Part 2 (1/2)

”Please don't believe I'm fussy,” she went on; ”but I shall never be sold if I do not keep myself white and clean. I thought at first that Topsy had been down in the coal bin.”

”No'm,” answered that colored Doll. ”I's awful mischievous, but I don't play in no coal. No indeedy!”

”I'm glad of that,” said the China Cat. ”Now I'll be it, and see if I can tag any of you. Look out! I'm coming!”

With that the white Cat began chasing about on the shelves, trying to tag the other toys, who, you may be sure, kept well out of her reach.

”No fair tagging with your tail--that is so long!” called the Talking Doll, as she dodged around the corner of the Jack in the Box, who could not get loose to join the fun. ”You must tag us with your paws.”

”Yes, I'll do that,” agreed the China Cat. ”I'll only tag you with my paws. And I think I'll tag you right now!” she called to the Topsy Doll.

”Oh, ho! Yo' all here has got to be mighty lively to tag me!” the black toy laughed, and, just as the China Cat was about to touch her, Topsy dodged to one side and the China Cat nearly slipped off the shelf.

”Oh, my dear! you must be careful,” cried the Talking Doll. ”Think what would happen if you hit the floor!”

”Oh, I don't dare think of it!” mewed the China Cat, with a shudder. ”I should be broken to bits!”

So after that the Cat did not run quite so fast. Topsy was a very lively little doll. She skipped here and there, and kept the other toys laughing at her funny tricks and the queer way her kinky hair bobbed about her head.

So the game went on, and at last the China Cat managed to touch the Jumping Jack with her paw.

”Tag! You're it!” cried the China Cat. ”Now it's your turn to do the chasing, Mr. Jack!”

The game went on faster than ever, and such jolly fun as there was you never would have dreamed could happen in a toy shop, unless you could have seen it yourself. But of course that is not allowed. If you had so much as peeked in with one eye, all the toys would have become as quiet as a chocolate mouse.

At last they grew tired of such exciting fun. One after another had taken a turn at being it for tag.

”I know what let's do,” suggested the Soldier Captain, after they had rested. ”Let's have some riddles.”

”Hi!” cried Topsy, ”am riddles good to eat?”

”No, indeed,” answered the Talking Doll. ”Riddles are something you have to guess.”

”Den I mus' be a riddle!” said the colored Doll.

”What makes you think so?” asked the China Cat.

”'Cause some ob de toys in mah pa't of de store says as how I kept 'em _guessin'_,” was the answer. ”Dey done say dey nebber know whut I'm gwine to do nex'. I suah mus' be a riddle.”

”Oh, no, that isn't a riddle,” the Soldier Captain explained. ”A riddle is like a puzzle. For instance, I ask you what has four legs, and yet can't walk?”

”Hu! Dey ain't _nothin'_ whut has fo' legs an' can't walk!” declared Topsy. ”Dat's silly! I's got only _two_ legs, but I can walk when n.o.body looks at me. An' dat Noah's Ark Elephant, he's got _fo'_ legs, an' he can walk. What is dat has fo' legs an' can't walk I axes yo', Mr.

Soldier Captain?”

”A table has four legs and yet it can't walk,” laughed the wooden officer. ”That's a riddle, Topsy. Now see if you can tell one.”

So the Topsy Doll and the other toys began to think of riddles, asking them of one another. But, somehow or other, the China Cat was very still and quiet. She did not enter into this fun as she had into the game of tag.

”What's the matter?” asked the Jumping Jack, when he had guessed a funny riddle about a little green hen. ”Are you watching for mice, China Cat?

There are some little ones, made of cloth and wood over in the novelty department where Topsy came from.”