hole handkerchief full of dimples out before
him.

Sniff-gobble-gulp! Was there ever such haste and excitement? Sara
jumped up and down with delight, and everybody in the Garden laughed.
As for the Snimmy, he was quite overcome, and began to shed gum-drops
of joy.

"For once he's had a full meal," said his wife, grimly indulgent. As
for Sara, she ran off, laughing, to tell Jimmy how funny he had
looked.

The Plynck waked up from her first nap and rustled her fragrant
plumes.

"Was that Sara?" she asked of her Echo.

"Of course," said the Echo. "You've been asleep."

"Then it wasn't Sara this morning--the strange child with the tears?"

Her more practical Echo shrugged her wings. "Go explain to her," she
said to the Teacup.

So the little Teacup, very glad to be safe at home again, fluttered up
to her place beside her mistress; and they talked about Sara and her
strange adventures far into the night.

Chapter IX
Cheers and Butter

You would have followed the Snoodle, too, if he had wagged himself at
you in that delightful, insinuating fashion, rolled over and over
across your foot, and then gone frisking down the path, looking back
beguilingly over his shoulder.

So of course Sara did, as soon as she had properly disposed of her
dimples. She went skipping along so eagerly that she did not notice
that it was an entirely different path--neither pink nor curly--until
she had gone through a new arch in the hedge and found herself in the
meadow, with the Equine Gahoppigas, all saddled and bridled, waiting
for her.

She had known from the first, just from his general expression, that
the Snoodle was going to lead her to something interesting; but she
was not prepared for this.

It was clear, of course, that she was expected to ride the creature;
but what it was she could not at first make out. It was about the size
of a large hobby-horse, and, in respect to its beautiful, wavy mane
and tail, much resembled it. Otherwise, it was exactly like a
grasshopper. And it was rearing and snorting in a most alarming
manner. As Sara stood considering, however, she caught a backward look
out of its wild eyes that said, "Oh, come on; it's all a joke."

So Sara took her seat in the saddle. Just as she gathered up the reins
the Snoodle leaped up behind her--exactly as the trained dog in the
circus leaps up behind the monkey on the big Newfoundland. (Only,