"That was what put it in your head, was it, you monkey?"
said his mother, beginning to get better.

"That or something else," answered Diamond, so very quietly
that his mother held his head back and stared in his face.

"Well! of all the children!" she said, and said no more.

"And here's my worm," resumed Diamond.

But to see her face as he poured the shillings and sixpences
and pence into her lap! She burst out crying a second time,
and ran with the money to her husband.

And how pleased he was! It did him no end of good. But while he
was counting the coins, Diamond turned to baby, who was lying awake
in his cradle, sucking his precious thumb, and took him up, saying:

"Baby, baby! I haven't seen you for a whole year."

And then he began to sing to him as usual. And what he sang was this,
for he was too happy either to make a song of his own or to sing sense.
It was one out of Mr. Raymond's book.


THE TRUE STORY OF THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE

Hey, diddle, diddle!
The cat and the fiddle!
He played such a merry tune,