r was all curly. There were laughs in
her eyes.

"I _have_ to!" she said. "I'm bewitched!"

"I'll go with you!" said my Father.

My Mother turned around again. She looked at my Father! At his golden
crown! At his white spangled wings! At the pink silk skirt over his arm!

"Like--that?" said my Mother.

My Father decided not to go.

The Rich Man said he considered the decision very wise.

They glared.

Way over on the other side of the green lilac hedge we heard my Mother
trotting down the driveway. _Clack_-clack--_clack_--clack sounded the
hoof-beats!

"My Lord--she's pacing!" groaned my Father.

"Clever work!" said the Rich Man. "Was she ever in a Band? In a Jazz
Band, you know, with Bantam Rooster whistles? And drums that bark like
dogs?"

"In a _what_?" cried my Father. He was awful mad.

Our Aunt Esta tried to soothe him with something worse. She turned to
me.

"Now, Ruthy-the-Rabbit," she said. "Let us see what _you_ can do to
redeem the ignominy of your impudent giggling!" She handed me the Bright
Green and the Bright Red Celluloid fishes. She poked her wand at me.
"Hopping all the way," she said. "Every step of the way, you
understand,--bear these two fish to the Head-Waters of the Magic
Brook,--the little pool under the apple tree will do,--and start them
ex--ex--peditiously down the Brook towards Rosalee!"

"Yes'm," I said.

Our Aunt Esta turned to the Rich Man.

"Foul Menial," she said. "Push my chariot a little further down the Lawn
into the shade!"

The Foul Menial pushed it.

My Father pushed a little too.

I hopped along beside them flopping my long ears. Our Aunt Esta looked
_ex_-actly like a Witch! The Rich Man's black face was leaking a little
but not much! It would have been easier if he hadn't tripped so often on
his plaid shawl skirt! My Father's white wings flapped as he pushed! He
looked like an angel who wasn't quite hatched! It was handsome!

When we got to the thickest shade there was a man's black felt hat
bobbing along the top of the Japonica Hedge. It was rather a
soft-boiled looking hat. It was bobbing just as fast as it could towards
the house.

When our Aunt Esta saw the hat she screamed! She jumped from her chariot
as though it had been flames! She tore the scraggly gray wig from her
head! She tore the hump from her back! She kicked off her wooden shoes!
Her feet were silk! She ran like the wind for the back door!

My Father ran for the Wood-Shed!

The Ric