When the Smith family left, their house remained empty. The Pickering house remained empty. One day some men came into the kitchen of the old Smith house and Willie heard them talking about tearing it down as well as the Pickering house, as well as a lot of other houses nearby to make room for a big new office building. Willie knew that the time had come to leave and find a new home.
     He traveled light. There was nothing much he had to pack because he knew he could accommodate himself wherever he went. But he did take his trapeze and he did take his window-shade. It was a good window-shade and it was the last piece of crisp paper left in the wall. He had forgotten all about it until he started to leave. He crumpled the paper into a ball and tied his trapeze around it, leaving a piece of string to hold on to. He reckoned that the paper might come in handy some day, either as a shade or as something to plug up a hole if the occasion arose.

And so came the evening when Willie threw his belongings over his shoulder and left his home in the wall. He reached the pavement and sniffed the cool air. Willie hadn't realized it was winter. There was snow on the ground. He heard church bells ringing and the music of Christmas carols. It was Christmas Eve.
      The streets were lonely because most people were at home celebrating. Willie heaved a sigh and started down the street when he noticed the feet of a man standing on the pavement. They seemed familiar. Willie looked up at the man's face.
      The man was very sad. His clothes were in rags. His shoes were torn. He looked hungry. The man stared at Willie and his sad face broke into a big happy smile.
      "Willie!" he shouted, joyously.

      "Willie, Willie," Joe whispered, bending down to caress Willie's head. "It;'s been so lonely without you. I reached what I thought was the top and it was worse that the bottom. I lost my self-respect, and became the nothing you see now."
      Willie tried to make Joe feel better by rubbing against his hand to remind him they were together again.
      "For the last couple of years," Joe said, "I've been coming back to this street hoping to find you, but never really believing I would. Willie, will you ever forgive me for leaving you, for being such a fool?"
      Willie just kept rubbing his head happily against Joe's hand. Of course he forgave Joe everything>
      The Joe noticed the piece of paper Willie was carrying. "It's a miracle!" Joe cried out. "A Christmas miracle! May I have it, Will?"
      Willie nodded, and wondered why that piece of paper had made the Smiths and the Pickerings so happy. "I suppose," thought Willie, "that these pieces of paper make humans happy. It must be the way of the world."
      Joe held the ten pounds in his hand and said, "We'll get a meal. Then I'll buy some shoes. I'll start again." He looked into Willies's eyes. "I'm going to try and not make the same mistake again," he said. "I'll work only at whatever brings us both joy, and if we ever have to work at job that isn't any fun, we'll do it only if it doesn't make anyone else unhappy. You agree, Will?"
      Willie nodded again. Of course he agreed. He'd always felt that way.
      "I know now I'll never be happy unless you're with me," said Joe. "Do you feel the same, Will?"
      Willie jumped a backflip and did three somersaults to show Joe how pleased he was. Joe laughed and Willie jumped into his pocket. Then Joe walked proudly down the street and the bells were ringing happy sounds. And both Willie and Joe knew that from that day on they would live happily ever after.

It is quite possible that one of these days you may meet a happy man who is raveling with a squowse. Hum Alouette to the squowse. If he hums it back and dances a jig you'll know for sure that it's Willie.