r Heading_ 92
_Wynken, Blynken, and Nod_ 93
_He was a little prudent_ 96
_The Rockaby Lady saying good-night_ 97
_Flew away . . . into the night_ 100
_Into his overcoat pocket_ 101
_Red Riding-Hood's Grandmother began to dance_ 103
_A long time to get on their overshoes_ 105
_Closed her eyes_ 106
_Tail Piece_ 107

[Illustration: Chapter I]

'Twas the night before Christmas, and it was very quiet in Mrs. Muffet's
house,--altogether too quiet, thought little Miss Muffet, as she sat
trying to eat her curds and whey. For Mrs. Muffet was a very severe
mother and had her own ideas about bringing up children,--and so had Mr.
Muffet, or rather he had the same ideas, only warmed over. One of these
was on the necessity of care in the diet of growing children. "First,"
said Mrs. Muffet, "we must find out what the children don't like, and
then we must make them eat plenty of it; next to breaking their wills,
there is nothing so necessary as breaking their appetites." Mrs. Muffet
had read this in a book, and so she knew it must be true; and Mr. Muffet
had heard Mrs. Muffet say it so many times that he knew it was true.

[Illustration: _Mrs. Muffet had read this in a book_]

So every morning little Miss Muffet had three courses: first, curds and
whey; second, whey and curds; third, curdled whey. She had the same
things for the other meals, but the order was changed about. An
experienced housekeeper tells me that the third course is impossible to
prepare, as whey cannot be curdled. All I have to say is that this
housekeeper had not known Mrs. Muffet. Mrs. Muffet could curdle
anything. But the worst days of the year for little Miss Muffet were the
holidays, for they were occasions that had to be improved. Now for a
little girl to improve an occasion is about the hardest work she can do,
especially when she doesn't know how. If she had been left to herself,
Miss Muffet wouldn't have improved them at all, but would have left them
in their natural state.

[Illustration: _To meditate on the passage of time_]

"Christmas," said M