"Serve you both right for being so disobedient as to jump on the furniture," replied their mother, with placid satisfaction that matters were no worse. "You ought to have been all tidied up, and downstairs by now." "It isn't time yet, surely, Mother!" The three turned instinctively towards the Cuckoo clock. It had stopped at three minutes to four. "There now, Lucy, you silly!" cried her brother; "if you hadn't forgotten to wind it up, we shouldn't have had that beastly tumble, and shouldn't have been late for tea." "Come, dears, quickly, and I'll help make you ready," said their mother; and they left the nursery together. * * * * * During the excitement Tabiatha had remained unnoticed in her basket under the table, glad in all the turmoil to be peaceful and forgotten. She came out, stretched herself lazily, and soon began to gambol about the room. The clock chain, lying loosely on the ground, attracted her attention. She crouched, then leapt at one bound upon it, backed a little, touched it with her paw, lay on her side, and played with the bright links with all four paws and much enjoyment. With a sudden movement she righted herself--made a spring upwards, missed the chain and fell without hurt. Liking this novel game, she leapt higher next time, and alighted on a cushioned chair, scratched her way up, jumped on to a bookcase, and then on to an empty shelf. There was the chain within easy reach. Putting out her paw, it caught instead in a ring she hadn't noticed. To disentangle it she reached over, lost her foothold, and, still caught in the ring, found that the rattling chain was moving downwards with her weight until it deposited her gently on the ground, greatly to her surprise. Again she scrambled up the furniture in the same way. Her paw was now on both chains. Suddenly something swung backwards and forwards-- Tic--tac! Tabiatha was for the moment dismayed, and, arching her back, she stood rooted to the spot. Tic--tac! It came unpleasantly close to her, nearly touching her nose each time, but she never budged an inch. Whr-r-r-r-r! Cuc--koo! Cuc--koo! Cuc--koo! Cuc----