"Why don't you remember the notice to burglars?" "Oh, yes!" said Mollie, "if you must steal something, steal a boyled egg." "Oh, yes!" said Mollie. "'If you must steal something steal a boyled egg.'" "That's it. He doesn't like boyled eggs." "And neither do I," said Mollie. "Particularly when they are as hard as bullets." And then hearing the tinkle of the tea bell at home Mollie and Whistlebinkie left the Unwiseman's house without stealing anything, which after all was the best thing to do. [Pg 67] [Pg 67] "Should any queen read these lines, the author hopes she will see that her daughter is brought up to look after household affairs." had been very busy setting things to rights in Cinderella's house one autumn afternoon not long after her visit to the Unwiseman. Cinderella was a careless Princess, who allowed her palace to get into a very untidy condition every two or three weeks. Bric-a-brac would be strewn here and there about the floor; clocks would be found standing upside down in the fire-places; andirons and shoe buttons would litter up the halls and obstruct the stairways—in[Pg 68] short, all things would get topsy-turvy within the doors of the Princess' house, and all because Princesses are never taught house-keeping. Should any King or Queen read these lines, the author hopes that his or her Majesty will take the hint and see to it that his or her daughters are properly brought up and taught to look after household affairs, for if they do not, most assuredly the time may come when the most magnificent palace in the world will be allowed[Pg 69] to go to ruin through mere lack of attention. [Pg 68] [Pg 69] It was a long and hard task for the little mistress of the nursery, but she finally accomplished it; apple-pie order once more ruled in the palace, the Princess' diamonds had been swept up from the floor, and stored away in the bureau drawers, and Mollie was taking a well-earned rest in her rocking-chair over by the window. As she gazed out upon the highway upon which the window fronted, she saw in the dim light a strange shadow passing
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