knew you well! We
have never before been discovered. He is a hasty temper, and it
certainly _was_ irritating!"

'Zekiel began to recover from his terror, and grasped the china dog by
the paw. He felt proud to think that his ideas about china dogs had
proved true. They were not merely "chaney"--as Eli and Hercules
contemptuously expressed it; but were really as much alive as he was
himself, after all!

"However did you manage to get out of Granny Pyetangle's cupboard?"
enquired 'Zekiel, curiously.

"Oh, I put those lazy greyhounds and the shepherdess at it," replied
the china dog. "They worked all night, and managed to undo the latch
early this afternoon. They're bound to work for me like all the
inferior china things," and he shook his head superciliously.

"And now," said 'Zekiel, "please tell me how the Fozzy-gog is going to
get my Granny well."

"Ah, that I mayn't tell you," said the china dog. "You must come with
me to-morrow night to the Dog-wood, and you will hear all about it."

As he spoke, he began to shrink and stiffen in the same remarkable way
as the Fozzy-gog, and a moment after he was standing in his ordinary
shape in the centre of the cobblestone pathway.

The moonlight shone upon his quaint little figure and the golden
padlock at his neck. 'Zekiel sprang up just as the cottage door
opened, and a neighbour came out calling, "'Zekiel! 'Zekiel! Drat the
lad! Where be you gone to?"

'Zekiel tucked the china dog under his arm and hurried in, receiving a
good scolding from Granny Pyetangle and her friend for "loitering,"
but he felt so light-hearted and cheerful, the hard words fell round
him quite harmlessly.

"Granny 'll be well to-morrow! Granny 'll be well to-morrow!" he kept
repeating to himself over and over again, and he ran into the kitchen
just before going to bed to make sure the things in the corner
cupboard were safely shut away for the night.

'Zekiel hardly knew how he got through the next day, so impatient was
he for the evening. Granny Pyetangle was certainly worse. The
neighbours came in and shook their heads sadly over her, and Dame
Fossie hobbled up from her shop and offered to spend the night there,
as it was "no' fit for young lads to have such responsibilities"--and
this offer 'Zekiel eagerly accepted.

As soon as it grew dusk, he unlatched the door of the oak cupboard;
and then being very tired--for he had worked hard since daylight--he
sat down in Granny Pyetangle's larg