, the red
policeman has turned soldier. Now we needn't be afraid of him any
more."

And he called upstairs to his wife, "Come down at once and get me my
bag."

The old woman came downstairs quickly. She took down the bag from its
nail and handed it to her husband. "Run," she said, "as hard as you
can, and bring me a hen and anything else nice that takes your fancy.
Bags were made to put things in. And the red policeman--the soldier,
that is to say--will stay to dinner."

The soldier sat down in the chair and lit his pipe, and the old man
went out with the bag. Very soon he returned with two hens, a fat duck,
several rolls of butter, a large piece of bacon, some cabbages, some
ice cream, and two pots of marmalade.

The old woman cooked everything but the ice cream and the marmalade,
and they had a very good dinner indeed.

"This is much better than being a policeman," said the soldier when
they had finished.

"I should just think it was," said the old man.

"And so should I," said the old woman.

"Now I must wish you both good evening," said the soldier, "for I hear
the bugle calling."

CHAPTER VIII.

When a soldier hears the bugle calling he is bound to go even if he
would like to have stayed for supper. That is why the soldier went.

"I am glad I am not a soldier," said the old man, "because I do not
have to go when the bugle calls."

"No," said the old woman, "but you have to go when I tell you, which is
pretty much the same thing."

"Perhaps it is," said the old man.

"And I think," said the old woman, "that it might be just as well for
you to go out this evening with the bag and get a few nice little
things for breakfast and dinner to-morrow. For when you come to think
of it there is no reason why the soldier should not take it into his
head to be a red policeman again, and if he did he would run after us
when he saw us with the bag. So that we had better get what we want
before he changes his mind."

"A very good idea, my dear," said the old man, "give me the bag and I
will go out at once."

The old woman gave him the bag and off he went.

He was away a very long time. Indeed he did not get back till nearly
midnight. When he set the bag down on the table the old woman could see
that he had got a good many things, because the bag bulged so.

"How good of you," she said. "Now show me what you have got."

Then the old man opened the bag. First he pulled out a pretty little
kitten wit