f I'll be broken to bits! Will no one save
me?"
CHAPTER II
A WONDERFUL VOYAGE
"Goodness me! this is a lot of excitement for one who has just come to
life and had his first coat of varnish!" thought the Nodding Donkey as
he saw what seemed to be a sad accident about to happen. "I wonder if I
could do anything to help save the Spotted Giraffe? I must try to do all
I can. It will be the first time I have ever moved all by myself."
"Stand aside, if you please! I'll save the Spotted Giraffe!" suddenly
called a voice, and from a shelf just underneath the one from which the
Rolling Elephant had pulled the long-necked creature there stepped a
Jolly Fisherman. This toy fisherman had a large net for catching crabs
or lobsters, and he held it out for the Spotted Giraffe to fall into.
Down the Giraffe fell, but he landed in the net of the Jolly Fisherman,
just as a circus performer falls into a net from a high trapeze, and he
was not harmed.
"Dear! I'm glad you caught me," said the Giraffe, after he had managed
to climb out of the net to the top of a work table which ran under all
the shelves.
"Yes, I got there just in time," replied the Jolly Fisherman, as he
slung his net over his shoulder again.
"And I'm very sorry I pulled you from the shelf," said the Rolling
Elephant. "I didn't mean to do it, Mr. Giraffe."
"Well, as long as no harm is done, we'll forget all about it and have
some fun," put in the Plush Bear. "This doesn't happen every night," the
Bear went on, speaking to the Nodding Donkey. "You must not get the idea
that it is dangerous here."
"Oh, no, I think it's a very nice place," the Nodding Donkey answered.
"It's my first day here, you see."
"Oh, yes, it's easy to see that," said the China Cat. "You are so new
and shiny any one would know you were just made. Well, now what shall we
do? Who has a game to suggest or a riddle to ask?" and, as she spoke,
she put out her paw and began to roll a red rubber ball on the shelf
near her. For, though she was very stiff in the daytime, being made of
china like a dinner plate, the Cat could easily move about at night if
no human eyes watched her.
"Let's play a guessing game," suggested the Rolling Elephant, who, by
this time had managed to get down to the table without upsetting any
more of the toys. "If we play tag or hide and go seek, I'm so big and
clumsy I may knock over something and break it."
"That's so--you might," growled the Plush Be
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