, and he was called Sniffy.
The baby mouse had such a squeaky little voice that he was called
Squeaky. He was always singing, "Ee-ee-ee!"

Mother mouse was very wise, and she had taught her babies to run and
hide when they saw the old cat coming. She had also taught them not to
go near a trap. The little mice obeyed their mother, and they were happy
in their home in the pantry wall.

They had many good times together. I could not tell you about all of
these, but I am going to tell you about their Christmas party and what
happened to Squeaky.

It was the night before Christmas. The stockings hung by the chimney,
and the tall tree was standing in the parlor. The children were asleep,
and the father and mother had gone upstairs to bed.

In the pantry wall, the little mice were all wide-awake.

"Ee-ee-ee!" squeaked Squeaky; "why can't we creep into the big room and
see the tall Christmas tree? The children have talked about it for days,
and we have never seen one. Mother, please let us go and see it."

"Yes," said Sniffy, "do let us go. Everything smells so good. The
children and the cook made long strings of pop corn to-day. I found a
little on the pantry floor, and I want some more."

"I peeped out of our hole," said Sharpeyes, "and I saw cake and candy
all ready for the children. Oh, I do want a bite of those good things!
Please let us have a Christmas party."

"Well," said mother mouse, "I will ask your father. If he says it is
safe, we will go."

When mother mouse asked father mouse, he said, "I will go out first and
look all about. If it is safe, I will come back for you."

So father mouse crept softly through the pantry, down the long hall, and
into the parlor. The cat was nowhere to be seen. Father mouse ran back
to the pantry and cried, "The cat is not near; come and see the tree."

II

Then all the mice came scampering from the hole in the wall. They crept
through the pantry, down the long hall, and into the parlor. When they
saw the tall Christmas tree, they squeaked again and again in their joy.
Then they ran around and around the tree to see what was on it.

[Illustration: The mice look at the Christmas tree]

On the floor they saw a wonderful doll's house. "How fine it would be to
live there!" they squeaked.

They ran up and down the stairs, sat on the chairs, and lay down in the
beds. Oh, they had a merry time!

Then Sniffy said, "I smell that good pop corn again. Let's climb up into
t