ked so
many questions that he soon got to know all about it. They were
practicing a Christmas mumming-play, called "The Peace Egg." Why it was
called thus they could not tell him, as there was nothing whatever about
eggs in it, and so far from being a play of peace, it was made up of a
series of battles between certain valiant knights and princes. The
rehearsal being over, Robin went with the boys to the sexton's house (he
was father to one of the characters called the "King of Egypt") where
they showed him the dresses they were to wear. These were made of
gay-colored materials, and covered with ribbons, except that of the
"Black Prince of Paradine," which was black, as became his title. The
boys also showed him the book from which they learned their parts, and
which was to be bought at the post-office store.

"Then are you the mummers who come round at Christmas, and act in
people's kitchens, and people give them money, that mamma used to tell
us about?" said Robin.

The boy hesitated a moment and then said, "Well, I suppose we are."

"And do you go out in the snow from one house to another at night; and
oh, don't you enjoy it?" cried Robin.

"We like it well enough," the lad admitted.

Robin bought a copy of "The Peace Egg." He was resolved to have a
nursery performance, and to take the chief part himself. The others
were willing for what he wished, but there were difficulties. In the
first place, there are eight characters in the play, and there were only
five children. They decided among themselves to leave out the "Fool,"
and Mamma said that another character was not to be acted by any of
them, or indeed mentioned; "the little one who comes in at the end,"
Robin explained. Mamma had her reasons, and these were always good. She
had not been altogether pleased that Robin had bought the play. It was a
very old thing, she said, and very queer; not adapted for a child's
play. If Mamma thought the parts not quite fit for the children to
learn, they found them much too long: so in the end she picked out some
bits for each, which they learned easily, and which, with a good deal of
fighting, made quite as good a story of it as if they had done the
whole. What may have been wanting otherwise was made up for by the
dresses, which were charming.

Robin was St. George, Nicholas the valiant Slasher, Dora the Doctor, and
the other two Hector and the King of Egypt. "And now we've no Black
Prince!" cried Robin in dismay.