these tales have appeared, during some years past, in aunt judy's magazine for young people.

"father hedgehog and his neighbours," and "toots and boots," were both suggested by fedor flinzer's clever pictures; but "toots" was also "a real person." in his latter days he was an honorary member of the royal engineers' mess at aldershot, and, on occasion, dined at table.

"the hens of hencastle" is not mine. it is a free translation from the german of victor blüthgen, by major yeatman-biggs, r.a., to whom i am indebted for permission to include it in my volume, as a necessary prelude to "flaps." the story took my fancy greatly, but the ending seemed to me imperfect and unsatisfactory, especially in reference to so charming a character as the old watch dog, and i wrote "flaps" as a sequel.

the frontispiece was designed specially for this volume, by mr. charles whymper, and the fratello della misericordia (from a photograph kindly sent me by a friend) is by the same artist.