It’s because we are all so longing to hear them, said Mr. Dearly. €We imagine we do. But there must be something wrong with those black dogs just listen! Perhaps they’re lost. And again he opened the window.

Pongo and Missis barked louder than ever and wagged their tails wildly.

Anyone would think they knew us,€ said Mr. Dearly. I shall go down and see if they have collars on. Perhaps I can take them to their homes.€

Pongo heard this and said to Missis quickly, The moment the door opens, dash in and lead the way up to the drawing room. Pups, you follow Missis, noses to tails. I will bring up the rear. And never let there be one moment when Mr. Dearly can close the front door. Once we are in, we can make them understand.€

The front door opened, and out came Mr. Dearly. In shot Missis, closely followed by the Cadpig now out of her cart and all her brothers and sisters except Lucky, who insisted on waiting with Pongo. What with the darkness and the whirling snow, Mr. Dearly did not see what was happening until a pup bumped into him in passing (it was Roly Poly of course). Then he looked down to see what had bumped him and saw a steady stream of black pups going through the front door and the white hall and up the white stairs.

I’m dreaming this,€ thought Mr. Dearly and pinched himself hard. But the stream of pups went on and on.

Suddenly there was a hitch. The two pups faithfully dragging the Cadpig’s little blue cart, now empty, could not get it up the steps. Mr. Dearly, who could never see a dog in difficulty without helping, at once picked the cart up himself. After seeing the cart, he no longer felt he was dreaming. These dogs are a troop from a circus,€ he thought. But why have they come to us?€

A moment later Pongo and Lucky went past and the stream of dogs stopped. Mr. Dearly called into the night, Any more out there?€ To his relief, no dog answered, so he went in and closed the door. Pongo’s sooty hindquarters were just rounding the bend of the stairs. Mr. Dearly followed, four steps at a time, still carrying the little blue cart.

The scene in the front drawing room was rather confused. Large as the room was, there was not floor space for all the puppies, so they were jumping onto tables and chairs and piling up on top of one another. There was rather a lot of noise. Mrs. Dearly was just managing to keep on her feet. She had never been frightened of any dog in her life, but she did feel a trifle startled. The Nannies had taken refuge on top of the grand piano.