ar!" squawked the chicken, and fluttered under the table, for
these new-comers were all strangers to him.

Spot tried not to bark his astonishment and delight; Minx began to claw
all the old dolls and toys about; the French lady walked away into a
corner and waited to be introduced, while Lyd and Peg shook hands with
their old cronies until it seemed as though they never would stop.

The tree had hopped into the room and stood there, not knowing what to
do with himself. Lucy did not see him at first, being so busy with the
rest; but as soon as she did see him, she gave him such a hug as nearly
pulled him over.

"Oh, you dear old Norway! Did _you_ come? You're so good, and I'm so
glad! Come up to the fire and get warm. Here, Jack, and Lyd, and
Francaise, help me get this big foot-stool into the corner. It's
getting awful late."

Lucy flew about in a ragged kind of way until she had all the rest
flying about too, doing an amount of work nobody would have believed
possible. They were all glad enough to do the work, but they needed
just such a driving, thoughtful old body as Lucy to show them what to
do and keep them at it.

[Illustration: SCRUBBY'S FRIENDS ARRANGING HER CHRISTMAS-TREE.]

The big foot-stool was put where Lucy wanted it, and Norway warmed his
foot and hopped upon the stool, pushing himself as far back in the
corner as he could get, to make sure that he would not fall.

Then Lucy climbed upon a chair in front of him, ready for business. She
took Francaise up on the chair beside her to help arrange the things,
for the French girl had excellent taste, and nobody could deny it. Lyd
and Peg, and Minx and Spot, and even the chicken, brought the things to
go on the tree, and faster, too, than they could possibly be used,
while Ned shouted all manner of directions.

Poor Norway fairly bowed his head under the weight of all the things
that were hung upon him. And it was astonishing how pretty those
battered old dolls, broken toys, and torn flowers looked when upon the
tree. There were so many, and they had been arranged so nicely, that
they really did make a splendid show.

"But, oh dear!" Lucy sighed, when it was all done. "It's not your fault
I know, Norway, and you are just as good as you can be; but if you only
were not quite so thin, and were just a little bit greener! And then
we've no moss to put under you. But we haven't any nice little animals
to put on the moss, if we had it."

Just then, Jumpin