“Bless my soul, brother Nibby,” said Malkin. “_I_ know where our handkerchief is. I put it there myself. It’s in the handkerchief box on the bureau. I wonder why we didn’t think to look for it there?” “I believe you’re right, brother,” said Nibby. “It’s the last place I would have thought of looking for it.” “Then we’d better take him back to get it before he cries again,” said Nibby. “Let’s go.” “Oh, dear!” said the Rag-Bone Man. “_Such_ a lot of running back and forth in the middle of the night! Come along,” he said to Merrimeg, “jump into the sack again, and let’s go back. Oh, dear! So much trouble, nothing but trouble! Quick, jump into the sack.” “No, no!” cried Merrimeg, starting to run. “I’m home now. I’m not going back! Good-by!” And she ran away as fast as her feet would carry her, through the apple orchard, across the cabbage garden, and in at the kitchen door. “Funny how we came to bring her back right to her own home, brother,” said Malkin. “Very funny, very funny indeed,” said Nibby. “Oh! oh! oh!” said the Rag-Bone Man. “What’ll my poor little Rags do now? Oh, what a terrible day I’ve had! Oh, dear! oh, dear!” He put his head down and burst out crying, and the two gnomes led him away. In the front room, Merrimeg’s mother was sitting at the window sewing. “Well,” she said. “I thought you were never coming home! I told you not to stay at Tish’s so late. Did you have a nice supper? Get ready for bed, and next time don’t stay so long.” “Yes, mother,” said Merrimeg. [Illustration: MERRIMEG AND THE APPLE-SEED ELF] _MERRIMEG AND THE APPLE-SEED ELF_ Merrimeg was sitting in an apple tree in the orchard. She sat there as still as a mouse. Her mother came to the kitchen door and called: “Merrimeg!” But Merrimeg sat in the apple tree as quiet as a mouse; and answered never a word. “Merrimeg!” called her mother. “Where are you?” Still Merrimeg said nothing. It was not one of her days to be good. “Come dry the dishes! Come dry the dishes!” called her mother. But Merrimeg did not want to dry dishes, so she sat in the apple tree among the green leaves and red apples, and said never a word. Her mother went back into the kitchen, and closed the door behind her. Then Merrimeg reached out her hand and plucked the biggest and reddest apple near her, and took a great bite out of it. “Oh, you naughty child!” piped up a little thin squeaking voice. “Are you trying to bite my head off?” She looked at the apple in her hand, and there, in the place where she had bitten it, was a tiny head with little black eyes. “Let me out!” cried the voice again. “Suppose you’d bitten my head off, what then, eh?” Merrimeg held up the apple and looked close at the tiny head. “I’m sorry,” said she. “How can I let you out?” “Why, you stupid thing,” said the little creature, “_eat_ me out, of course!”