The mirror answered, "Tippy Toes."

Now this Little Cotton-Tail dances before the mirror, and he says,

"Who is so ugly? n.o.body knows."

The mirror answers, "Snubby Nose."

"Snubby Nose, Tippy Toes," repeated Bunny and Susan over and over as they warmed their paws by the fire.

By and by Grandpa Grumbles said, talking very fast, "Suppose there were two little Cotton-Tails, one named Snubby Nose, and one named Tippy Toes, suppose--just suppose they looked as much alike as two peas."

Bunny Cotton-Tail said, "My fur and whiskers, it seems like a fairy tale, but Snubby Nose always cried, and this little Cotton-Tail is so polite."

Susan cried, "Hark! I hear a rap-a-tap, who can be coming at this hour of the night?"

The door opened; in fell Snubby Nose in a heap, and he cried and he screamed and he howled!

Bunny and Susan and Grandpa Grumbles cried, "Hush, be still, stop crying, and tell us what is the matter."

Grandpa Grumbles asked, "Did you hurt your ugly little nose?"

Then Snubby Nose cried and he screamed and he howled louder than ever.

Bunny asked, "Did you get stuck fast in another snowdrift?"

Snubby Nose cried so loudly that they did not hear the "patter, patter, patter" of little feet. They did not know that Tippy Toes was coming down the staircase. Tippy Toes came dancing into the room, singing at the top of his lungs,

"Who is so ugly? n.o.body knows."

The mirror answers, "Snubby Nose?"

Then for one single minute Snubby Nose was still. He looked at Tippy Toes. He looked him up and down.

Tippy Toes kissed him on both cheeks and nearly hugged the life out of him.

Bunny and Susan and Grandpa Grumbles said, "They are as much alike as two peas. They both have ugly noses!"

When Snubby Nose heard them speak of _noses_ he cried and he screamed and he howled!

Tippy Toes said, "Don't care about your nose. People know you wherever you go."

Snubby Nose p.r.i.c.ked up his ears and asked, "Don't you mind about your ugly nose at all."

Tippy Toes danced this way and he danced that way and answered,

"I don't mind noses, for you see, I am polite as I can be."

Then Snubby Nose stopped crying and hugged Tippy Toes and said, "I am so glad to find you, Tippy Toes. How do you make up those funny little rhymes. They tickle my eardrums."

All this time Grandpa Grumbles was thumping on the floor with his umbrella. He made such a noise that Bunny said, "Hush, listen, Grandpa Grumbles has something to say."

Susan said, "Hush, be still, Grandpa Grumbles wants to speak."

At last Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes stopped talking and dancing, and they all listened to Grandpa Grumbles. He said,

"I want you both to come and stay, With Grandpa Grumbles a year and a day."

Tippy Toes answered, "Thank you, Grandpa Grumbles, I will come and visit you for a year and a day," but Snubby Nose cried and he screamed and he howled.

I don't know what would have happened next, but Grandpa Grumbles went outside, and opened wide his green cotton umbrella, and invited Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes to step inside.

They did so, and in less time than it takes to tell it they were sailing away with Grandpa Grumbles in his green cotton umbrella!

[Ill.u.s.tration: "THEY WERE SAILING AWAY WITH GRANDPA GRUMBLES"]

Bunny and Susan said, "How will he ever get along with Snubby Nose for a year and a day? We wish Tippy Toes was back. He was such a good little fellow."

Susan picked up the pink wrapper and Bunny picked up the pink cup and saucer. Bunny Cotton-Tail said, "We will have a long quiet evening alone."

"Don't be too sure of that," sang the wind as it whistled down the chimney.

Susan said, "I will put on my new spectacles and we will read by the new lamp."

_Then the most surprising thing happened!_

The Seventeen Little Bears came tumbling in the doors and windows!

They came in laughing and shouting,

"The Circus Cotton-Tails you see Are just as funny as can be."

They got out their seventeen little stools and sat by the fire.

Bunny and Susan said, "What do you know about the Circus Cotton-Tails?"

The Seventeen Little Bears said,

"You only see them now at Fairs, But we've become the Circus Bears."

"Have you got a Circus tent? Have you got a merry-go-round?" asked Bunny and Susan. "Do tell us how long you have been Circus Bears."

The Seventeen Little Bears got on top of their seventeen little stools and shouted, "We have just become Circus Bears today, that is the reason we came tumbling in the door and windows."

CHAPTER VI

The Seventeen Little Bears woke up early next morning. They all whispered together so they would not wake Bunny and Susan.

The Seventeen Little Bears tiptoed very softly out of bed, and "pitter-patter, pitter-patter" went their little feet down the stairs.