Читать книгу The Story of the Mince Pie (Illustrated) - Josephine Scribner Gates - Страница 3

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“Sing a Song o’ sixpence a pocket full of rye,

Four and twenty Dollies baked in a pie,

When the pie was opened the Dolls began to sing,

Wasn’t that an odd dish to set before the King?”

You have heard of many kinds of pie, but did you ever hear of a Doll pie?

No one ever did, I am sure, and no one knew the pie was full of dolls; everybody supposed it was just a plain mince pie; the kind that makes your eyes twinkle, and makes you smack your lips when you sniff it baking.

I have always thought it was the kind Jack Horner had when he sat in the corner and pulled out a plum, but never did I dream that he might have pulled out a doll!

I found it out in such an extremely funny and unexpected way that I must tell you all about it.

It was Christmas Eve. Jack’s father was away but coming home on the morrow in time for all the Christmas doings.

We had locked up the house and were just going upstairs to bed when Jack exclaimed:

“Mother, you know the mince pie you baked to-day? We must take it up to bed with us!”

“A pie, a mince pie to bed with us?” I cried in amazement, as I thought of the spicy delicious thing safely stowed away on the pantry shelf.

“Yes, Mother, you know there is a mouse. It ate up my gingerbread doll; didn’t leave even a crumb. How would we feel if it ate up our mince pie!”

That was true. There had been a mouse spying about of late, and so I said all right, we would.

I carried it up very carefully, and we stood in the middle of the room looking about for a good place to put it.

It was a bitter night. The maid had built a grand fire of logs, and they crackled and snapped a Christmas greeting as we stood seeking a resting place for the pie.

“I see a fine spot!” cried Jack, as he ran to the big grandfather clock, and sure enough it was. A shelf just under the pendulum that seemed made on purpose for a pie. We placed it there and covered it carefully with a napkin.

“The pie is going to bed, too,” I said, as I snuggled it up under its cover.

Jack shouted over this, and we both had a merry time undressing before the jolly fire.

We hung up our stockings and one for Father, then hopped into bed.

Jack nestled up close and begged for a bedtime story, which I always told him. A drowsy tale which sent him to sleep, and me, too, before it was barely finished.

I really didn’t know I was asleep, but suddenly a queer sound startled me, and as I listened I heard Jack smothering a giggle.

“What is it, dear?” I whispered.

“Oh, Mother, such a funny thing! I heard the clock chain rattle, and I looked and the mouse ran up the clock, and I heard voices singing: ‘Hickory Dickory Dock.’ Now look quick!”

We both stared at the napkin over the pie, for it began to get humpy. You have played “tent” under the bedclothes, of course.

Well, there seemed a dozen somethings playing that game, for the napkin humped up here and there till presently it was lifted off and fell to the floor.

It was just like a matinée. The napkin seemed to be the curtain rolled away, then the show began.

We heard queer voices singing, and then we saw such a sight! Out of that pie filed a lot of dolls, the strangest looking dolls any one ever saw.

One seemed to be made of raisins; another of currants—the dried sugary kind. One had a round apple for a head, and such rosy cheeks it looked like a blooming country maid wearing a Dutch blue gown and an apron as white as snow.

Back of her was a brownie, holding the hand of a creamy white fat boy. Following them was a group, one had a round nut-like head; another was stuck full of what looked like cloves; another was tall and thin just like a stick. With him was a pair of twins. They looked for all the world like salt and pepper boxes. They were much smaller than the others and teetered on the edge of the pie like tiny fairies.

Then came another pair, one with an orange for a head, the other a lemon. As they pranced along, their fluffy orange and yellow skirts stood out like ballet dancers.

Then came a dumpy maid all sparkly white.

“She’s the shape of a fat sugar bowl, Mother!” whispered Jack, and, sure enough, she looked as though she had walked right off the tea tray.

Following her came one with a small oval brown head, looking so wise.

With her was one with a large green head.

Back of them strode another pair; one looking like a molasses jug, the other like a vinegar cruet.

Such a funny lot as they were!

We looked and laughed, and laughed and looked. They raced about on the very edge of the crust as though they were playing Ring around a Rosy; then at a signal from the tall thin fellow they ran down the spiral column of the clock over to the hearth.

“We can have a Christmas dance right here,” cried the rosy-cheeked apple maid; at this joyful news they switched off their sashes.

The tall thin one fastened the ends to the top of an andiron, and there in the firelight we saw a dance, such as no one ever saw before. Round and round they danced, till the iron was bound with ribbon to its very base; then the little creatures threw themselves on the hearth.

“Let’s play school!” cried the tall thin Stick Doll, who seemed to be chairman for the occasion.

“Mercy, no!” cried another. “I don’t like school. I don’t want to learn things.”

“I said let’s play school. We don’t have to learn anything. It will be fun. We’ll each tell a story.”

“A story!” echoed the whole bunch.

“What kind of a story?”

“A true story.”

“We don’t know any,” they all sighed.

“Oh, yes, you do. You all know fine stories, and if you’ll tell them, something grand is going to happen!”

“What?” cried the audience.

“This is the one night of all the year when wonderful things happen.”

With wide open eyes and mouths they crept closer to the speaker, and listened breathlessly.

“This is Christmas Eve. Didn’t you hear the mouse go up the clock? It’s hiding and watching. Pretend you aren’t looking, but see the two bright eyes peering at us, just at the end by the big hand. It wants the pie. As long as we are here it will not come down. That is a Christmas pie for the Christmas dinner to-morrow.

“They’ve been peeking in that big book”

“If we go back the mouse will run down and gobble us all up. So there is nothing for us to do but stay here. It’s a long time till morning, and we better do something while we wait. How can we better while away the time than with stories? We dare not go to sleep, you know. If you’ll each tell a story you can have a gift, too.”

“A gift!” cried the chorus. “Well, that would be worth while. Pray tell us what will the gift be?”

“That’s a secret I am not allowed to tell. The reason is, because I do not know.”

“He does not know. He does not know,” sang the chorus, running down the scale as a mouse runs across the piano keys.

“Well,” cried the wee Salt and Pepper Pair which seemed inseparable, “since you know so much, you better begin the story-hour.”