Page:Poor Cecco - 1925.djvu/187

Rh and faster, and at last the section of bark, round which they had been gnawing, began to tremble.

Bulka, who had disappeared, came running up, carrying the blue beads which he had just fetched from the toy-cupboard.

And now the rats stopped working, wiped their foreheads, and drew back. The leader, clinging with his paws, gave one last bite, and the bark fell outwards, leaving a neat arched doorway through which, after a moment’s hushed suspense, Tubby herself walked proudly forth, bearing in one paw the scarlet jacket and in the other the sky-blue trousers trimmed with braid.

“Bulka!” cried Tubby.

“Tubby!” cried Bulka.

And they fell in each other’s arms.

The leader of the rats came up to Jensina, holding out a folded yellow paper which he drew from his breast pocket.

“Sign on the dotted line, please!” he said.

She wrote her name in large letters: JENSINA.

“Thank you,” said the rat, glancing at it. “And if you ever need another little job done, remember we give prompt service and are always willing to oblige.”

The second policeman rat also came forward and shook hands.

“A fine run you give us, young lady,” he said, “but we