Moppet

USb51Y^ Smith

Moppet

'n551m

US851799

Smith Moppet

LIBRARY PUBLIC ALLEN COUNTY, FORT WAYNE AND

IND.

o^ o

JbLIL. LltjHAMY

1833 0079! m

w t

r

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2011

http://www.archive.org/details/moppetOOsmit

(MO P Per c

c

by

Eunice Young Smith ALBERT WHITMAN a COMPANY CHICAGO 6

ILLINOIS

/ To Sharon in it

whose

doll

really

happened

house

\v

Copyright, 1950, by Albert Whitman & Company

Lithographed

in the U. S.

A.

Published

„

is*

simultaneously

Dominion of Canada by George J. McLeod, Ltd., Toronto in the

MOPPET

MY

word! doll.

"Such a

little

jolt!"

house had been carried down in a dark corner. The two

The set

What's happening!" cried the

doll

to the attic little

and

dolls inside

looked at each other in surprise. "Did you hear what she said?" John asked. "Sharon thinks she

is

too

grown up

to

U»

any more."

play with a doll house

^ "^

* «-'«J

heard/' answered Corabelle. "She said we can keep house any way we want to now. She won't "Yes,

I

bother us at

all."

[5]

Corabelle tiny

man

was a

tiny

lady doll and John was a

doll.

was

Corabelle the fireplace.

sitting

John sat in

a

wing chair by another little chair on the

in

little

other side of the fireplace. "I

believe

we

are being put

7

away/ John

said rather

soberly.

"Yes," Corabelle said, smiling.

enjoy "It little

it

for

"And

[6]

it

I

think

I

shall

while.

was very upsetting while and have your

you need two!

a

"But

be hauled out every clothes changed whether

to

or not.

the furniture!

Moved around every day

There never was any peace around here."

or

having

"I didn't like

my

changed

clothes

all the

time either/' said John. "But

I

think

it

may

get dull just sitting here

day

day if nothing happens to us." "Our house stays in order nowadays/' Corabelle

after

said.

"That's nice."

"Yes,

John.

very neat and tidy here now/' agreed

it's

"I

my

can smoke

"No Sharon

to get

pipe in peace."

us all higgledy-piggledy,"

added

Corabelle.

"The tickles

dust

my

falls

though,"

and

just

sat

grey

web from one

"Cobwebs!"

[8]

complained.

"It

whiskers."

But he didn't even brush

cobwebs."

John

sighed.

A

it

off.

spider

The two

little

dolls

came and made a

corner of the room to John's chair.

grumbled Corabelle.

"I

don't

like

^0

f

AY

0®

The big after

attic

day only

was

lonely

the dust

fell

and very quiet. Day and the cobweb got

bigger.

Day after day the dolls became very dull indeed. After

just sat,

doing nothing.

a while John said grumpily,

peaceful here

to suit

me.

like

I

"It is

if

and the voices we did have to have our

all the time,"

Corabelle put

"Yes/' said John. "At least

too

the noise and the

bustle of the nursery,

"Even

much

It

of the children."

clothes

changed

giving

someone

in.

we were

pleasure.

"Even having a neat and use

if

tidy

nothing ever happens in

much

house

isn't

in

John said.

it."

"A house needs fun and play "Here's this beautiful house, and

it's

it,"

of

no use

to

anybody."

"We

might as well be buried," groaned Corabelle. "There is just nothing going on here at all."

"Going on!" came a cheerful voice from the door. "I'm not going on. I'm coming in."

[10]

"Oh, do come could not see

was glad

to

in,"

who

cried Corabelle happily.

was through the cobweb. She have any company. Or so she thought. it

But John could see through the cobweb,

"Come

in,

have a name?"

come

visitor

"My name used

She

is

in/

#

he

cried.

"It

is

these dreary days.

Moppet," said the

and

smiled.

a pleasure

What

little

is

to

your

grey mouse.

meadow. But it is getting cold now and I am searching for a new home." She looked all about the doll house. "This is a very pleasant place you have here," she said. "Yes, it is a nice house," agreed John. "But we were "I

just

to live out in the

saying that

"That's

how

She threw safe,

a

I

off

is

it

like

it,"

chuckled Moppet Mouse.

her shawl.

"Quiet and dark and

you know, with doors and windows so small

cat couldn't get

[12]

very quiet here."

in.

But just the right size for me."

She flipped the cobweb with her She ran

all

tail.

about the living room.

She climbed up on the piano and gazed

She ran

all

around.

and peeked under chairs. She looked under the table and behind stove and in the cupboard. into the kitchen

the the

She ran upstairs and crawled under the beds. She popped her head into the chests and bureau drawers.

[14]

closets

and

the

MgmL

She scampered downstairs and shoved her nose under the rug.

"My

goodness,

she

isn't

curious!"

Corabelle

whispered. "She's not very polite, to be sure," John admitted.

"But she's friendly."

Moppet stuck her head in the fireplace. There was no fire in it and the chimney was blocked. She stood upside down and stared at the pictures on the wall.

"Very pretty from down here," she

chuckled.

She nibbled a taste,"

[16]

she said.

bit of the

wallpaper.

"I think

like

I

it

"Um-m, good

here."

^oU* e<j

"She

likes

it

"She

likes

it

here!" Corctbelle smiled at John. here!" John repeated happily.

"I'm going to stay," is

a

terrible

new home

Moppet

them both. "There housing shortage, and I must find a told

before cold weather."

Moppet ran lickety-split all over the house. She ran backwards and forwards and up and down. She seemed to be searching for something, Finally she

came back

to the little dolls.

the pantry best/' she announced.

"It's

"I like

the darkest,

snuggest corner in the whole house."

"The pantry

much

best," Corabelle echoed.

She was very

surprised at that.

But she wanted to be polite so she added,

you won't

find

"Nothing at

it

"I

too guiet here to suit you."

all

ever happens, you know," John

told her.

"Oh,

[18]

I'll

hope

fix that,"

Moppet sgueaked

merrily.

And

she did. She didn't waste any time about

it

either.

She yanked ripping

and

"Oh my!"

at the curtains,

and down they came

tearing.

cried Corabelle. "See

what you've done

to the lovely curtains!"

"Pshaw/' said Moppet. "What good are they doing

hanging up there anyway? of them than that."

Away

[20]

she went with them

I

can make better use

to the pantry.

^ S*utf\

She gathered up all the rugs. She knocked over Corabelle's mending basket. She almost upset John's smoking stand. "Gracious sakes!" he cried. "Can't a smoke his pipe in peace?"

"Pshaw,

I

have

She pulled the room.

All the

to hurry," said

man

sit

and

Moppet.

cloth off the table in the dining

dishes

clattered to the floor.

and glasses and silverware What a racket there was!

"Oh my, what a mess!" screamed

Corabelle.

John laughed, feeling rather pleased. "Cheerful sort of sound," he said. "Haven't had so much action

around here

[22]

for

some

time."

\

/<

^ s#*

One by one Moppet

carried all the rugs

and

the

table cloth into the pantry. Cofabelle

hear her scurrying around

in there

and John could like mad.

Then she came out again. She looked around. She pounced on the sofa and began to tear it apart. She nibbled and clawed and tore and ripped and chewed. Soon only the frame of the sofa was left. But around Moppet there was a pile almost to her ears of soft cotton stuffing.

"Oh my, oh my!" Corabelle gasped. "What you do

that for?"

"Pshaw, of

why

any use

[24]

did

not?" asked Moppet. "The sofa wasn't

just sitting there."

^®*& CfO

Little

by

little

she carried the stuffing into the

the pantry. "Just look at our living

room!" Corabelle scolded.

any one should come in now!" Moppet came out of the pantry and ran upstairs. She jumped on a small bed. It was soft and bouncy. She jerked off all the covers and carried them down "If

to the pantry.

Back upstairs she went and pulled

at the

little

mattress. It it

was

too

heavy

into small pieces.

the pantry bit

by

for

her

to carry.

So she chewed

Then she carried these down

bit.

"What on earth do you suppose she whispered Corabelle. "Something exciting

answered John.

[26]

to

is

going

to

happen

is

doing?"

for sure/

7

v

c**

Moppet was so busy she could scarcely squeak. She ran helter-skelter everywhere. She dove into a little trunk head first and came up with all John's

and

tore

"Oh,

and Corabelle's

clothes.

and chewed.

my

best gowns/' wailed Corabelle.

"Hooray!" cheered John. "There go I

don't

She ripped

have

to

have

my

clothes

my

two

suits.

changed now!"

"Pshaw/' said Moppet. "They weren't doing a mite of .good in there." And so they weren't. She lugged them all off to the pantry. Several days passed and Moppet did not from her pantry apartment.

Corabelle and John place. Dust

quiet

and

The two

[28]

fell.

just

kept sitting by the

Cobwebs gathered. Again

dull in the doll house. little

dolls

were

come

lonely.

it

out

fire-

became

.>

euro<j &

don't like this/'

"I

grumbled John.

"I

like

some

action." "I

do

too/'

Corabelle sighed.

pose has happened

"What do you

Moppet?" "Nothing/' Moppet squeaked cheerily, head around the door. "Nothirg at all. softest, I

to

warmest, safest

have

five

"Oh,

my

sup-

sticking her I

have the

you ever saw. And perfectly lovely children in it now." little

nest

gracious!" exclaimed Corabelle. "Children!" whooped John. "Hooray!" "I'll

bring them out by-and-by

Moppet with

pride.

And by-and-by Out

and show you," said

she did.

of the nest in the

pantry

came

five frisky little

grey moppets.

They scampered stairs,

over the

about— up the walls, down furniture, in and out the windows. all

They played hide-and-seek and had a fine time.

[30]

all

the

through the rooms

^o^ fcu^

C

"Oh my!" laughed enjoy

this

Corabelle.

house, don't they?"

"Hooray, hooray!" yelled John.

Something

"They really do

is

"That's the

going on

way

I

like

a

circus.

all the time. it.

We'll never be lonesome

i

"It's like

Lots of action! Lots of fun!

any more."

utA

50 6JF