“Oh, _that_ I was too disgusted with even to blow on. I left it where it was. But I have reason to know that it followed the flight of the bird as best it could on its puny legs, and galloped along after them.” “Good old Smiler!” exclaimed Tibbs. Then he added in a matter-of-fact way, “I suppose you haven’t a December day knocking around anywhere, that you don’t particularly want? If you have, old man, you might lend it to me. I’ll give you some marbles and a piece of string in exchange, and it’ll help to make up for the way you’ve behaved!” Just then the East Wind happened to glance up at his beloved Taj Mahal, and his brow clouded. “No, I haven’t,” he growled, “and you deserved all you received!” He was turning his back to go, when from the jungle came the soft, sweet trumpeting of the little White Elephant. At the sound of his loved one’s voice the East Wind changed again, and, turning once more to Tibbs, he added: “Try the North Wind for a December day, mine are not so warm as his.” Then turning on his heels, once more he blew back into the jungle. As soon as the East Wind had departed, Tibbs commenced to search for Kiddiwee. But it was no easy matter for a little chap no larger than a lead soldier to clamber over a huge building, such as the ruined Taj Mahal. However, he struggled on bravely, and at length came to a large slanting crack in the side of the building, which was like a winding mountain pathway to him. Up this he strode, and at last arrived at a deep crevice between two great blocks of marble, across which was hung a dusty cobweb. With a great effort of will--for he hated spiders above all things--he shook the web, and after doing this once or twice, a huge, hairy-legged spider appeared and looked at him hungrily. “Well!” said the Elderly Spinster Spider, for it was she, “What do you want?” This was not a very polite greeting, but Tibbs thought it as well to humour her, so he said-- “Nothing, Madame----” “Miss!” corrected the Elderly Spinster Spider, folding two legs across her chest. “Miss,” repeated Tibbs, “I want nothing but a glance into your eyes, for they are said to be the brightest gems in the Taj Mahal.” “Rubbish!” exclaimed the Elderly Spinster Spider, but she carefully combed her eyebrows with the comb on her third left leg. “It is also said,” continued Tibbs, “that you have the kindest heart in all Spiderland, preferring rather to remain single than to marry and be obliged to eat up your husband!” (Tibbs had read somewhere that this was the usual custom amongst lady Spiders.) “Don’t talk of husbands to me!” said the Elderly Spinster Spider, “the shy, undersized, nervous, shamefaced things! Ugh! I wouldn’t eat one if there wasn’t a fly left in India!” “Tender-hearted creature!” murmured Tibbs.