home stopped. They heard
people talking and then down, down they went. My, what a queer feeling
it gave them!

They heard a voice say, "Your elevator is running fine today, Tom."

"An elevator!" cried Mother Gray--"Our home is in an elevator. We must
move at once for we cannot be always going up and down."

Father Gray just laughed and laughed, then said: "Well, well, I have
heard of elevators, but I never expected to have a ride in one and now
we have a home in one. That is a good joke, ha! ha!"

Mother Gray said, "You may laugh all you wish, but I am tired of city
life, you are never sure of a safe home. We will go to the country to
live."

"Oh, oh," cried Pinkie Whiskers, "let us go and live with Uncle Whiskers
in the cheese factory."

"A very good idea," said Father Gray, and straightway they started for
the country.

When they arrived at the cheese factory, they found it dark and
deserted, but Father Gray discovered a hole and soon they had all
crawled in through this hole. Mother Gray selected a great, big round
cheese to live in. Father Gray made an entrance into it and very soon
the tired rats were in bed in the cheese.

The next day Pinkie Whiskers, Winkle and Twinkle went out in the meadow
to explore and they found a net, which some boy had lost.

Pinkie Whiskers said, "You just watch me catch that butterfly in this
net!"

He swiftly ran after the butterfly, but when the butterfly saw Pinkie
Whiskers coming, he thought how nice it would be to have a ride on
Pinkie Whiskers' back, so he flew after him.

Now, Pinkie Whiskers did not know much about butterflies and he thought
this butterfly was chasing him.

So Pinkie Whiskers started to run for home.

"Don't let him catch me," begged Pinkie Whiskers.

Winkle and Twinkle took out their little handkerchiefs and waved them
fast and hard. The butterfly was so amazed at the sight, that he forgot
about Pinkie Whiskers and flew away.

CHAPTER II

Pinkie Whiskers ran to Winkle and Twinkle. He was so frightened that he
hid behind them. Twinkle laughed and said:

"Do not hide, for the butterfly has gone and anyway it was as afraid of
us as you were of it. Butterflies are perfectly harmless. They do not
sting or bite. They are as gentle and timid as they are beautiful."

Pinkie Whiskers looked in every direction, but he could not see the
butterfly, so he shook himself and ran about once more. He was glad to
know that butterflies were harmle