"Well, _Uncle_, I thought she _might_ do a little Damage that Way, ('tis the prettiest little Creature you ever saw; her Ears are bored, and her Name's _Jessy_!) So I brought you, Sir, a Tea-Service, to cover Breakages; the Cups and Saucers fitting into each other; and the Teapot, no bigger than this Orange, fitting in o' Top; the whole Concern packs in a Cylinder no bigger than a Spice-Box." "Dear _Tom_," says my _Mother_, nervously, "we've more Tea-Services already than we should know what to do with, if we did not keep a genteel Kind of Tea-Garden for the Quality." "But as you do, Ma'am, won't it be acceptable? Or otherwise, won't you want _Jessy_ to break it? She's the prettiest little Dear you can imagine, the Darling of the whole Ship. Well! it seems you're each discontented with the other's Presents;--my _Uncle_ don't like your having the Monkey, and you don't like his having the Crockery. Then I'll tell you what I'll do--chop and change. I'll take your Presents down to my _Father_ and _Mother_, and you shall have theirs. I've bought _you_ a Pair of Slippers, _Prue_, but of course they're too big." And out he pulled a Pair of little _Chinese_ Slippers that might have pinched _Cinderella_. "I'm sure you can't wear them, _Prue_," said I. "I'm sure I shan't try," said she, jerking her Chin. "Well, _Patty_, since I could find you Nothing better, I've brought you a Feather Fan with an Ivory Handle." "Thank you, _Tom_!" said I; "it will do nicely to flap the Flies off the Pastry." "And since you, _Aunt_, will not have the Monkey, you must be content with some Gunpowder Tea." "I shall like that a great deal better, _Tom_, I assure you. The only Sort of Gunpowder I approve." Here _Tom_ pulled out of his Pocket what looked like a Mahogany Rule, about nine Inches long. "Now, Sir," says he to my _Father_, "what's that?" "I can't for the Life of me tell," says my _Father_, after eyeing it askance and then handling it. "I knew you couldn't! See," (unfolding it,) "it's a Boot-jack!" "A queer one, _Tom_!" "And what is it now? Why, a Reading-Desk! What is it now? A Cribbage Board!" "Ha! _Tom_, that's ingenious." "Ingenious, _Uncle_? I believe it is! What is it now? A Ruler. What is it now? A pair of Snuffers." "Ha, ha, ha!" "Ah, I knew you'd laugh--what is it now? An eighteen Inch Rule. What is it now? A Pair of Nut-crackers. What is it now? Two Candlesticks. What is it now? A Picquet-Board. What is it now! A Lemon-squeezer. That's for you, _Uncle_. That's all the Changes. It will go into your Coat Pocket." "It _shall_ go there, _Tom_! 'Tis a real Curiosity." "I knew you'd say so, Sir. I wasn't sure about the Monkey, but I knew you'd like this. _Jessy_ shall go with me Home, but I shan't go there till next Week, because they don't know we've come up the River, so I shall stay a little here first." "But, _Tom_, I don't know how we can take you in, for we have a Lodger."