And all her delight was , whenever she had a spare moment , to play with babies , in which she showed herself a woman of sense ; for babies are the best company , and the pleasantest playfellows , in the world ; at least , so all the wise people in the world think . And therefore when the children saw her , they naturally all caught hold of her , and pulled her till she sat down on a stone , and climbed into her lap , and clung round her neck , and caught hold of her hands ; and then they all put their thumbs into their mouths , and began cuddling and purring like so many kittens , as they ought to have done . While those who could get nowhere else sat down on the sand , and cuddled her feet -- for no one , you know , wear shoes in the water , except horrid old bathing-women , who are afraid of the water-babies pinching their horny toes . And Tom stood staring at them ; for he could not understand what it was all about . `` And who are you , you little darling ? '' she said . `` Oh , that is the new baby ! '' they all cried , pulling their thumbs out of their mouths ; `` and he never had any mother , '' and they all put their thumbs back again , for they did not wish to lose any time . `` Then I will be his mother , and he shall have the very best place ; so get out , all of you , this moment . '' And she took up two great armfuls of babies -- nine hundred under one arm , and thirteen hundred under the other -- and threw them away , right and left , into the water . But they minded it no more than the naughty boys in Struwelpeter minded when St. Nicholas dipped them in his inkstand ; and did not even take their thumbs out of their mouths , but came paddling and wriggling back to her like so many tadpoles , till you could see nothing of her from head to foot for the swarm of little babies . But she took Tom in her arms , and laid him in the softest place of all , and kissed him , and patted him , and talked to him , tenderly and low , such things as he had never heard before in his life ; and Tom looked up into her eyes , and loved her , and loved , till he fell fast asleep from pure love . And when he woke she was telling the children a story . And what story did she tell them ? One story she told them , which begins every Christmas Eve , and yet never ends at all for ever and ever ; and , as she went on , the children took their thumbs out of their mouths and listened quite seriously ; but not sadly at all ; for she never told them anything sad ; and Tom listened too , and never grew tired of listening . And he listened so long that he fell fast asleep again , and , when he woke , the lady was nursing him still . `` Do n't go away , '' said little Tom . `` This is so nice . I never had any one to cuddle me before . '' `` Do n't go away , '' said all the children ; `` you have not sung us one song . ''
`` Well , I have time XXXXX only one .
While at before except for in into like than that