The Home of the Puff-Pudgys
So Twinkle and Chubbins, still holding hands, trotted along to the
Puff-Pudgy mound, and it was strange how rough the ground now seemed
to their tiny feet. They climbed up the slope of the mound rather
clumsily, and when they came to the hole it seemed to them as big as a
well. Then they saw that it wasn't a deep hole, but a sort of tunnel
leading down hill into the mound, and Twinkle knew if they were careful
they were not likely to slip or tumble down.
[Illustration: THE GROUND NOW SEEMED ROUGH TO THEIR TINY FEET]
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy popped into the hole like a flash, for she was used
to it, and waited just below the opening to guide them. So, Twinkle
slipped down to the floor of the tunnel and Chubbins followed close
after her, and then they began to go downward.
"It's a little dark right here," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy; "but I've ordered
the maid to light the candles for you, so you'll see well enough when
you're in the rooms."
"Thank you," said Twinkle, walking along the hall and feeling her way
by keeping her hand upon the smooth sides of the passage. "I hope you
won't go to any trouble, or put on airs, just because we've come to
visit you."
"If I do," replied Mrs. Puffy-Pudgy, "it's because I know the right
way to treat company. We've always belonged to the 'four hundred,'
you know. Some folks never know what to do, or how to do it, but that
isn't the way with the Puff-Pudgys. Hi! you, Teenty and Weenty--get
out of here and behave yourselves! You'll soon have a good look at our
visitors."
And now they came into a room so comfortable and even splendid that
Twinkle's eyes opened wide with amazement.
It was big, and of a round shape, and on the walls were painted
very handsome portraits of different prairie-dogs of the Puff-Pudgy
family. The furniture was made of white clay, baked hard in the sun
and decorated with paints made from blue clay and red clay and yellow
clay. This gave it a gorgeous appearance. There was a round table in
the middle of the room, and several comfortable chairs and sofas.
Around the walls were little brackets with candles in them, lighting
the place very pleasantly.
"Sit down, please," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy. "You'll want to rest a minute
before I show you around."
So Twinkle and Chubbins sat upon the pretty clay chairs, and Teenty and
Weenty sat opposite them and stared with their mischievous round eyes
as hard as they could.
"What nice furniture," exclaimed the girl.
"Yes," replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, looking up at the picture of a
sad-faced prairie-dog; "Mr. Puff-Pudgy made it all himself. He was very
handy at such things. It's a shame he turned out so obstinate."
[Illustration: MR. PUFF-PUDGY'S PORTRAIT]
"Did he build the house too?"
"Why, he dug it out, if that's what you mean. But I advised him how to
do it, so I deserve some credit for it myself. Next to the Mayor's,
it's the best house in town, which accounts for our high social
standing. Weenty! take your paw out of your mouth. You're biting your
claws again."
"I'm not!" said Weenty.
"And now," continued Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, "if you are rested, I'll show you
through the rest of our house."
So, they got up and followed her, and she led the children through
an archway into the dining-room. Here was a cupboard full of the
cunningest little dishes Twinkle had ever seen. They were all made of
clay, baked hard in the sun, and were of graceful shapes, and nearly as
smooth and perfect as our own dishes.
[Illustration]