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"You can't imagine how surprised I was when I saw you brought in! But what has happened?" Then the Donkey told of his accident, and how he had been mended. "Your leg looks all right now," said the China Cat, glancing at it in the light of the one lamp Mr. Mugg left burning when he closed his store. "Yes, I am feeling quite myself again," said the Donkey. "But I am not here to stay.
"Please let me look at that toy," she said. The sergeant handed her the China Cat. Geraldine looked closely at her. Then she gave a joyful cry. "Why, of course she is our Cat, Father!" said Geraldine. "She is just grimy and dirty. That's the reason you think she is black and white. If I could only wash her you'd see that she is our own China Cat." "Do you think so?" asked Mr. Mugg, hopefully.
"You wouldn't be able to prosecute her," he said, "for there's no law against dummies stealing." Mr. Floman sighed bitterly. "Am I to lose that $19.98 costume and the $4.25 hat and " "By no means," interrupted Inspector Mugg. "The police of this city are ever prompt to act in defense of our worthy citizens. We have already arrested the wax lady, and she is locked up in cell No. 16.
Mugg had dropped, and now the flames and smoke were filling the basement of the toy shop. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" cried the toy Policeman, banging with his club.
"The fire is in the basement!" cried one fireman, wearing a rubber coat and hat to keep himself dry for the water would soon be spraying from the hose of the real, big engine. "Yes, it's in the basement," said a real policeman, who had arrived almost as soon as had the firemen. "And Mr. Mugg has a lot of new toys down there. We must carry them out for him!"
With the Nodding Donkey safely wrapped in paper under his arm, Joe left the store of Mr. Mugg with his mother. Joe limped along on his crutches, and he had to go slowly. But he was smiling happily, and for the first day in a long time he forgot about his lameness. And when his mother saw her son smiling, she, too, smiled. But she was worried about another operation that Joe must go through.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!" sighed the China Cat. "If you could only be taken to the store of Mr. Mugg he would put a new tail on you. He mended the broken leg of the Nodding Donkey." "I'm afraid it is too late," whined the Cloth Dog. "But I am sorry for you. You are such a fine toy, and almost new." "Yes, I am quite new. In fact, I have never been sold as yet," said the Cat.
"Now to paint your leg, and you will be finished," said Mr. Mugg. The smell of the paint and varnish, as it was put on him, made the Nodding Donkey think of when he had first come to life in the workshop of Santa Claus. He was feeling quite young and happy again. "There you are!" cried Mr. Mugg, as he once more set the Donkey on the shelf for the paint and varnish to dry.
So I thanked the mussel-man, took up my squirrel again and started oft towards the Oxenthorpe Road. The first thing I heard as I came into the marketplace was some one calling "Meat! "There's Matthew Mugg," I said to myself. "He'll know where this Doctor lives. Matthew knows everyone." So I hurried across the market-place and caught him up. "Matthew," I said, "do you know Doctor Dolittle?"
It must have just got on." "Oh, I'm so glad of that!" thought the white Cat. "I wouldn't want to think that Topsy's black rubbed off." Soon the store was in readiness for customers, and among the first to enter that morning was a little girl. She was with a lady, who was the little girl's aunt. "Now, Jennie," said the aunt, as Mr. Mugg came forward to wait on them, "what present would you like?
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