Frances Hodgson Burnett

“ Barty looked at the elephant, and remembering how monstrously big
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elephants are when you see them at a circus, he could not help laughing aloud.
"Once he shook himself, twice he shook himself, three times he shook himself, and then he grew as little as that," he said. "Oh! I wish I could take him home to play with."
"We will see what we can do about that," the Good Wolf said, just as if anything nice in the world might happen if you once came to a Snow Feast. ”

“ Good Wolf!" he called out, and turned to look for him. But there was no wolf there only a big, white furry dog, who looked so innocent that he would frighten nobody.
The captain slapped his knee.
"Never since I was a robber have I seen such toys!" he cried. "We can sell them to a king for their weight in gold. These two are mine—and I will take the dog." And he picked up a little lion in one hand and a little tiger in another.
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"You shall not touch them!" cried out Barty. ”

“ The snow looked as if there were a great many tiny hillocks under its whiteness.
"I believe this is a rabbit warren," Barty said. "That is why the snow looks lumpy."
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"You wanted to see what the things that burrow under the earth are doing and I am going to show you," answered the Good Wolf. "Get off the sled and take my harness off."
"But rabbits are afraid of dogs," said Barty.
"They are not afraid of me," said the Good Wolf. "If I did not go to their Snow Feast, they would be perfectly miserable. I'm always invited. Take my harness off." Barty took it off very politely. ”

“ And the owner of the first wicked face began to wriggle his long body through the narrow slit, and in about two minutes he had wriggled his way out and stood grinning, with swords and pistols and knives hung at his belt.
"He is a thin robber!" gasped Barty. "I knew a fat one could never get in and out. ”

“ He just danced up and down.
"What a Good Wolf you are!" he said. "I did not know any wolf could be as good as this."
Ah!" said the Good Wolf. "You don't know me!"
(When Tim's mother came to this part of the story he used to jump up and down and laugh for joy until his face was full of dimples.)
The Good Wolf was enjoying himself as much as Barty was. He was smiling and smiling and wagging his tail.
"Now," he said, "do you want to go into the forest and see the
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things that build nests and the things that burrow under the ground and make little warm caves to live in?" ”

“ The robbers burst out laughing.
"They are not toys!" they said. "Real lions and tigers and elephants half as big as kittens!"
"If they are real, make the lion roar," said the robber captain, grinning.
"Oh do roar! Please roar!" said Barty to the lions. "Perhaps it will frighten them."
The biggest little lion winked at him again quite as if he were having a joke, and he turned round and roared. But it was such a little roar that Barty could not help knowing that it sounded like a toy roar. And the robbers laughed louder than ever.
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"Good Wolf! ”

“ If he had not been a blessing and a privilege he would have cried, but he actually didn't. He scrambled down and asked his mother to put on his thick scarlet cap and coat and his rubber boots, and he went striding out into the snow like a stout little robin red breast. ”

“ TO find that your secret play ground has a robber's cave in it is very startling. Barty stood up quickly and so did all the little animals. At first Barty thought they might suddenly grow big, as the Good Wolf had said they would if they saw a grown-up person. But they did not. And if they had looked as small as kittens when they were compared with a boy, they looked almost as small as
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mice when they were compared with a long, thin robber. ”

“ Barty cried out joyfully.
"That was what I was thinking of," said the Good Wolf. "There is nothing more entertaining than a tame pirate or robber."
"Tell them," said the lion, "that they may come back twice a week. They shall be called 'The Combined Robbers and Pirates Story- telling Club.' And we shall be here to listen and see that they behave themselves."
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So it was agreed that the robbers should be allowed to go away and begin working as hard as possible at not being robbers. ”

“ Not one person in all the world has seen it. It is the greatest secret there ever was. If I were not a Good Wolf I could not see it. Only the very nicest people are allowed. It's the way you behave when knots are combed out of your hair, that lets you in."
Barty was so joyful that he wriggled on his sled and the bells on the reins jingled and jingled.
"I think I'll trot rather faster," the Good Wolf said.
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"Would you mind trotting as fast as ever you can?" ”

“ They were so old that their hair had grown long enough to hang down below their feet, and their eyes were large and strange and had an ancient, solemn look in them, as if they had been gazing at the rabbit world for thousands of years. Barty thought their large, strange eyes looked nice, and he said so to the Good Wolf.
"They look kind," he whispered.
"They were the two rabbits who went into the Ark with Noah," the Good Wolf whispered back. "And they have lived so long and grown so
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wise that they have found out that the best thing in the world is to be kind. ”

“ Call them off!" they shouted to Barty because they saw he was really the ring-master, "we will never do it again! Never—ever—never—never-r-r!"
The captain tried to dart to the crack in the rock and wriggle through, but the biggest lion put out a huge paw and dragged him back by the seat of his trousers. He laid him flat on the grass and put the huge paw on him and roared and roared.
"I wouldn't kill him," cried Barty. "Perhaps he is sorry."
"We are all sorry," the robbers sobbed.
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"We are sorrier than we ever were before in our lives! ”

“ He looked so frightened that the other robbers did not pick up anything, and stood and stared at him with their mouths open.
"What's the matter?" he shouted out. "They are growing heavier. I can't hold them. They are swelling! They are swelling!" ”

“ The animals had grown so fond of him that they all sat and looked at him affectionately, and the nearest elephant and lion perfectly cuddled up against him. The beautiful little lady circus rider perched on his hand and the clown sat down on his shoe.
"I am very glad to have made your acquaintance," the little lady said. "I admire you very much. You make a most delightful ring- master."
"We all like him," said the biggest little lion. "And we all mean
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to stand by him. ”

“ It was like the most lovely illumination.
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"Every glow-worm in the forest comes to the Snow Feast," the Good Wolf explained. "They can't dance but they like to look on. That is their way of enjoying themselves. They polish their lamps up for months before the Feast time."
They were so beautiful to look at that Barty could not have taken his eyes from them if the Good Wolf had not been in such a hurry. "We must not stop here," he said. "We mustn't really. We must
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get to the Hall of the Snow Feast. ”

“ And Barty saw that they were swelling. First they swelled until they were as big as cats, then they swelled until they were as big as dogs, then they were as big as pigs, then they were as big as calves, and the next second they were as big as the hugest lion and tiger in a menagerie, and the other lions, and tigers, and leopards were as big as they were. The elephants and rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses had to go outside the hedge to swell because there
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wasn't room inside. ”