The fire was smoking in its place, and the rain was pouring outside the window. The curtains were drawn close together, and the chimney piece was lined with several burning candles. The bird was silent in its wire cage, and the girl, well, she was on the rocking chair. She didn’t rock, but sat all curled next to a fringed pillow. The crackling fire, the clamoring of the rain, and the tic-tock of the clock were the only noises in the warmly lit room. It was indeed a curious thing that her bright blue eyes should be gazing so intently on the picture above the chimney piece (the bird in the cage thought it very rude; for meanwhile he was dancing about in his cage and was staring at something which would not move at all.) It was very dusty, but it was not the least bit tarnished.  The picture in her memory had always been there, but she never took interest. Now she thought it very queer that half of the picture should be Night and the other half Day. The tree in the center was both, but on the sides of the tree was Night and Day. On the right, the Sun was shining with short triangular rays; but the other side was lit only by a crescent Moon and a scattered bunch of Stars. The only animal was an Owl; in fact, it was two Owls, but they could be counted as one. The Owls sat in Day and Night upon the tree, but when he should be sleeping he was awake! (At least thought the girl who knew nothing of the nature of owls.)

“Oh, but perhaps he blinks more in the Day when the Sun is out. In any case, the Night is darker and sleep may come easier even if your eyes are open!”  She sighed and looked again at the picture above the chimney piece. The stranger thing was that a Clock was above the tree on the frame; and it seemed to tick in rhythm of the larger clock below the picture. On either side of the clock was the frame; one for the Night (or the Night Frame as it likes to be called) and one for the Day (the Day Frame) Then the Owl flew around in the Night sky, and then settled down again in the branch. Now the other Owl nestled its feathers and shut its big round eyes. The large clock then stopped, and the rain ceased to fall. The curious picture seemed to be rotating from Night and Day; the Sun looping around as the Moon chased after it. The Owls kept flying about after Night and Day; sometimes clashing and spreading feathers down unto the chimney piece. The hands on the Clock moved about in great speed, each racing against the other. The Night Frame was now running after the Moon (the Unicorn at their head, of course) while the Day Frame was leaping after the Sun with the Eagle at its head. But the Stars were getting into an argument, and they never moved, for the Sun and Moon were racing too quickly for the little Stars to join! So they sat all still as their light flashed from bright to wan. The Day Frame’s Bells were now clanging loudly, while the Night Frame’s Flowers were singing:

“Oh race around the merry old Clock!

His hands will never stop!

The Moon is winning, the Sun is coming up behind!

Oh, what word will rhyme?  

Oh, won’t you sad old Stars,

Join our fun old dance?

The Eagle is flying,

While the Unicorn is still running!

The Bells are so charming,

Much more than the Leaves who are winding!     

Oh, race around the merry old Clock!

His hands will never stop!    

I think the Day is here,

But the Night has come over again!”   

Again the Bells tingled, and the Flowers sang. But the Clock’s hands stopped, the Frame did pause, the Owls stopped their flying, the Sun and Moon hung still in the sky, the Stars darted back to the Moon, Night and Day were still again. The rain began to pitter-patter, and the clock on the chimney piece went tic-tock ever more.