t all seemed like some queer dream;
and I was beginning to wonder if I was really awake, when I heard the
Doctor speaking again:

"My blessed matches are all wet. They won't strike. Have you got any?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't," I called back.

"Never mind," said he. "Perhaps Dab-Dab can raise us a light somewhere."

Then the Doctor made some funny clicking noises with his tongue and I
heard some one trundle up the stairs again and start moving about in the
rooms above.

Then we waited quite a while without anything happening.

"Will the light be long in coming?" I asked. "Some animal is sitting on
my foot and my toes are going to sleep."

"No, only a minute," said the Doctor. "She'll be back in a minute."

And just then I saw the first glimmerings of a light around the landing
above. At once all the animals kept quiet.

"I thought you lived alone," I said to the Doctor. "So I do," said he.
"It is Dab-Dab who is bringing the light."

I looked up the stairs trying to make out who was coming. I could not
see around the landing but I heard the most curious footstep on the
upper flight. It sounded like some one hopping down from one step to the
other, as though he were using only one leg.

As the light came lower, it grew brighter and began to throw strange
jumping shadows on the walls.

"Ah-at last!" said the Doctor. "Good old Dab-Dab!"

And then I thought I REALLY must be dreaming. For there, craning her
neck round the bend of the landing, hopping down the stairs on one leg,
came a spotless white duck. And in her right foot she carried a lighted
candle!

THE FOURTH CHAPTER. THE WIFF-WAFF

WHEN at last I could look around me I found that the hall was indeed
simply full of animals. It seemed to me that almost every kind of
creature from the countryside must be there: a pigeon, a white rat, an
owl, a badger, a jackdaw--there was even a small pig, just in from the
rainy garden, carefully wiping his feet on the mat while the light from
the candle glistened on his wet pink back.

The Doctor took the candlestick from the duck and turned to me.

"Look here," he said: "you must get those wet clothes off--by the way,
what is your name?"

"Tommy Stubbins," I said.

"Oh, are you the son of Jacob Stubbins, the shoemaker?"

"Yes," I said.

"Excellent bootmaker, your father," said the Doctor. "You see these?"
and he held up his right foot to show me the enormous boots he was
wearing. "Your father made m