I take the blame entirely, because I always made the others play as I pleased.
We used to play at all kinds of things--concerts, circuses, theatricals, and sometimes conjuring.

Uncle Patrick had not been to see us for a long time, when one day we heard that he was coming, and I made up my mind at once that I would have a perfectly new entertainment for him.
We like having entertainments for Uncle Patrick, because he is such a very good audience.

He laughs, and cries, and claps, and thumps with his crutch, and if things go badly, he amuses the rest.
Ever since I can remember anything, I remember an old print, called "The Happy Family," over our nursery fire-place, and how I used to wonder at that immovable cat, with sparrows on her back, sitting between an owl and a magpie.

And it was when I saw Edward sitting with Benjamin the cat, and two sparrows he had brought up by hand, struggling and laughing because Cocky would push itself, crest first, under his waistcoat, and come out at the top to kiss him--that an idea struck me; and I resolved to have a Happy Family for Uncle Patrick, and to act Showman myself.
Edward can do anything with beasts.

He was absolutely necessary as confederate, but it was possible Lettice might want to show off with Cocky, and I did not want a girl on the stage, so I said very little to her.