So saying , she whistled again . First came in guinea pigs in men 's clothing . They had tied on large kitchen aprons , and in their belts were stuck carving knives and sauce ladles and such things . After them hopped in a number of squirrels . They too walked on their hind legs , wore full Turkish trousers , and little green velvet caps on their heads . They seemed to be the scullions , for they clambered up the walls and brought down pots and pans , eggs , flour , butter , and herbs , which they carried to the stove . Here the old woman was bustling about , and Jem could see that she was cooking something very special for him . At last the broth began to bubble and boil , and she drew off the saucepan and poured its contents into a silver bowl , which she set before Jem . ` There , my boy , ' said she , ` eat this soup and then you 'll have everything which pleased you so much about me . And you shall be a clever cook too , but the real herb -- no , the REAL herb you 'll never find . Why had your mother not got it in her basket ? ' The child could not think what she was talking about , but he quite understood the soup , which tasted most delicious . His mother had often given him nice things , but nothing had ever seemed so good as this . The smell of the herbs and spices rose from the bowl , and the soup tasted both sweet and sharp at the same time , and was very strong . As he was finishing it the guinea pigs lit some Arabian incense , which gradually filled the room with clouds of blue vapour . They grew thicker and thicker and the scent nearly overpowered the boy . He reminded himself that he must get back to his mother , but whenever he tried to rouse himself to go he sank back again drowsily , and at last he fell sound asleep in the corner of the sofa . Strange dreams came to him . He thought the old woman took off all his clothes and wrapped him up in a squirrel skin , and that he went about with the other squirrels and guinea pigs , who were all very pleasant and well mannered , and waited on the old woman . First he learned to clean her cocoa-nut shoes with oil and to rub them up .
Then he learnt XXXXX catch the little sun moths and rub them through the finest sieves , and the flour from them he made into soft bread for the toothless old woman .
After As At about before for of on to with