[Illustration: "'HIGHER!' SHOUTED TODDLES."]
The speech which Trot had overheard suggested all kinds of plans, and she made her way into the nursery to talk over the party once more with Toddles.
Toddles was in the middle of a grand sea-fight. His tin soldiers were sailing about on books on the sea of the nursery floor, and Toddles was firing first at one ship, and then at another, with a large glass marble. Toddles did not wish to be disturbed.
"Toddles," said Trot, "the tea-party is settled at last. If you want the entertainment to be a success, you must draw up a programme, and carry it out."
"Six down at one shot!" cried Toddles; "and the captain among them, too."
"Toddles," said Trot solemnly, "you do want the entertainment to be a success, don't you?"
Bang! bang! "There'll be tea," cried Toddles.
"Do come and talk about the party, Toddles," she said. "I have thought of a new game to play at."
Toddles looked up at last; he was beginning to feel interested. Trot's new games always meant fun, though they sometimes ended in a scolding from nurse.
"No," said Toddles, jumping up from the floor. "Do you really mean it?"
Trot sat down in a chair, and Toddles stood in front of her, and rested his two chubby elbows in her lap.
[Illustration: "TROT PUT THE JAR UPON HER HEAD."]
"We must draw up a programme, and carry it out," said Trot, waving one arm, as she had seen her father do, when he had made the same remark down-stairs.
Toddles stared; he felt very much impressed, though he did not know in the least what Trot meant.
"And the circus will be the programme," continued Trot, drawing a dirty, crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. "I will write it down on this. They will come at four o'clock."
"Oh, they'll come before that," objected Toddles. "You put 'Tea at 4' on the letters, and they are sure to come in plenty of time for tea. I should, because of the two kinds of jam, you know."
"Never mind," said Trot; "we can't do anything before tea, so the first thing to put down is 4 TEA;" and she wrote the word in big printing letters.
"After tea will come the circus," said Trot. "I wonder how you spell circus?"
"But will mother let us have the circus?" said Toddles. "There won't be room in here for all the horses and clowns, and ladies we saw the other day."