agle on a
prickly pear with a snake in his mouth.

"I wonder if there's anybody at home," said Nate, and would have lifted
the knocker if Jimmy had not said, "Wait for Uncle James."

Jimmy thought as Uncle James was the leader of the expedition he should
be the one to do the knocking, or at any rate to tell them when to
knock. Nate himself had not thought of this. He was not so refined as
Jimmy, either by nature or by training.

Everybody had climbed the steps now. The older people were enjoying the
magnificent view; but Bab and Lucy were looking for the two toads who
had been seen going up to the castle together, the well toad taking the
lame toad's foot in his mouth.

"I wish they were both here," said Uncle James, "for you would like to
see them take that little journey."

"And the Mexican who built this air-castle," said Aunt Vi, "is he here
this summer?"

"No, he died last spring."

"Died?" echoed little Eddo, who had heard that dying means "going up in
the sky." "What made him die, mamma? Didn't he like it down here?"

Then without waiting for a reply he added most tenderly and
unexpectedly, "Isn't it nice that _you're_ not dead, mamma?"

"Why do you think that, my son?" she asked, wondering what he would say.

"Oh, _be_-cause I _am_ so glad about it." And at this sweet little
speech his mother caught him up in her arms and kissed him. How could
she help it?

"Now," said Uncle James, "let us see if we can enter the castle. 'Open
locks whoever knocks.' Try it, boys."

Nate lifted the knocker and pounded with a will. There was no answer or
sign of life.

"Let's see if this will help us," said Uncle James, taking a key from
his vest pocket:--

"For I'm the keeper of the keys,
And I do whatever I please."

The key actually fitted the lock, the door opened at once, and they all
entered the castle.

"Mr. Templeton lent me the key," explained Mr. Sanford. "He said the
castle was as empty as a last year's bird's nest, but I thought we might
like to take a look at it."

"We do, oh, we do," said Lucy. "Isn't it queer? Just two rooms and
nothing in 'em at all! Oh, Bab, let's you and I bring some dishes up
here and keep house! Here's a cupboard right in the wall."

"I guess it's Mother Hubbard's cupboard, it looks bare enough. Just a
table in the room and one old chair," exclaimed Edith.

"I'm glad we came in, though," said Kyzie. "Isn't it beautiful to stand
in the door and look down, down,