they can have the heart to burn a person's home!"
said Ridiklis, wiping her eyes with her kitchen duster.

Peter Piper was rather pale, but he was extremely brave and
remembered that he was the head of the family.

"Now, Lady Meg and Lady Peg and Lady Kilmanskeg," he said, "let us
all keep cool."

"We shan't keep cool when they set our house on fire," said
Gustibus. Peter Piper just snapped his fingers.