Rudolf said nothing, for he was groping about after the poker.  He found it presently and stirred the embers into quite a cheerful blaze.  By this light the children were able to see dimly what the room was like.  It was circular in shape and the walls and ceiling were covered with rough bark.  The floor was of earth, covered with a thick carpet of dry leaves.  There were several chairs and a round table all made of boughs with the bark left on and the mantel-piece was built of curiously twisted branches.  On it stood a round wooden clock and a pair of wooden candlesticks.  A pair of spectacles lay on the top of a pile of large fat books upon the table.

“I’d like to know whose house this is,” said Rudolf.

“It’s Manunderthebed’s house,” said Peter calmly.

“How do you know?” cried Ann and Rudolf.

“’Cause I do know,” said Peter.

“Oh, Peter, you naughty boy, you are so provoking!” exclaimed Ann, hugging him.  “Tell sister what you mean, and what you’ve been doing and why you ran away to find those horrid creatures!”

“Aren’t horrid,” said Peter, wriggling away from her, “and ’tis
Manunderthebed’s house, ’cause he came out by the little door when the
Bad Dreams brought me.  He came out of his little door, and he said
‘Peter, will you come to my party?’”

“But there isn’t any little door now,” interrupted Rudolf, “anyway, I can’t find it.”  He had taken a candle from the mantel-piece, had lighted it at the fire, and was making a careful search of the walls.  No trace of a door or any opening except the fireplace could be seen.

“It’s a magic door,” said Peter cheerfully.  “Manunderthebed touched something with his foot and that opened it and then he pushed you and you pushed me and I bumped into Ann, and here we are.”

“He’s shut us up on purpose!” cried Ann.  “It’s just like him.”

“He’s shut us up to starve us into submission, like they do in books,” said Rudolf gloomily.

“I’m starved now,” began Peter, “and that was the very nicest pie!” But the other two were much provoked with Peter for having led them into such a fix, and they would not listen to him any longer.  By Rudolf’s orders, Ann lighted the other candle and both searched again with the greatest care for some trace of the secret door.  At last Ann’s sharp eyes spied not a door, but a small opening in the wall far above their heads, like a little round window not much bigger than a knothole.  Rudolf climbed upon the table, but found he was hardly tall enough to look through, so he was obliged to hoist Peter upon his shoulders and let him have first look.  When the little boy got his eye to the window he gave such a shout of surprise that he nearly knocked Rudolf and himself completely off the table.

“Hush,” warned his brother, “you mustn’t make a noise!  Can you see what the Bad Dreams are doing?”

“Yes, I can see ’em,” whispered Peter.