Tumble are here.”
As the children drew closer, they saw that the green eyes belonged to a pitch-black cat. A second later it vanished into one of the upstairs rooms.
“Midnight usually has the run of this house, since Ruff and Tumble live in my cottage,” Isabel said. “But she’s not likely to stick around here if the dogs are nearby.”
Isabel shooed the dogs away from the bedroom where Midnight had gone to hide.
As the children climbed to the next floor, they found surprises wherever they turned. Grandma Alice had designed her home like a fun house with crooked chairs, curved mirrors, and tipsy steps.
“Here you are,” Isabel said when everyone reached the top floor. “Grandma Alice turned the attic into a special room for all of us grandchildren when we visited. You can see from the size of the doors and windows, it’s designed for children, especially the youngest ones.” She motioned toward a low purple door.
Benny smiled happily. “For once I’m glad to be the smallest.”
Isabel nodded at Henry and Jessie, who were taller than the door. “Sorry, you two. The rest of us will have to scrunch down to get in and out. Violet, I think you can scoot under.”
As soon as Violet stepped through the door, she felt right at home. Every wall was a different color, as was each piece of furniture. The space was decorated with one-of-a-kind clocks and lamps that clearly had been designed by Alice Putter. The chairs, dressers, tables, and beds were all the same style, but they were each different heights.
Jessie examined one of the beds. “I get it,” she said. “The legs on the furniture are like telescopes. You can expand them to make them higher or lower.”
Isabel showed the children how to adjust the furniture. “Grandma Alice wanted furniture all grandchildren could use no matter what size they were. She designed everything in here to grow or shrink. Everyone always said she could make a lot of money selling the furniture. But Grandma Alice didn’t care a fig about having plenty of money, just plenty of work and plenty of fun.”
“Same with us,” Henry said. He turned the legs on one of the beds to raise it up. He needed a tall bed because he was nice and tall. After unrolling his sleeping bag, he flopped back on the bed. “Now it’s perfect.”
Violet adjusted the chest of drawers next to the bed she was going to sleep in. “Goldilocks would like this house. Everything is just right.”
Grandfather yawned. “Well, Isabel, I hope you have a nice, normal bed in the guest room of your cottage.” Isabel lived in a small cottage behind the big house. She and Grandfather would be staying there.
“Yes, I do have normal beds in there, James. Now let’s duck out of here and let these children get to sleep,” Isabel said. “Good night.”
Ruff and Tumble looked up at Isabel. Then they plopped themselves down on the plaid dog bed in the middle of the room.
“Okay, okay. You two can have a sleepover in here,” Isabel told the dogs. “But no barking when the clocks go off. Especially you, Ruff. And no climbing on these beds. Understand?” Isabel turned to the children. “I’ll let Midnight out on the way down. We can’t have her inside the house with these two.”
Ruff and Tumble tilted their heads as if they understood every word.
“I’m not even tired,” Benny announced after Grandfather and Isabel had left. His eyes were bright and lively. He didn’t look a bit sleepy. “I can’t wait to hear all these clocks!”
Henry glanced at his watch. “It’s almost midnight now. Five, four, three, two...”
All at once wooden birds and mice and even a rabbit popped out from the clocks in the room. They chirped and squeaked and hopped as they went in and out of the clocks over and over.
“They’re cuckoo clocks, only with different kinds of animals!” Violet laughed with delight. “I’ve never seen such pretty ones, except for the Alice Putter nightingale clock at home.”
The
As the children drew closer, they saw that the green eyes belonged to a pitch-black cat. A second later it vanished into one of the upstairs rooms.
“Midnight usually has the run of this house, since Ruff and Tumble live in my cottage,” Isabel said. “But she’s not likely to stick around here if the dogs are nearby.”
Isabel shooed the dogs away from the bedroom where Midnight had gone to hide.
As the children climbed to the next floor, they found surprises wherever they turned. Grandma Alice had designed her home like a fun house with crooked chairs, curved mirrors, and tipsy steps.
“Here you are,” Isabel said when everyone reached the top floor. “Grandma Alice turned the attic into a special room for all of us grandchildren when we visited. You can see from the size of the doors and windows, it’s designed for children, especially the youngest ones.” She motioned toward a low purple door.
Benny smiled happily. “For once I’m glad to be the smallest.”
Isabel nodded at Henry and Jessie, who were taller than the door. “Sorry, you two. The rest of us will have to scrunch down to get in and out. Violet, I think you can scoot under.”
As soon as Violet stepped through the door, she felt right at home. Every wall was a different color, as was each piece of furniture. The space was decorated with one-of-a-kind clocks and lamps that clearly had been designed by Alice Putter. The chairs, dressers, tables, and beds were all the same style, but they were each different heights.
Jessie examined one of the beds. “I get it,” she said. “The legs on the furniture are like telescopes. You can expand them to make them higher or lower.”
Isabel showed the children how to adjust the furniture. “Grandma Alice wanted furniture all grandchildren could use no matter what size they were. She designed everything in here to grow or shrink. Everyone always said she could make a lot of money selling the furniture. But Grandma Alice didn’t care a fig about having plenty of money, just plenty of work and plenty of fun.”
“Same with us,” Henry said. He turned the legs on one of the beds to raise it up. He needed a tall bed because he was nice and tall. After unrolling his sleeping bag, he flopped back on the bed. “Now it’s perfect.”
Violet adjusted the chest of drawers next to the bed she was going to sleep in. “Goldilocks would like this house. Everything is just right.”
Grandfather yawned. “Well, Isabel, I hope you have a nice, normal bed in the guest room of your cottage.” Isabel lived in a small cottage behind the big house. She and Grandfather would be staying there.
“Yes, I do have normal beds in there, James. Now let’s duck out of here and let these children get to sleep,” Isabel said. “Good night.”
Ruff and Tumble looked up at Isabel. Then they plopped themselves down on the plaid dog bed in the middle of the room.
“Okay, okay. You two can have a sleepover in here,” Isabel told the dogs. “But no barking when the clocks go off. Especially you, Ruff. And no climbing on these beds. Understand?” Isabel turned to the children. “I’ll let Midnight out on the way down. We can’t have her inside the house with these two.”
Ruff and Tumble tilted their heads as if they understood every word.
“I’m not even tired,” Benny announced after Grandfather and Isabel had left. His eyes were bright and lively. He didn’t look a bit sleepy. “I can’t wait to hear all these clocks!”
Henry glanced at his watch. “It’s almost midnight now. Five, four, three, two...”
All at once wooden birds and mice and even a rabbit popped out from the clocks in the room. They chirped and squeaked and hopped as they went in and out of the clocks over and over.
“They’re cuckoo clocks, only with different kinds of animals!” Violet laughed with delight. “I’ve never seen such pretty ones, except for the Alice Putter nightingale clock at home.”
The
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