IT WAS quite late when the Teenie Weenies arrived at the shoe house, and
it was almost nine o’clock when the little people had finished their
supper.
“Well, we’d better all get to bed,” said the General, pushing his chair
back from the table, “for we have got to be out bright and early in the
morning and take Mr. Mouse back to his home.”
Gogo and the Turk helped the Cook wash up the supper dishes, and half an
hour later every single Teenie Weenie was sleeping peacefully in his
teenie weenie bed.
The Teenie Weenies had been asleep only a short time when they were
awakened by a loud squeaking and scratching at the front door.
“Who dat?” cried Gogo, putting his head out one of the tiny windows.
“Its me,” answered Mrs. Mouse. “Oh dear me.”
“What’s the trouble?” asked the General, joining Gogo at the window.
“Oh gracious me,” wailed Mrs. Mouse, “I’m scared half out of my senses,
for I’m afraid that old cat that lives next door might get in the
cellar, and to think what would happen to my poor crippled husband just
frightens me half out of my wits.”
“We’ll not desert you, madam,” said the General kindly. “We’ll come over
immediately and take your husband home.”
The Teenie Weenies soon dressed themselves, and Gogo hurried over to the
hospital to call the Doctor.
“Hadn’t we better take along one of the wagons?” asked the General, when
the Teenie Weenie physician arrived.
“A wagon wouldn’t do,” answered the Doctor. “We could never take Mr.
Mouse home in a wagon. Why, it would jar the poor mouse’s injured legs
until he couldn’t stand the pain.”
“Great grief!” cried the General, “how in the name of ripe cherries are
we going to move him?”
“Very simple matter,” said the Doctor. “We can carry him in a hammock,
which we can make out of a sheet or tablecloth. This can be hung on a
pole and we can carry him on our shoulders.”
“I know where there’s a pole that will be just the thing,” shouted the
Turk. “Come on, Gogo, and we’ll get it.”
The two Teenie Weenies hurried away in the darkness and presently they
returned with a long handled paint brush.
The Cook brought out an old tablecloth and the little men set out for
the cellar where the poor mouse lay.
It was dark, but the little fellows found their way without trouble, for
Teenie Weenies can see almost as well as owls in the dark and in a short
time they arrived safe and sound.
[‡Illustration: Stretcher for the bird]
The injured mouse was soon put into the tablecloth and the ends were
made fast to the brush handle. Six of the strongest Teenie Weenies were
chosen to carry the mouse and they gently lifted the brush handle to
their shoulders. The Teenie Weenies moved off carefully towards the
mouse’s home, which lay at the far end of the cellar.
The Dunce walked at the side of the hammock and carried the mouse’s long
tail over his shoulder, in order to keep it from dragging on the floor,
for the poor fellow’s spirits were mighty low and his tail would drag.
The mouse was carried through a hole in a brick wall, which was the
entrance to his home, and laid gently on a bed of soft cotton. The Lady
of Fashion helped Mrs. Mouse nurse her husband back to health and the
Doctor called almost every day, while the Cook made all sorts of dainty
dishes for the invalid.
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