Little Peter had been asleep for a long time, when all at once he found himself suddenly twitched by the arm. He rolled over, rubbed his eyes, and then, to his amazement, saw the little Parsnip-man sitting by him on the quilt. He did not look a bit like a parsnip now. He had on a long yellow coat, and a little green hat on his head; and he nodded in quite a friendly way to Peter. "Come along! Be quick!" he said. "We must be off. But wrap up well, for it's cold outside." "Where are we going to?" asked little Peter. "Into the cave? And is Mamma going too?" "No," said the little man. "She's stopping at home. But do be quick, for the feast has begun." And with that he gave such a jump on to the floor that the boards fairly creaked again, and little Peter, slipped out of bed after him. The little Parsnip-man helped him on with his shoes and stockings, and Peter put on the rest of his clothes himself. Then the Mannikin pulled out a little whistle and blew on it. Immediately there was a rustling under the bed, and then two mice peeped out. In a moment the Parsnip-man caught one, and vaulted on to its back. "You get on the other," he said to Peter. "But it isn't big enough to carry me," said Peter doubtfully. "Get up, I tell you!" said the little man, laughing. Peter did as he was told. Doubtless he had been growing smaller, for when he was fairly astride he sat the mouse as if it had been made for him. As to the mouse, it kept perfectly still for Peter to mount. "Now, sit fast!" cried the Mannikin; and Peter had hardly seized the ears of the mouse (for want of reins), when his new steed ran away with him under the bed. Then all of a sudden it became quite dark. "Where are we?" cried Peter, for the mouse galloped on, and Peter was getting frightened. "We are in the cellar," the voice of the Parsnip-man replied at his side. "Don't be frightened; it will be light again in a minute or two." Accordingly, in a few moments, Peter could see all around him. They had emerged from the cellar, and were now in the street. The wind had fallen, and there was a dead calm. The street-lamps were burning with a somewhat dim light, however. Peter could now plainly see the form of the little Parsnip-man riding beside him. The mice scampered on and on. [Illustration] A watchman was standing in the doorway of a house. His halberd reposed against the wall beside him. Probably the watchman himself was reposing, for he never moved when the mice and their riders went by. They rode to the end of the street, and there, before an old deserted house which Peter had often shuddered to look at in the daytime, the mice stopped. "Here we are!" said the Parsnip-man, jumping down from his mouse. Peter dismounted more leisurely, and the two mice ran off. It was almost pitch dark by the old house. Only one distant lamp gave a feeble glimmer. The Parsnip-man whistled as before. By and by Peter heard a sound like "Bst! bst!"