diff options
Diffstat (limited to '75474-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/75474-h.htm | 5930 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 0 -> 624573 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/coversmall.jpg | bin | 0 -> 257148 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_f000.jpg | bin | 0 -> 119302 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p009.jpg | bin | 0 -> 117047 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p025.jpg | bin | 0 -> 123746 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p041.jpg | bin | 0 -> 85287 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p055.jpg | bin | 0 -> 125333 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p058a.jpg | bin | 0 -> 114976 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p069.jpg | bin | 0 -> 87027 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p090a.jpg | bin | 0 -> 120408 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p095.jpg | bin | 0 -> 115185 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p117.jpg | bin | 0 -> 91042 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p122a.jpg | bin | 0 -> 108873 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/i_p127.jpg | bin | 0 -> 85996 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75474-h/images/title.jpg | bin | 0 -> 39764 bytes |
16 files changed, 5930 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/75474-h/75474-h.htm b/75474-h/75474-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..97a203c --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/75474-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5930 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Three little Trippertrots, how they ran away and how they got back again | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2 { + text-align: center; + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.tiny {width: 10%; margin-left: 45%; margin-right: 45%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;} +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} +h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +td {padding-left: 0.5em;} +.tdr {text-align: right;} + +.pagenum { + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + text-indent: 0; +} + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 17.5%; + margin-right: 17.5%; +} + +.blockquot2 { + margin-left: 7%; + margin-right: 7%; + text-indent: -1em; +} + +.x-ebookmaker .blockquot { + margin-left: 7.5%; + margin-right: 7.5%; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: 2px solid;} + +.bt {border-top: 2px solid;} + +.bbox {border: 2px solid; padding: 1em;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.ph1 {text-align: center; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;} +.ph2 {text-align: center; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;} + +div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} +div.titlepage p {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 2em;} + +.large {font-size: 125%;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} + +.x-ebookmaker .hide {display: none; visibility: hidden;} + +img { + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; +} +img.w100 {width: 100%;} + + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} + +.poetry-container {display: flex; justify-content: center;} +.poetry-container {text-align: center;} +.poetry {text-align: left; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} +.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em auto;} +.poetry .verse {text-indent: -2.5em; padding-left: 3em;} +.poetry .indent {text-indent: 1.5em;} +.poetry .first {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} + +.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; + color: black; + font-size:smaller; + margin-left: 17.5%; + margin-right: 17.5%; + padding: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + font-family:sans-serif, serif; } + +/* Illustration classes */ +.illowe28_125 {width: 28.125em;} + + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75474 ***</div> + +<div class="figcenter hide"><img src="images/coversmall.jpg" width="450" alt=""></div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_f000"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_f000.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption">THE FIREMAN RUSHED ABOUT LIKE ANYTHING</p></figcaption> +</figure> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="title page"></div> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="titlepage"> +<h1>Three Little Trippertrots</h1> + +<p><span class="large">HOW THEY RAN AWAY AND HOW<br> +THEY GOT BACK AGAIN</span></p> + +<p>BY<br> +<span class="large">HOWARD R. GARIS</span><br> + +<small>AUTHOR OF “THREE LITTLE TRIPPERTROTS ON THEIR TRAVELS,”<br> +“THE BEDTIME STORIES,” “UNCLE WIGGILY’S<br> +ADVENTURES,” ETC.</small></p> + +<p><span class="bt bb"><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></span></p> + +<p>NEW YORK<br> +<span class="large">GRAHAM & MATLACK</span><br> +PUBLISHERS</p> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> +<div class="bbox"> +<p class="ph1">THE TRIPPERTROT STORIES</p> + + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By Howard R. Garis</span></p> + +<p class="center">Quarto. Illustrated. Price, per volume,<br> +60 cents, postpaid</p> + + +<p>THREE LITTLE TRIPPERTROTS</p> + +<div class="blockquot2"> + +<p>How They Ran Away and How They Got +Back Again</p> +</div> + +<p>THREE LITTLE TRIPPERTROTS ON +THEIR TRAVELS</p> + +<div class="blockquot2"> + +<p>The Wonderful Things They Saw and the +Wonderful Things They Did</p> +</div> + + +<p class="center">GRAHAM & MATLACK, Publishers, New York</p> +</div> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="smcap">Copyright, 1912, by</span><br> +GRAHAM & MATLACK</p> + +<hr class="tiny"> +<p class="center"><i>Three Little Trippertrots</i></p> +</div></div></div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="blockquot"> +<h2 class="nobreak">PUBLISHERS’ NOTE</h2> +<hr class="tiny"> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> stories of the Three Little Trippertrots, though +never before published, have been told to thousands of children, +in a way, probably, that no tales have ever before +been related. They were read <i>over the telephone</i>, nightly, to +thousands of little folks, by means of the system operated +by the N. J. Telephone Herald Company. The stories so +delighted the children that the author has yielded to the +request to issue them in book form.</p> + +</div></div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak">CONTENTS</h2> +</div> + +<table> + + +<tr><td class="tdr"><small>ADVENTURE</small></td><td class="tdr" colspan="2"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">I.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots Are Lost</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1"> 1</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">II.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Kind Policeman</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_7"> 7</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">III.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Hand-Organ Man</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_15"> 15</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">IV.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Funny Horses</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_21"> 21</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">V.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Old Fisherman</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_29"> 29</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">VI.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the False-Face Man</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_35"> 35</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">VII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Little Old Lady</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_44"> 44</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">VIII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Little Old Man</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_50"> 50</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">IX.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Fireman</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58"> 58</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">X.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Funny Boy</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_64"> 64</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XI.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Pieman</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_73"> 73</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Banana Man</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_80"> 80</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XIII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Dancing Bears</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_86"> 86</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XIV.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Pink Cow</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_92"> 92</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XV.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Train of Cars</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_102"> 102</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XVI.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Trolley Car</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_106"> 106</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XVII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Lame Bird</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_113"> 113</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XVIII.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Nice Big Dog</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_122"> 122</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XIX.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Poor Little Boy</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_131"> 131</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td class="tdr">XX.</td><td> <span class="smcap">The Trippertrots and the Little Girl</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_138"> 138</a></td></tr> +</table> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[1]</span> + +<p class="ph2">Three Little Trippertrots</p> + +<hr class="tiny"> +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER ONE<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS ARE LOST</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time, not so very many years ago, there +were two little boys, and a little girl, who lived with their +papa and mamma in a house in a big city. One of the +boys was named Tommy, and the other was called Johnny, +and the little girl’s name was Mary. Mary was seven years +old, Tommy was six, and Johnny was the youngest of all, +being only five years old. Now the children had a last name, +which was the funny one of Trippertrot. They were called +this because they were always tripping or trotting off somewhere +or other.</p> + +<p>One day, when Tommy and Johnny and Mary were at +play in their house, the telephone bell rang, and Suzette, +the nursemaid, who had charge of the children, ran to answer +it.</p> + +<p>“Who do you s’pose it is calling up?” asked Tommy of +Johnny.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know; maybe it’s the milkman,” answered Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Milkmen don’t have time to talk on a telephone,” said +Mary. “But I know what let’s do, Johnny and Tommy. +Now that Suzette isn’t here, let’s go out for a walk. She +won’t see us.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody! Let’s do it!” cried Johnny and Tommy +together, like twins, you know, only they weren’t, of course.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[2]</span> +They jumped up very quickly, and followed Mary out of +the house.</p> + +<p>Now, of course, that wasn’t just the right thing to do—to +go away when Suzette wasn’t looking. But the Trippertrots +didn’t always do what was right, any more than do +some children whom I know—but, of course, I don’t mean +any of you. Anyhow, the Trippertrots ran away, and I’m +going to tell you what happened to them.</p> + +<p>“Which way shall we go?” asked Tommy, when they +stood outside on the pavement.</p> + +<p>“Let’s go off and see if we can find a fairy,” suggested +Mary.</p> + +<p>“No, don’t do that,” cried Johnny, “for we might meet +a bad fairy, and she might turn us into an automobile with +a honk-honk horn, or an elephant with a long nose, or something +like that.”</p> + +<p>“Well, if we’re going to take a walk, we’d better hurry,” +said Mary. “Suzette will soon be back from the telephone, +and she’ll miss us, and come looking for us, and then we’ll +have to go in and have our faces and hands washed. Hurry +up!”</p> + +<p>“I know what’s the best thing to do,” exclaimed Tommy. +“We’ll go down the street, where the toy store is, and get +some things to play with.”</p> + +<p>“But we haven’t any money,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“That doesn’t make any difference,” Tommy replied. “I +mean we can look in the toy-store window and choose what +things we’d like to have.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, that is fun!” agreed Johnny. “I heard a boy +do that one day, and he choosed a whole train of cars and +an engine.”</p> + +<p>“But did he get them?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“No; but it was fun just the same. Come on.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span>So down the street the Trippertrot children went, hand +in hand, hurrying as fast as they could, and looking back +every now and then to see if Suzette was following them. +But she wasn’t.</p> + +<p>And oh! what wonderful things those children saw as +they ran along! An automobile nearly banged into a trolley +car, and a dog just missed being run over by a peanut +wagon, and he barked almost as loudly as a lion can roar +when he’s hungry for popcorn balls in the circus.</p> + +<p>Then the Trippertrots saw a man selling red and green +and yellow balloons, and pink paper pin-wheels. And pretty +soon they turned a corner, and there was a lady wheeling +two babies in the same carriage. What do you think of +that? They were twins, you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, aren’t they cute babies!” exclaimed Mary. “Let’s +stop and look at them, boys.”</p> + +<p>“No, we haven’t time,” said Johnny. “We’ve got to +hurry down to that toy store, and choose things, or we won’t +be back in time for tea, and we’d be hungry if we missed +that.”</p> + +<p>So they hurried on faster and faster, still holding hands. +They went past one store, in the windows of which were +lots and lots of cakes, with pink and brown and white frosting +on, and Johnny wanted to stop there and choose one, +but Tommy hurried him on.</p> + +<p>Then they went around a corner where a Chinaman was +ironing clothes right in the window of his shop, and past +another place where a man was digging a big hole in the +ground, and Mary nearly fell down in it, and she was very +much frightened, only her brothers pulled her away from it +just in time.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, a big automobile whizzed past,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span> +just as the Trippertrots were crossing the street, and a kind +man called to the children:</p> + +<p>“Look out, little ones, or you’ll get run over!” Then +they ran as fast as they could run, and the man called after +them: “Aren’t you children lost?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed, thank you,” answered Tommy. “We’re going +to the toy store to choose presents.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” said the man, and he went on his way, +laughing.</p> + +<p>A little while after that Tommy stubbed his toe and fell +down. But do you suppose he cried? No, sir! not a bit +of it. Not a single tear, though he wanted to very much.</p> + +<p>“But if I cry, and get my eyes full of water,” he thought, +“I might not be able to see in the toy-shop window to choose +things. So I’m not going to cry.”</p> + +<p>Then Mary and Johnny rubbed the sore place on Tommy’s +leg, and Mary kissed him, and the Trippertrots went +on farther.</p> + +<p>Then, just as the postman blew his whistle, they came +to the toy shop. Oh, I just wish you could have seen it! +The window was full of toy trains, and toy elephants who +could wiggle their heads and their trunks, and there were +dolls, and steam engines, and rocking-horses, and camels, and +lions, and tigers—not real, you know, only make-believe—so +don’t get frightened. And then there was an airship, with +a thing in front that went around whizzy-izzy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m going to choose that airship!” cried Johnny, +as soon as he saw it.</p> + +<p>“No, it’s Mary’s turn first,” said Tommy. “Ladies are +always first, you know.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, of course. I forgot,” admitted Johnny. “Go +on, Mary, you choose.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[5]</span>“Well,” said Mary slowly, “I’ll take the doll with the +pink dress and the blue eyes.”</p> + +<p>“Now I am going to take the airship!” cried Johnny +eagerly.</p> + +<p>“And I want the big elephant that wiggles his nose,” +said Tommy. “Now it’s your turn again, Mary.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll take the little brass bed for my doll,” spoke the boys’ +sister.</p> + +<p>And so they went on. Well, those children just stood +there, choosing all the pretty toys in the store window, until +there were hardly any left. Only, you know, of course, that +it was only make-believe, for they didn’t really take the things +away.</p> + +<p>Mary had just picked out a lovely doll carriage, and +Tommy was going to take a small automobile with wheels +that really went around, when, all of a sudden, the lady +who kept the toy store came out on the sidewalk, and said:</p> + +<p>“I am afraid you children had better run home. You +have been standing here for some time, and your mamma +will worry about you, I’m sure. Run along, now, and take +this,” and she gave each of them a stick of nice candy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess we had better go home,” said Tommy. +“Which way do we go, Johnny?”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t you know the way home, Tommy?” asked +his brother.</p> + +<p>“No. Don’t you?”</p> + +<p>“Not a bit of it!” answered Johnny, surprised like. “I +am all turned around. Maybe Mary knows.”</p> + +<p>“What!” exclaimed the little Trippertrot girl, “you boys +don’t mean to tell me you don’t know where our house is, +do you?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And I’m sure I don’t know,” answered Johnny.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[6]</span>“We don’t either of us know,” went on Tommy in a sad +voice. “Do you know, Mary?” and he began to eat his +candy.</p> + +<p>Mary shook her head. Then two tears came into her +blue eyes. Then came still more tears, until they rolled from +her cheeks, and splashed down on the sidewalk, like salty +rain.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear!” she cried. “If none of us knows where our +home is we’re lost! We can’t ever find our house! What +shall we do?”</p> + +<p>And there was no one there to tell the children what to +do, for the toy-store lady had gone back into her shop and +shut the door.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, along came a big, kind-looking +policeman, with a blue coat covered with brass buttons. +Tommy saw him first.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh!” exclaimed Tommy. “Run! Run! Here +comes a policeman after us!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and he may put us in jail!” said Johnny. “Run!” +So he and Tommy started to run, but Mary caught hold of +them.</p> + +<p>“Stop, you silly boys!” she cried. “Don’t be afraid. +Mamma always said that if ever we got lost we should go to +a policeman right away. Now the policeman is coming to +us, and that is much better; so it’s all right.”</p> + +<p>Then the nice big man with the brass buttons on his coat +came closer, and Mary said to him:</p> + +<p>“Please, Mr. Policeman, we’re the Trippertrot children, +and we’re lost. We don’t know where our house is. Will +you please find it for us?”</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” answered the policeman, with a jolly +smile. “Come along with me.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER TWO<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE KIND POLICEMAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Are</span> you going to take us home right away, Mr. Policeman?” +asked Mary, as she and her brothers walked along +beside the big man.</p> + +<p>“Of course I am,” he answered kindly. “But you must +first tell me where your home is, and then I can go there by +the shortest way. Where is your home?”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t you know?” asked Johnny, and he stopped +there in the street and looked at a big automobile which was +whizzing along close behind a little fuzzy dog that was trying +to get out of the way of the big rubber wheels. “Don’t +you know where our house is, Mr. Policeman?” asked Johnny +again.</p> + +<p>“Well,” spoke the big officer with the blue clothes, and +the brass buttons down the front, like a whole lot of shiny +eyes, “if you will tell me which street your house is on, I +think I can easily take you to it.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t—don’t you even know the <i>street</i>?” asked Johnny, +and two tears came into his eyes, one in each, and splashed +down on the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>“Why, can’t you tell me the street?” the policeman +wanted to know.</p> + +<p>Mary shook her little head. Johnny shook his little head. +Tommy shook his little head. Then they all shook their +heads together, and they said, all at once:</p> + +<p>“We—don’t—know!”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span>“My! My!” exclaimed the policeman. “What am I +going to do with three lost children who don’t know where +they live?”</p> + +<p>“I thought policemans knew everything,” said Mary +Trippertrot. “You ought to know about our house.”</p> + +<p>“I only wish I did,” replied the officer. “But I’ll tell +you what I’ll do. I’ll give you a nice ride in a wagon, and +I’ll take you to a place where there are a whole lot of policemen, +and perhaps some of them may know where you live.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Johnny. “Now we’ll be all right.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and I know where he’s going to take us,” said +Tommy. “It’s to a fire-engine house, ’cause I once saw a +little lost boy in a fire-engine house.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, it isn’t,” said Mary. “He must be going to +take us to a police station. But I don’t care, for it’s nice +there. Once, Sallie Jones was lost, and she was taken to a +police station, and the men there gave her candy until her +mamma came for her. I know, ’cause she told me.”</p> + +<p>“Then I’m glad we’re lost,” said Tommy, “’cause the +candy the toy-shop lady gave us is all gone.” And that’s as +true as I’m telling you, the Trippertrots had eaten up all +their candy.</p> + +<p>“Come along, now, little ones,” said the kind policeman, +“and I’ll telephone for a wagon so that I can give you a +ride.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, if you’re going to telephone,” cried Mary, “you can +telephone to our house and tell mamma we’re coming home. +I know where our house is now! It’s where the telephone +is. We have one, and to-day, when Suzette went to answer +it, we ran out. That’s how we got lost. All you have to +do, Mr. Policeman, is to go to the house where our telephone +is, and we’ll be home.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9-10]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p009"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p009.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption"><i>On the Pole Was a Blue Box.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span>Mary looked up at the big officer, but he only shook his +head.</p> + +<p>“There are so many houses which have telephones in,” +he said, “that I could never find yours that way. But come +on.”</p> + +<p>So he led them down the street until pretty soon he came +to a big fat telephone pole that looked like an elephant’s +leg in the circus. And on the pole was a blue box, which +opened just like the door of the cupboard where mother keeps +the bread and jam.</p> + +<p>And inside the box were a whole lot of shiny things, and +a bell rang, like a telephone bell, and pretty soon the policeman +was talking into that box and telling some one away +far off at the police station to send a wagon for three little +lost children.</p> + +<p>So there they stood, the three Trippertrots and the kind +policeman, waiting for the wagon to come. And a whole +lot of people gathered around and looked at the children, +and felt very sorry for them because they were lost. But +Mary and Johnny and Tommy weren’t a bit sorry. They +knew it would be all right, and that the policeman would +take care of them.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, a dog came running up the +street. He was a nice, fuzzy, yellow dog, and he had a tail +that he could wag. And what do you think he did? Why, +he crawled right in between the legs of a fat man who was +looking at the lost children, and then that dog went right +up close to Mary, and barked softly, just as if he was saying:</p> + +<p>“Don’t you be worried now. I’m here, and I’ll take +care of you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, look! See the dog!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Is he your dog?” asked the policeman.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span>“No,” answered Johnny, “but I guess we can have him +if we wish. Maybe he’s lost, too.”</p> + +<p>“I believe he is!” cried Mary. “Look how tired he is! +I think we shall call him Fido, and he’ll be our dog; won’t +you, Fido?”</p> + +<p>Well, I just wish you could have seen the dog wag his +tail at that! He nearly wagged it off, he was so happy because +Mary had called him Fido, for that was really his +name; and he was lost, but he didn’t care, now that he had +some children to love.</p> + +<p>And then, while they were standing there, the three Trippertrots +and the dog and the kind policeman, along came the +wagon to take the children to the police station. And there +was a fine, big brown horse pulling the wagon.</p> + +<p>“Now get in, little ones,” said the policeman kindly.</p> + +<p>“You go first, Mary,” said Tommy politely. “Ladies are +always first.”</p> + +<p>“No, let Fido get in first,” suggested Johnny. “He is +so tired, and he can lie down in the wagon. Here, Fido, +jump in!”</p> + +<p>“But you can’t take that dog in the wagon,” said the +policeman, his face turning red.</p> + +<p>“Why not?” asked Mary, and she patted Fido on the +head, so that he wagged his tail harder than ever.</p> + +<p>“Because,” said the policeman, “we don’t like dogs in our +wagons; and besides, he isn’t your dog.”</p> + +<p>“Of course he’s our dog!” cried Johnny. “He came to +us, and he’s ours. We’re going to keep him.”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” added Tommy. “He’s lost, and we’re lost, +so he belongs to us.”</p> + +<p>“And if we can’t have him we don’t want to ride in your +wagon, Mr. Policeman, though we like you very much,” said<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span> +Mary. “Fido must come with us. You want to come, don’t +you, Fido?” And she patted the dog’s head again.</p> + +<p>Then what do you suppose that dog did? Why, he +wagged his tail up and down, instead of sideways, right up +and down he wagged it, like a pump handle.</p> + +<p>“See!” cried Mary. “He’s saying ‘yes’ with his tail! He +wants to come, Mr. Policeman.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! Then I suppose he’ll have to go,” said the +officer, with a laugh, and everybody in the crowd laughed +also. “Get in, Fido; and you, too, children,” the policeman +went on.</p> + +<p>So they all got in the wagon, the Trippertrots and the +dog and the policeman, and away they went. Tommy had +hold of Fido’s left ear, and Johnny had hold of his right +ear, and Mary had her hand on the dog’s head, and every +once in a while Fido would put his cold nose in the policeman’s +hand, to show that he liked him, and then the policeman +would jump as if a mosquito had bitten him, for he +wasn’t thinking about the dog. But Fido didn’t mind, and +he thumped his tail down on the floor of the wagon until it +sounded like a baby’s rattle-box.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they were almost at the police station, and +the policeman was wondering how he could find out where +the lost Trippertrots lived, when, all of a sudden, Fido saw +a pussy cat running along the sidewalk. And then, before +you could look at a picture in a story book, out Fido jumped +from the wagon to chase after the cat.</p> + +<p>Fido didn’t want to catch her, you understand. Oh, no; +he just wanted to see if he could run as fast as the pussy was +running. So that’s why he jumped out of the wagon.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! There goes our dog!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, Fido is running away!” exclaimed Johnny sorrowfully.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span>“Oh, we must get him, or he’ll be lost again!” cried Mary. +“Stop the wagon, please, Mr. Policeman, and we’ll get Fido +back again. Come here, Fido!” she called.</p> + +<p>Well, the policeman wasn’t going to stop the wagon, but +just then a trolley car got in the way of it, and the driver +had to stop, whether he wanted to or not. And that was +just the chance the Trippertrots wanted.</p> + +<p>First, Mary jumped out of the wagon, and then Tommy +jumped out, and then Johnny jumped out.</p> + +<p>“Come back! Come back!” cried the policeman. “You’ll +be lost again, and I’ll have to find you.”</p> + +<p>“We’re—going—to—get—our—Fido!” panted Mary.</p> + +<p>And then, before the big, kind policeman could get out +of the wagon, those three children had hurried around a +corner of the street and were racing after Fido, and Fido +was racing after the pussy cat, and there was such a crowd +of people that the policeman couldn’t see the children, even +when he put on his glasses.</p> + +<p>“My! My!” he exclaimed. “They will be lost again!”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER THREE<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE HAND-ORGAN MAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Oh, do</span> you s’pose we’ll ever catch that dog?” asked +Mary Trippertrot of her two brothers, as they raced along +after Fido, and Fido was chasing after the cat.</p> + +<p>“Of course we will,” answered Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And maybe we’ll get the pussy cat, too,” said Johnny, +who couldn’t run so very fast, as his legs were rather short.</p> + +<p>“But we don’t want the cat,” spoke Mary. “For you +see, she and Fido aren’t very well acquainted yet, and they +might not like each other. I think we’ll just catch Fido, +and then we’ll all go home and get something for him to +eat. I’m sure he must be hungry. I know I am.”</p> + +<p>“But we don’t know where our home is,” panted Johnny, +as he tripped along beside Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Why, you silly boy, we can go back to the policeman +in the wagon, and he’ll find our home for us,” went on Mary. +“Come on, now. We are catching up to Fido.”</p> + +<p>So on the Trippertrot children tripped and trotted as fast +as they could. And, all of a sudden, Mary slipped, and she +would have fallen down, only Johnny caught her. And then +Tommy was running so fast that he ran right into a lady who +was carrying a basket full of loaves of bread, and the bread +all bounced out on the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! Oh, me! Oh, my!” cried the lady. “Now +see what you have done!”</p> + +<p>“We are very sorry,” said Tommy politely. “But you<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span> +see we are lost, and our dog Fido is lost, too, only we know +where he is, and we’re chasing after him, and he’s chasing +after a cat, and that’s how I happened to run into you. But +we’ll help you pick up the bread, though Fido may get so +far ahead of us that we can’t find him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! What a lot of things to happen to three little +children!” said the lady kindly. “Never mind about the +bread. I can pick it up myself. You run on after your Fido, +bless your hearts!”</p> + +<p>So she began to pick up the bread herself, and a man +helped her, and the Trippertrots ran on. And about a minute +after that Johnny stubbed his toe, but he didn’t even cry +half a tear, for he was a brave little fellow.</p> + +<p>And then they hurried on again, and they could just see +Fido’s wagging tail now, and it was going around in a circle +like a merry-go-round, because, you see, he was so excited.</p> + +<p>“There he is!” cried Mary. “Hurry up, and we’ll have +him in a minute!”</p> + +<p>“Look! Look!” cried Tommy. “The cat has run up a +tree, and now Fido can’t get her, so he’ll have to stop running, +and we can catch up to him.”</p> + +<p>And would you ever believe it? That cat did run up a +tree, and she sat down on a branch, and Fido, he sat down +on the ground at the foot of the tree, for dogs can’t climb, +you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you naughty Fido!” exclaimed Mary, as she came +up to him. “Why did you run away?” And Mary had to +sit down on the ground, too, so she could get her breath. And +then up came Tommy and Johnny, and they also had to +sit down, so there they all sat, the three Trippertrots and +the dog, at the foot of the tree, and the pussy cat about ten +feet up the tree, sitting on a branch.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span>“Why did you run away?” asked Tommy, taking hold +of Fido’s left ear.</p> + +<p>“Bow! wow! wow!” answered the doggie, which meant +that he didn’t know. Then he wagged his tail sideways on +the ground, and he made so much dust that Mary had to +sneeze.</p> + +<p>And Johnny sneezed, and Tommy sneezed, and then +Fido sneezed, to keep them company. And the pussy cat +up the tree, she didn’t want to be left out, so she sneezed, +also, and in that way they all sneezed.</p> + +<p>Then the three Trippertrots laughed, and the cat heard +them, and the pussy knew that anybody who laughs real jolly +like will never harm any animals, so the cat thought she +would come down out of the tree.</p> + +<p>And she did. And what do you suppose Fido did? Why, +he just barked politely, as if he were saying, “Pleased to +meet you!” And he wagged his tail, real friendly like, and +he put his cold nose on the pussy cat’s cold nose, and that’s +the way they shook hands.</p> + +<p>“Now they’re friends,” said Tommy. “I don’t see why +we can’t keep them both, Mary.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps we can,” said his sister, “as long as they don’t +quarrel. Come, Fido, we must go back to the kind policeman +now. Come, Pussy. I wonder what your name is?”</p> + +<p>“Me-ow, me-ew!” cried the pussy.</p> + +<p>“What did she say?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I guess she said ‘How d’ do?’ But anyhow let’s call her +Ivy Vine, because she can climb a tree so well. Come, Ivy +Vine.”</p> + +<p>So Fido got up, and so did the three Trippertrots, from +where they had been sitting on the ground, and Ivy Vine, +the pussy, got up also, and they all started down the street +together.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span>“Do you know which way to go to get to the policeman’s +wagon?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“No. Don’t you?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>Tommy shook his head.</p> + +<p>“Then we’re lost again,” said Mary, “for I don’t know +either. Oh, how many things are happening to us to-day! +I wonder if we will ever get home again?”</p> + +<p>They looked all around, but they couldn’t see any street +that looked like the one they lived on, and there was no +house in sight like theirs, and they didn’t know what to do. +And then, all of a sudden, they heard some nice music. And +it was a hand-organ playing, and it played a tune called +“Always be happy and never be sad, Always be joyful and +jolly and glad.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope that hand-organ man has a monkey!” cried +Mary.</p> + +<p>And just then, surely enough, around the corner came +the hand-organ man, and he was playing the jolly tune, and +perched up on his organ was a cute little monkey, with a +red cap and a blue coat.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t this lovely!” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I don’t mind being lost now,” spoke Johnny.</p> + +<p>Then the hand-organ man came up to where the children +were standing, with Fido and the pussy cat. And at +first the monkey acted as if he wanted to run away from +the dog, but Fido wagged his tail so very friendly like that +the monkey stayed. And then the children noticed that the +hand-organ man looked sick, and he could hardly grind out +the music.</p> + +<p>“What is the matter, Mr. Hand-Organ Man?” asked +Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I am very tired and lonesome,” said the man. “I +have walked about all day, and played all the tunes in my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span> +hand-organ, but no one gave me any pennies. Not even +when Fuzzo, my monkey, climbed up to the second-story +windows and took off his cap. Oh, dear, I haven’t any money +to buy my supper with!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s too bad!” exclaimed Tommy. “Maybe we +can help you.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s try,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Johnny. “We can go around with you, and +sing while you grind the organ, and we’ll take Ivy Vine and +Fido with us, and perhaps when the people see all the animals +together they may give you pennies.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, it would be very kind if you would do that,” said the +hand-organ man. So he began to play a jolly little tune, +and the children sang, and the monkey danced up on top of the +organ, and Fido stood on his hind legs, and Ivy Vine, the +cat, turned somersaults.</p> + +<p>Well, you ought to have seen the crowd of people stop +and look on. Everybody laughed, and thought the children +were very cute, and they liked the animals, too. Then Fuzzo, +the monkey, took off his red cap and held it out, and the +people put a lot of pennies in it.</p> + +<p>“Fine! Fine!” cried the hand-organ man as he heard +the pennies rattling in Fuzzo’s cap. “Now I can buy some +supper.” And more pennies came rattling in, until the cap +could not hold them all, and Fuzzo had to put some of them +in his pocket.</p> + +<p>Well, the Trippertrot children were having a good time, +and in spite of being lost they were very happy, because they +were helping some one, and the organ man was playing another +tune, and Mary was just getting ready to sing a song +all alone, when a great big automobile dashed up to the sidewalk, +and the man who was in it cried:</p> + +<p>“Why, bless my soul! If there aren’t the Trippertrots,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span> +nearly two miles from home! I must take them back at +once. How did you get here, children?” he called.</p> + +<p>“Oh, there’s Mr. Johnson in his auto!” exclaimed Mary. +“We are lost, Mr. Johnson. Will you please take us home?” +For you see the man in the automobile happened to live next +door to the Trippertrots, and he knew them.</p> + +<p>“Of course I’ll take you home,” he said kindly. “Get in.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but we must take Fido and Ivy Vine, and Fuzzo +and the hand-organ man,” said Tommy. “Fido is our lost +dog, and Ivy Vine is our lost cat, and Fuzzo is the monkey. +We don’t know the man’s name, but he isn’t lost, neither is +Fuzzo, but they are very hungry, and we are going to take +them to our house for supper.”</p> + +<p>“What! Take you and those animals and the hand-organ +man in my auto?” cried Mr. Johnson, in astonishment.</p> + +<p>“Yes, and the hand-organ, too,” said Mary. “Then the +man can play tunes on the way, and you won’t have to blow +your horn. Get in, Fido. Get in, Ivy Vine. Get in, Fuzzo. +And you, too, Tommy and Johnny, and Mr. Hand-Organ +Man.”</p> + +<p>Mr. Johnson laughed, and then he thought the best thing +to do would be to take the Trippertrots and everybody and +everything that they wanted along with him in the auto.</p> + +<p>So they all piled into the car, and away they went; and, +surely enough, the hand-organ man played tunes all the way +along, and the people in the street laughed when they saw +the automobile with its queer load. But the Trippertrots +didn’t care, and soon they were right in front of their own +house.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER FOUR<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE FUNNY HORSES</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Mrs. Trippertrot looked out of her window and +saw her three children, and Mr. Johnson, the man who owned +the automobile, and Fido the dog, and Ivy Vine the cat, and +Fuzzo the monkey—to say nothing of the hand-organ man—when +she saw all of them in front of her house she didn’t +know what to think.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my dear children!” she cried. “I have been looking +everywhere for you! Where have you been?”</p> + +<p>“We have been lost, mamma,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“And we had a most lovely time!” exclaimed Johnny, +laughing.</p> + +<p>“And we’ve got a dog and a cat, and a monkey!” added +Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear!” cried their mamma. “I’ve been telephoning +all over for you. I didn’t know what to do, and I have just +sent for your papa.”</p> + +<p>“That’s too bad,” said Tommy. “Really, we didn’t want +to worry you, mamma. But if papa hurries home, he can +have supper with the hand-organ man.”</p> + +<p>“Have supper with the hand-organ man!” cried Mrs. +Trippertrot. “What in the world do you mean?”</p> + +<p>“This is the hand-organ man,” said Mary, and she pointed +to the man who owned Fuzzo the monkey. “He’s very hungry, +and we helped him get some pennies. Mr. Johnson +found us, didn’t you, Mr. Johnson?”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span>“I certainly did,” he said, and then he looked to see if he +had to pump any more wind into his big automobile tires.</p> + +<p>“But a policeman found us first,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Only we jumped out of the wagon to go after Fido, for +he was chasing a cat,” explained Tommy. “Here is the cat, +mamma. Her name is Ivy Vine, because she can climb a +tree so good.”</p> + +<p>“Bless us!” said Mrs. Trippertrot. “I shall never understand +all this. Oh, I hope you children never run away again. +I am ever so much obliged to you, Mr. Johnson, for bringing +them home. But what shall I do with a monkey and a +dog and a cat and a hand-organ man?”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said Mr. Johnson, “I think I would give the +hand-organ man and his monkey something to eat, and send +them away. Then I’d let the children keep the dog and cat +for a while.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’re going to keep them forever,” said Mary, “and +the monkey, too; can’t we, mother?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, please don’t ask me!” cried Mrs. Trippertrot. “Yes, +you may keep anything, as long as you don’t run away again. +Oh! I have been so worried about you!”</p> + +<p>“I am very sorry, but I can’t stay here,” said the hand-organ +man. “I must go home, for I am going to teach Fuzzo, +my monkey, a new trick of standing on his head, and then +perhaps we may get many more pennies. I thank your children +very much for what they did for me.” And then, making +a low bow to Mrs. Trippertrot, and to Mr. Johnson, he +climbed down out of the auto and took his hand-organ and +monkey and started away with them.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want some supper?” asked Tommy quickly.</p> + +<p>“No, I thank you,” said the man. “Since you were so +kind as to help me get some pennies, I can buy enough for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span> +Fuzzo and myself to eat. So I’ll say good-by.” And then +the hand-organ man hurried away.</p> + +<p>Soon Tommy and Mary and Johnny got out of the auto, +and kissed their mamma, and they went into the house, after +thanking Mr. Johnson for bringing them home, and Fido +and Ivy Vine went in with them.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know what your papa will say about keeping +those animals,” said Mrs. Trippertrot, “but he will soon be +home, and we can ask him.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, he’ll let us keep them,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Sure, for he loves dogs,” spoke Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And cats, too!” cried Tommy, for just then Ivy Vine +was purring away like a sewing machine, and washing her +fur, in front of the open fire in the library.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon Mr. Trippertrot came home, and when he +heard about what his children had done, and how they had +been lost, and how they had brought home a cat and a dog +and a monkey, to say nothing of a hand-organ man, he didn’t +know what to say.</p> + +<p>“But I suppose they may keep the dog and cat,” he said. +“They will be good pets for them. But I hope you never +run away again, children.”</p> + +<p>Of course Mary and Tommy and Johnny promised, but +you just wait and see what happened. It was quite an adventure.</p> + +<p>One afternoon, about three days later, the three Trippertrot +children were up in the playroom, having a soldier game. +Tommy was the general, and he had a sword; and Johnny +was a soldier, with a make-believe wooden gun; and Mary +was a nurse, to take care of the soldiers when they were ill.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just wish we had horses!” cried Johnny suddenly. +“Then we could take a long ride.”</p> + +<p>“That <i>would</i> be fun,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span>“Could I ride, too?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“If we could find you a horse,” spoke Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Well, we have your old hobby-horse,” said Mary to +Tommy, “and down in the laundry is a clothes-horse. I could +have that.”</p> + +<p>“But what could I have?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know!” cried Mary. “A sawhorse! The very +thing!”</p> + +<p>“Do you mean a horse that is all sawed up into sawdust?” +asked Johnny, trying to stand on his head.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” replied his sister. “A sawhorse is something +a carpenter uses on which to saw out boards. It has +a back and four legs, just like a real horse. Oh, I know +what we’ll do! We’ll get the sawhorse and the clothes-horse +and the rocking-horse all out on the lawn, and we’ll put empty +thread spools under them for wheels, and we can really make-believe +truly ride.”</p> + +<p>“Great!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Wonderful!” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“They are funny horses,” said Mary, “but we can have +some fun, and, who knows? perhaps we may ride to fairyland +on them. Come on, boys, we’ll get them ready.”</p> + +<p>So they took the rocking-horse out of the playroom and +carried it out on the lawn. Then they brought the clothes-horse +up from the laundry.</p> + +<p>The clothes-horse, you know, is the horse on which the +washlady hangs the clothes to dry in front of the fire. And +then those funny Trippertrot children went next door, where +a man was building a new house, and one of the carpenters +let them take a sawhorse. So they had three horses, you +see.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25-26]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p025"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p025.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption"><i>“Trot Along, Clothes-Horse!” Cried Mary.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p>Mary took a board and put it across the clothes-horse, so +she could sit on it to ride. But Tommy and Johnny didn’t +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span>need any boards for their horses. Tommy had the sawhorse, +and Johnny the rocking-horse. Then they fastened some big, +empty thread spools on the bottom of the legs of their horses, +and they were all ready to ride off after some new adventures.</p> + +<p>They took their funny horses to the top of a little hill on +the smooth grassy lawn, so they would start to roll down +easily. Then they all got up on the horses’ backs.</p> + +<p>“Giddap!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Gee-up!” cried Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Trot along, clothes-horse!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>And then, would you believe it? those funny horses began +to roll down the long, grassy hill. Faster and faster they +went on the spools, rolling along, bumpity-bump.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Mary. “Why, my horse is going!”</p> + +<p>“And so is mine!” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Of course!” cried Tommy. “Horses always go.”</p> + +<p>Faster and faster went the funny horses. The children +were hanging to them tightly, so as not to fall off.</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t this great!” said Mary. “I wonder where they +will take us?”</p> + +<p>“To fairyland, of course,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>By this time the funny horses, carrying the Trippertrot +children, were at the bottom of the lawn. They were galloping +along quite fast, when, all of a sudden, Mary cried:</p> + +<p>“Oh, look! The brook! The brook!”</p> + +<p>Right ahead of them was a little stream of water, and it +was quite wet water, too, let me tell you.</p> + +<p>“Oh! If we fall in that, we’ll be drowned!” said Johnny, +shivering.</p> + +<p>“Stop the horses! Stop them!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>So they all pulled on the pieces of string which they had +tied on the rocking-horse, and on the sawhorse, and on the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span> +clothes-horse, for driving reins. But, would you believe it? +those funny horses never stopped at all.</p> + +<p>Along they went on the empty spool-wheels, until they +were right at the edge of the brook; and then, instead of +stopping to get a drink, the way real horses would have done, +those strange horses just tumbled into the water. Right in +they tumbled, Trippertrot children and all.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” screamed Mary, as she felt the water coming up +over her toes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, me!” cried Johnny, as he felt the water on his nose.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my!” exclaimed Tommy, as some water splashed up +on his knees. “We’ll be drowned!”</p> + +<p>But I’m not going to let anything like that happen to our +Trippertrots. No, indeed. I’m going to save them. Just +listen.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, when the three children were in the +water—all of a sudden, I say—the clothes-horse and the sawhorse +and the rocking-horse sort of floated close to each other, +and all at once they made themselves into a nice raft, that +was just as good as a sailboat.</p> + +<p>“Climb up, and we’ll have a ride in the brook!” cried +Johnny, when he saw that the funny wooden horses would +hold them all, and not let them sink.</p> + +<p>So the three children climbed up on the funny boat, that +was made from the funny horses, and they sat there a little +while until they were nice and warm and dry again, and +then the sawhorse and the clothes-horse and the rocking-horse +just swam toward shore as fast as they could, and so the children +were saved, just as I told you they would be.</p> + +<p>And then—well, if you want to know what happened after +that, will you please turn to the next page, and then you can +read all about it.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER FIVE<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE OLD FISHERMAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">All</span> of a sudden, as the Trippertrot children were riding +along on their funny horses, which had just galloped up out +of the water to the dry land—all of a sudden, I say—Mary +happened to look behind her, and there was Ivy Vine, the +cat, running after them as fast as she could run, and her tail +was sticking straight up in the air, like a clothes-post.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Mary. “Ivy Vine is coming, and she +may get lost!”</p> + +<p>“So might we get lost, if we go far enough,” answered +Johnny. “We’d better wait for Ivy Vine, and she can show +us the way home.”</p> + +<p>“That’s right,” added Tommy. “We were lost once, and +I don’t want it to happen again.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that was nothing,” said Mary. “I think it was fun +to be lost. Remember the good time we had.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, look over there!” suddenly called Johnny. “There +comes Fido, our dog! Now, surely we can’t get lost with +him along. I say, let’s get off our horses and take a walk. +My horse is tired, anyhow.”</p> + +<p>“And so is mine,” said Mary. “Maybe if we walk along +real slowly we’ll have an adventure.”</p> + +<p>Then, pretty soon, up came Ivy Vine, the cat, and Fido, +the dog, and, leaving their three funny horses in the grass, +the Trippertrots and the dog and the cat started off. They<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span> +walked along and along, and pretty soon they came to a little +hill.</p> + +<p>“Let’s go up this hill, and see what’s on top,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes. Maybe a nice fairy lives there,” spoke Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No, don’t go up,” objected Mary. “We might fall down +on the other side.”</p> + +<p>“That’s so,” agreed Johnny. “I don’t want to fall down, +because I’ve got on a new pair of stockings, and mamma +doesn’t want me to get any holes in them.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you are too fussy,” spoke Tommy. “Why, we don’t +have to fall down the other side. And besides, if we +do start to slip, we can grab hold of Ivy Vine’s tail, and she +can stick her sharp claws down in the grass on the hill, and +we won’t slide any more.”</p> + +<p>“That’s so. I never thought of that,” said Mary. “We’ll +go up. Come on, Ivy Vine, I’m going to hold you, so if I +happen to slip you can save me.”</p> + +<p>“And Johnny and I will take Fido,” said Tommy. “His +toenails aren’t as sharp as Ivy Vine’s, but he’ll do, I guess.”</p> + +<p>So up the hill they went, slowly and carefully, with the +dog and the cat, and they kept a close watch on every side, +but they didn’t see any fairies, though in one place they saw +growing some toadstools, that fairies use for umbrellas when +it rains.</p> + +<p>Then, presently, the Trippertrots were at the top of the +hill, and it was a nice, flat, smooth place, all covered with +grass; and they couldn’t have fallen off if they had tried with +all their might; no, indeed!</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, Mary happened to look behind +a tree that was growing on top of the hill, and she saw +a nice old man sitting in a chair, on the edge of a little lake +of water. Oh, he was a very old man, and he had such a +nice, pleasant face, though you couldn’t see very much of it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span> +because he had so many whiskers. He had whiskers all over +him, almost like Santa Claus.</p> + +<p>“Look!” whispered Mary to her brothers. “I wonder +who he is, and what he is doing?”</p> + +<p>“I know what he’s doing,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“He’s a fisherman,” answered Johnny. “Can’t you see +his pole and line?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course,” spoke Mary. “But I wonder what he +is catching?”</p> + +<p>“Let’s go up and ask him,” suggested Tommy.</p> + +<p>“No, we mustn’t do that,” objected Johnny. “Fishermen +never like to be bothered when they’re catching fish.”</p> + +<p>“But maybe he hasn’t caught any yet,” said Mary, “and, +of course, then he wouldn’t mind. We can go up to him, +and we’ll tell him that as soon as he begins to catch any fish +we’ll run away, and not bother him.”</p> + +<p>“I guess that will do,” said Johnny. “Come on.”</p> + +<p>So the three Trippertrot children walked softly up to the +old fisherman, and when he saw them coming he waved his +hand to them, not the hand that held the fishpole, you understand, +but his other one, and he smiled in a very kind way, +and said:</p> + +<p>“Come right along, children. I heard what you said, +and you won’t annoy me a bit. I like children.”</p> + +<p>“Thank you,” said Mary politely. “But if you catch any +fish we’ll go right away and not bother you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I never catch any fish,” said the old man, with +a jolly laugh. “I’ve fished for years and years, right here, +and never a fish have I caught.”</p> + +<p>“That’s funny,” said Johnny. “We live near here, and +I don’t remember ever seeing you before.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! Perhaps that is because you never happened to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span> +look when I was sitting here,” said the man. “But you say +you live around here?”</p> + +<p>“Yes—yes—I—er—I guess so,” said Mary slowly.</p> + +<p>“Can’t you be sure?” asked the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“No, sir,” answered Tommy. “You see, it’s this way. +We are the Trippertrots, and we’re always getting lost. We +start out somewhere, as we did to-day on our funny horses, +and we don’t seem to go very far at all, but all of a sudden +we’re lost. So we never know whether we’re near home or +not.”</p> + +<p>“I guess it’s that way now,” said Mary. “I don’t seem +to remember this place at all,” and she looked all around. +“It isn’t a bit like what I thought it was, and we didn’t seem +to come so very far; and anyhow, we only started out from +home a short while ago. But we’re lost, sure.”</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said Tommy. “Fido or Ivy Vine will +show us the way home; or, if they can’t, perhaps this gentleman +will.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure,” said the fisherman, pulling up his line and +looking at it, and then the children saw that instead of a regular +sharp fish-hook he had a big hammock-hook on the end +of his line.</p> + +<p>“That’s a funny hook,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Isn’t it?” agreed the old fisherman, with a jolly laugh. +“But I like it.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe that’s why you never catch any fish,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I believe you’re right,” agreed the old man, with another +jolly laugh. “I never thought of it in that way before, +but I believe that’s the reason.”</p> + +<p>“But if you don’t catch fish, what do you catch?” asked +Mary, who was very curious.</p> + +<p>“Oh, lots and lots of things!” exclaimed the fisherman. “It +would take me a long time to tell you, for they are such funny<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span> +things. The best way for me to do would be to show you +what I catch. Now look at me carefully, and see what I +pull up this time on my hammock-hook.”</p> + +<p>So the old fisherman carefully lowered his hook and line +into the little lake. Then he leaned back in his chair, and +the Trippertrots stood around him. The old man closed +his eyes.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I have something!” he suddenly cried, and, quickly +pulling up his line, there, dangling on the hammock-hook, +was a pair of rubber boots.</p> + +<p>“That’s funny,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s nothing at all,” said the old fisherman. “Just +you wait and see what happens next. I catch very funny +things.”</p> + +<p>So he put in his line again, just like Jack Horner put his +thumb in the pie. Then the old fisherman pulled it out +again—pulled out the line, you know, not Jack Horner’s +thumb—and this time, dangling on the hammock-hook, was +a nice rubber coat, such as children wear to school on rainy +days.</p> + +<p>“That’s strange,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Not at all,” said the old fisherman. “See what my next +catch will be.” And what do you suppose it was? Why, +when he pulled up his line the next time there was a big +umbrella on the hook!</p> + +<p>“There! What did I tell you?” exclaimed the fisherman.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, before the Trippertrots could +say anything—all of a sudden, I say—it began to rain. How +it did pour! The drops splashed down all over, and made +the grass quite wet.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Whatever shall we do?” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“Quick!” cried the old fisherman. “Tommy, you put on +the rubber boots and the rubber coat, and Johnny, you take<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span> +the umbrella, and hold it over you and Mary. It’s big enough +for two children. Lively now, and then run as fast as you +can.”</p> + +<p>“Where shall we run?” asked Tommy, as he put on the +rubber boots.</p> + +<p>“Run anywhere,” answered the old fisherman. “Anywhere. +It doesn’t matter, as long as you get in out of the +rain. Run! Run! I’ll run, too!” And catching up his +chair in one hand, and his fishpole in the other, he ran as fast +as he could after the children.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just know we’ll be lost again!” cried Mary sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said Tommy. “This is jolly fun!”</p> + +<p>“It certainly is,” agreed Johnny. “Maybe we’ll have +another adventure. Come on, Ivy Vine and Fido.”</p> + +<p>So on they ran, the Trippertrots and the old fisherman +and the dog and cat; on and on through the rain, which kept +coming down harder and harder, until pretty soon they saw +a little house in the woods.</p> + +<p>“Who lives there?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“The false-face man,” said the old fisherman. “Come on. +We’ll go in there out of the wet.”</p> + +<p>So they started for the house of the false-face man, and +they wondered what would happen when they got there.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER SIX<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE FALSE-FACE MAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Oh, my!</span> It’s raining harder than ever!” cried Mary +Trippertrot, as she and her brothers and the old fisherman +ran along. “Can’t you please hold that umbrella over me +better than that, Johnny? I’m getting all wet.”</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” spoke the kind old fisherman, and he held +the chair upside down over his head, so his whiskers wouldn’t +get full of water. “Never mind. We’ll soon be in the false-face +man’s house, and we can get good and dry.”</p> + +<p>“Do you think he is at home?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Who? The false-face man?” inquired the old fisherman. +“Of course he’s at home. He’s never anywhere else. +He never goes out, you know. Why, who would make all +the false-faces if he went away? He just can’t spare the +time, you see.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, it must be dreadful to have to stay in the house all +the while!” said Mary. “I wouldn’t like it a bit.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said the fisherman, as he tried to run in between +the big rain-drops so he wouldn’t get hit by them, “there is +one good thing about staying home all the while—you never +get lost.”</p> + +<p>“That’s so,” agreed Tommy. “But we’d better hurry. +My boots are full of water, and my feet are wet.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s too bad!” exclaimed the fisherman. “I forgot +about the water in the boots. I wonder how it got in?”</p> + +<p>“Why, you fished them up out of the lake,” said Johnny,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span> +“and I think it must have gotten in over the tops that way. +They were down under water, you know.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure,” said the old fisherman. “The next time +I catch rubber boots I’m going to have the tops covered over +with shingles so the water won’t get in. But I see the false-face +man waving to us, and that means he’s at home, and he +wants us to hurry in. Run a little faster, children.”</p> + +<p>So the Trippertrots ran faster, and so did Ivy Vine, the +cat, for she didn’t like the wet very much; and neither did +Fido, the dog; but they didn’t say anything about it. And +the old fisherman ran, also.</p> + +<p>Mary and Tommy and Johnny looked toward the little +house to see what kind of a person the false-face man was. +He was standing in the doorway. And he was quite a jolly +sort of a man, if you will kindly take my word for it. He +had on an apron all covered with spots of paint, and his arms, +on which the sleeves were rolled up almost to the shoulders, +had paint on them also. The children could see him quite +plainly now, for all of a sudden the sky cleared up, though +the ground was still very wet.</p> + +<p>“Leave the umbrella, chair, coat and rubber boots here,” +said the old fisherman. “We won’t need them, as it has +stopped raining.”</p> + +<p>So they put them down in the grass and hurried on.</p> + +<p>And oh, so many, many pretty colors as the children saw! +There were red spots on the false-face man, and green spots +of paint, and pink spots, and black spots, and yellow, and +brown, and purple, and gold, and silver, and even some +chimney-colored spots. It was just as if a rainbow had +splattered over him.</p> + +<p>“Why is he all spotted up that way?” asked Mary, as she +and Johnny splashed into a puddle and out again.</p> + +<p>“Because he paints the false-faces,” said the old fisherman.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span> +“He paints them all sorts of colors, and, of course, +some of the paint splashes on him. But bless you! he doesn’t +mind it in the least; not in the least, I do assure you.”</p> + +<p>“Does he make <i>all</i> the false-faces?” asked Tommy, as he +stepped along.</p> + +<p>“Everyone,” answered the old fisherman. “All those +faces you see in the store windows for Hallowe’en. Wait. +I’ll have him tell you about it.”</p> + +<p>So they ran on, and now they were right at the front door +of the house of the false-face man, and they could see that +he was even more jolly-looking than they had at first thought.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you make all the false-faces?” the old fisherman +asked him, as he pointed to some of them hanging on the +house. “Please tell the children all about it.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” said the false-face man, with a jolly +laugh. “I have just finished making a whole lot of false-faces +for the children all over this country, and for some out +in a city called Orange; but I think that must be a funny +place. I wonder why they didn’t call it Lemon?”</p> + +<p>“Because, if you please,” said Mary, “I think it was because +lemons are sour.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! I never thought of that!” exclaimed the false-face +man. “No doubt you are right. But come in. Don’t mind +the paint. It won’t come off, for it’s dry by this time.”</p> + +<p>“I wish <i>we</i> were dry,” said old fisherman, as he twisted +his whiskers around to squeeze the water out of them. “<i>We</i> +are very wet, even if the paint isn’t.”</p> + +<p>“Well, come in, and you may sit by the fire,” said the +false-face man. “I’m very glad to see you.”</p> + +<p>“And will you really tell us about making the false-faces, +if you please?” asked Tommy politely.</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” was the answer. “Do you mind +if I sing it?” and the false-face man looked at the children,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span> +and then at Ivy Vine, who was trying to get her fur dry +with her red tongue.</p> + +<p>“No. I think they would like very much to hear you +sing,” spoke the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“Do you think the dog or cat would mind?” went on +the false-face man. “Some dogs don’t like music.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t believe they would mind your singing,” said +Tommy, and the false-face man and the old fisherman began +to laugh, though the Trippertrots didn’t know why.</p> + +<p>“Well, then, here goes for the song,” said the false-face +man after a while. “It’s not a very good one, as I made it +up myself, but it’s the best I can do. And I’ll sing it to the +tune of Hum-dum-dum diddle-iddle-um.”</p> + +<p>Then he sang this song:</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> +<div class="stanza"> +<div class="first">“I am the false-est facer man</div> +<div class="indent">That ever you have seen.</div> +<div class="verse">I make false-faces colored red,</div> +<div class="indent">And also colored green.</div> +<div class="verse">I make an elephant’s false-face,</div> +<div class="indent">And then I go and make</div> +<div class="verse">A false-face for a mooley-cow</div> +<div class="indent">Who’s eating jelly cake.</div> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<div class="first">“I’ll make false-faces for you all,</div> +<div class="indent">If you will kindly wait;</div> +<div class="verse">I’ll make one for the soup dish,</div> +<div class="indent">And for the butter plate.</div> +<div class="verse">And then we’ll have a party,</div> +<div class="indent">The funniest ever seen,</div> +<div class="verse">For we’ll all have false-faces</div> +<div class="indent">To wear on Hallowe’en.”</div> +</div></div></div> + +<p>“I think that is a very nice song,” said Mary, when the +false-face man had finished.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span>“Thank you,” replied the false-face man, making a low +bow.</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Tommy. “When is Hallowe’en?”</p> + +<p>“To-night,” answered the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“And will you really make false-faces for all of us?” inquired +Johnny.</p> + +<p>“To be sure I will,” said the false-face man, “and I’ll +make one for Ivy Vine, and for Fido the dog. Then we’ll +have a party, just as I sung about.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I forgot!” exclaimed Mary. “We can’t stay to +any Hallowe’en party.”</p> + +<p>“Why not?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Because we’re lost,” said his sister. “We must try to +find our way back home, or mamma and papa will be alarmed +about us.”</p> + +<p>“That’s so,” said the two boys.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t worry,” spoke the false-face man. “I think +I can find your home for you after a while, and it is early +yet.”</p> + +<p>That made the children feel better, and they thought they +might stay just a little while longer; anyway, until they got +their false-faces.</p> + +<p>“Now, what kind of faces do you want?” asked the man, +who was all covered with paint spots.</p> + +<p>“I want an Indian’s!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“You shall have it,” said the false-face man.</p> + +<p>“And I want one like Little Jack Horner, who sat in the +corner,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“You shall have it,” said the false-face man, with a jolly +laugh, “and you may sit in the corner of my shop here, and +perhaps we can find a Christmas pie so you can put in your +thumb and pull out a plum.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that will be jolly!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span>“And now what kind of a false-face do you want, Mary?” +asked the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think I would like one of Old Mother Hubbard +who went to the cupboard,” said the little Trippertrot girl.</p> + +<p>“And you may have that,” promised the false-face man. +“And I have a cupboard, and you have the dog, so if we can +find a bone the cupboard won’t be bare.”</p> + +<p>Then he gave the children their false-faces, and he found +a bone for Fido, who barked three times, to say thank you; +and there was some milk for Ivy Vine. Then the children +put on their false-faces, and there was one for Fido. He +was dressed up like a monkey; and as for Ivy Vine, she had +a false-face like a wax doll, and she was very cute-looking.</p> + +<p>And the false-face man didn’t need any false-face himself, +as he was all covered over with paint, anyhow. And whom +do you suppose the old fisherman dressed up like? Why, +who else but Santa Claus, and he wore his own whiskers. +Then they had a party, and Johnny put his thumb in a pie +and pulled out a whole bag full of sugar plums. Oh, they +were just having the grandest time, when, all of a sudden, +there came a knock on the door!</p> + +<p>“Ha! I wonder who that can be?” asked the false-face +man.</p> + +<p>“I’ll look,” said the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>So he looked, and who should be there but the Trippertrots’ +nursemaid, Suzette.</p> + +<p>“Oh, children!” exclaimed Suzette, when she saw them. +“You must come home at once! I have been looking everywhere +for you! Your mamma is much worried. Come home +at once!”</p> + +<p>“We didn’t mean to run away,” said Mary, “but the sawhorse +and the clothes-horse and the rocking-horse got going +so fast that we couldn’t stop them. So we got lost.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41-42]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p041"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p041.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="center"><i>Old Mother Hubbard.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span>“But we’re not lost now, any more!” exclaimed Tommy, +as the nursemaid walked into the house.</p> + +<p>“And here is a little present for Suzette,” spoke the false-face +man, as he gave her a face that looked like a Chinese +lady, with a pigtail down her back.</p> + +<p>And then, when the children had said good-by to their +two friends, the fisherman and the false-face man, they started +home with Suzette, taking Ivy Vine and Fido with them, and +also their false-faces.</p> + +<p>But they hadn’t been home very long before they ran +away again, and then they had another adventure.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER SEVEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE LITTLE OLD LADY</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">One</span> day Mrs. Trippertrot called to her three children.</p> + +<p>“Now, children,” she said, “I am going out for a little +while, and I do hope you will not trot off anywhere this time. +You don’t know how worried I am when you run off, as you +have done several times lately.”</p> + +<p>“We’re sorry, mamma,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And we don’t ever really mean to trot off,” said Mary +Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>“It—it just seems to happen,” spoke Johnny Trippertrot. +“Our legs run off with us before we know it.”</p> + +<p>“Well, try and not let them run off with you to-day,” +said their mamma. “I will leave Suzette in charge of you.”</p> + +<p>“We’ll try to be good, mamma,” said Mary politely.</p> + +<p>“But, oh! we did have such fun the other day when we +rode off on the funny horses!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, when we met the false-face man and the old fisherman,” +added Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know what let’s do!” cried Mary. “We’ll get +out our false-faces and play it’s Hallowe’en again.”</p> + +<p>“That will be nice, I think,” said their mamma, “and it +ought to keep you in the house. I’ll be back as soon as I +can.”</p> + +<p>So off she went, downtown shopping, I guess, and the +children got out their funny false-faces, and played some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span> +games. They were having a good time, when, all at once, +they heard some one out in the street crying.</p> + +<p>“I wonder who that is?” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Let’s go look,” suggested Tommy.</p> + +<p>“No, you had better not,” said Suzette the maid. “For +it might be a funny monkey, and then you would want to +go off after it, and you would be lost again. You had better +stay here and play at having a surprise party.”</p> + +<p>Well, the children didn’t want to do that, but they knew +they must mind Suzette, for she was in charge of them. But +just then something happened. The delivery wagon came +from the big downtown store, and Suzette had to go down to +the side door to take in some things for the children’s mamma. +Then Mary and Tommy and Johnny heard the crying noise +out in the street again, and Mary said:</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe it would do any harm to take just one +peep, to see who is crying.”</p> + +<p>“Me, either,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Then let’s do it,” said Johnny, and they did. They went +to the front window and looked out. And this is what the +children saw:</p> + +<p>There was a tiny little girl walking along, and she had +fallen down, and her knee had been cut on a sharp stone, +and that’s why she was crying.</p> + +<p>“Oh, see the poor thing!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“We ought to help her,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Then let’s do it,” suggested Tommy. “Suzette or +mamma wouldn’t care if we helped somebody in trouble. +Mamma would want us to, I’m sure. Besides, mamma isn’t +here now, and neither is Suzette.” For you see, the nursemaid +was still talking to the delivery boy. He had forgotten +to bring a spool of thread that Mrs. Trippertrot needed, +and Suzette was asking about it.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span>“We’ll go down to the little girl,” said Mary. “We can’t +get lost in front of our own house.”</p> + +<p>So down they went, and I just want you to listen, and see +what happened after that. It just goes to show that you +never, never can tell what is going to happen in this world.</p> + +<p>“What is the matter, little girl?” asked Mary, after she +had wiped the child’s tears away with her handkerchief.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Boo-hoo! I’m lost!” cried the little girl. “I +went to the store for a stick of candy, but I came back the +wrong way, and I’m lost.”</p> + +<p>“Where is the stick of candy?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I ate it all up,” said the little lost girl. “Look! You +can’t see it.” And she opened her mouth so the Trippertrots +could see away down her throat, and believe me, there wasn’t +a bit of candy to be seen!</p> + +<p>“Yes, it’s all gone,” said Johnny sorrowfully, when he got +through looking.</p> + +<p>“Say, do you know what I think we ought to do?” spoke +Tommy suddenly.</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Mary and Johnny.</p> + +<p>“We ought to take this little lost girl home. We’d want +some one to take us home if we were lost, and I don’t believe +mamma or Suzette would mind.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t, either,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Then let’s do it,” said Tommy. “Do you know which +street you live on?” he asked of the little girl.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes. It’s a street with trees on it,” said the child, +and now she stopped crying. “Please take me to it.”</p> + +<p>“There are lots of streets with trees on,” said Tommy, “but +we’ll try to find the right one for you. Come on.”</p> + +<p>And so that’s how the Trippertrots started tripping and +trotting off again, and at the beginning they didn’t really<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> +mean to do so at all. But you see how some very funny things +happen sometimes.</p> + +<p>Along they walked, all four children together, hand in +hand, looking for the house where the little lost girl lived. +Ivy Vine, the cat, didn’t come along this time, nor did Fido, +the dog. For Ivy Vine was washing her face with her red +tongue, and Fido was gnawing a bone.</p> + +<p>“What is your name, little girl?” asked Mary, when they +had gone a short distance down the street.</p> + +<p>“My name is Jack,” she answered.</p> + +<p>“Why, that is not a girl’s name, it’s a boy’s!” said Tommy +in surprise.</p> + +<p>“I know it,” said the little lost girl, “and I <i>want</i> to be +a boy, so I choosed a boy’s name. My mamma lets me, and +when I grow up I’m going to ride a horse and play football.”</p> + +<p>The Trippertrot children laughed at that, and they thought +the little girl who wanted to be a boy was very nice. But +still they couldn’t seem to find her home. They looked all +over for her house, and every time they came to a street with +trees on it they asked her if it was there she lived, but she +said:</p> + +<p>“No, none of these houses are my papa’s house. I guess +we’ll have to go on a little farther.”</p> + +<p>So they went on a little farther, but still they couldn’t +seem to find the place, and the little girl said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I guess I’m lost still, aren’t I?” And she +took a tighter hold of Mary Trippertrot’s hand.</p> + +<p>“I guess you are,” answered Mary.</p> + +<p>“And I guess <i>we</i> are, too,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Well, that’s just what I was afraid would happen,” said +Johnny. “Here we are lost again, and we promised mamma +we wouldn’t go out of the house.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but we really didn’t <i>mean</i> to,” said Mary; “and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span> +besides, she’ll forgive us when she knows we tried to do a +kindness.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess so,” said Tommy, “but what are we going +to do? I don’t know which way to go.”</p> + +<p>Neither did any of the others, and Mary was just looking +around, hoping she could find a nice policeman, when, +all at once, the door of a house, in front of which they were +standing, opened, and a kind little old lady looked out.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you poor, dear, little lost children!” she exclaimed. +“Come right in here, and let me love you.”</p> + +<p>“How did you know we were lost?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I was once a little girl myself,” said the nice little +old lady, and, though her hair was white, her eyes were as +bright as the snapping fire on a cold night. “So I know when +children are lost,” she added.</p> + +<p>So the little lost girl and the Trippertrots, who were also +lost now, went into the house of the little old lady. She +brought out some nice low chairs for them to sit on, and +she gave them some picture books to look at, and then what +do you think she did? Why, she went out and got them +some bowls of milk from a mooley-cow—the milk was from +the cow, you know, not the bowls—and she brought some +bread; and say! I just wish I had some of that bread and +milk myself! Oh, it was very good! But I can’t have any, +because the Trippertrots and the lost girl finished it all up, +down to the last drop, and they ate some sugar cookies, too.</p> + +<p>“My, I’m sure I don’t know what to do with you children,” +said the little old lady, shaking her white head at them, +after they had finished eating. “I wish I knew where your +home was.”</p> + +<p>“Send for a policeman,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“What! A policeman? Why, you’re not bad, are you?” +cried the little old lady.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span>“Oh, no! But policemans most always know where we +live,” said Johnny. “We’re the Trippertrots, and we’re always +getting lost.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, send for a policeman,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I believe I will,” spoke the little old lady. “I’ll go for +one myself; but I’ll have to leave you here all alone, as no +one lives with me. But I know you’ll be all right, and you +can look at the pictures and listen to the cat purring.”</p> + +<p>And sure enough, there was a big gray cat sleeping on +the rug in the middle of the floor, and it was purring just like +a sewing machine because it was so happy. The cat was +happy, not the sewing machine, you know. And the cat +purred, not the rug, you see.</p> + +<p>Then the little old lady put on her bonnet and shawl, and +went out for a policeman who might find the homes of the +lost Trippertrots and the lost girl.</p> + +<p>“I like it here very much,” said Mary, as she rubbed the +cat’s back.</p> + +<p>“So do I,” said the little lost girl. “It is almost as nice +as my home.”</p> + +<p>Tommy and Johnny liked it, too, and they were just looking +at some picture books, and wishing they had more bread +and milk, when, all at once, there came a knock at the door.</p> + +<p>“I guess that is the policeman, come to take us home,” +said Mary, with a happy laugh.</p> + +<p>“Maybe it’s my papa,” suggested the little lost girl named +Jack. And then the door opened, and there stood a funny +little man, making low bows to the children, and saying:</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m so glad I found you. Come with me.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER EIGHT<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE LITTLE OLD MAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">For</span> a few seconds after he had opened the door and spoken +to the Trippertrot children, the queer little old man didn’t +say anything more. He just stood there, bowing all the while, +just like the pendulum of the clock, only he went up and down, +and the pendulum in the clock goes sideways, you see.</p> + +<p>“Well, are you coming along, children?” said the nice little +old man, after a while, and he stopped bowing.</p> + +<p>“Do you think we ought to go?” asked Mary of her two +brothers.</p> + +<p>“Well,” began Tommy, “the little old lady has gone for +a policeman to take us home, and maybe we ought to wait +until she comes back.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think I can take you home as well as a policeman +could,” said the little old man, and he came into the room, +and tickled the pussy cat under the chin, and made the cat +purr louder than ever.</p> + +<p>“Do you know where we live?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“No, but I can find out,” said the little old man. “I +will look in the telephone book, or in the directory book, or +something, and find your house for you. And if I can’t find +<i>your</i> house I will take you to <i>mine</i>, and you can have some +fun.”</p> + +<p>“That will be nice,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“How did you know we were here?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span>“Oh, I saw you come in,” replied the little old man. “I +was out in the street, and I saw you. Then I saw the little +old lady go away——”</p> + +<p>“Yes, she went for a policeman for us,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Well, I was afraid she was going to run away and leave +you all alone,” said the little old man, “and as I like children +very much I thought I’d come and take care of you. So +here I am, and if you come with me before the policeman +gets here we’ll have a little fun with him. Maybe he’ll think +you have flown up the chimney, as Santa Claus does.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, fine!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>And just then, all of a sudden, the little lost girl began +to cry.</p> + +<p>“Why, whatever in the world is the matter?” asked the +little old man.</p> + +<p>“Boo-hoo! I—I thought you were my papa,” said the +little lost girl, and she let some salty tears fall down on the +cat’s back. “I thought you were my papa, and you aren’t +at all.”</p> + +<p>Then she cried a lot more, boo-hoo! and boo-hoo!—like +that, you know—and the little old man went up to her, and he +put his arms around her, and he wiped away her tears, and he +said:</p> + +<p>“Now—now—never mind. It’s all right. I’m going to +take you to your papa right away. Don’t cry.” And his +voice was so gentle, and he seemed such a nice man, that the +little lost girl didn’t cry a single tear more. And it’s a good +thing, because the pussy cat was getting all wet from them, +and cats don’t like water, you know, especially salty tear +water.</p> + +<p>“Come on, now; hurry up,” cried the little old man. “We +must hurry away from here, or the little old lady will be back +with the policeman before we know it. Come along.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span>“But we can’t go without thanking her for being so kind +to us,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“That’s so,” said the little man. “Wait. I’ll write her a +nice letter.” So he did that, and told the little old lady how +thankful the Trippertrots and the little lost girl were for +what she had done for them, and he put the letter down in +front of the pussy cat, where the little old lady would see it +when she got back. And the pussy put its paw down on the +letter, so it wouldn’t blow away, and then it went to sleep—I +mean the cat went to sleep, not the letter, you understand, +of course.</p> + +<p>“Now we are all ready,” said the little old man, and then +he went out of the front door, and led the children down the +street.</p> + +<p>A little while after that, when the little old man and the +children had turned around a corner, along came the little +old lady and the kind policeman. They went into the house, +and the lady looked all around for the children.</p> + +<p>“Why, my goodness sakes alive!” she cried. “They’re +gone!”</p> + +<p>“Gone, eh?” asked the policeman. “What were their +names?”</p> + +<p>“The Trippertrots,” said the little old lady.</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho!” laughed the policeman. “Then you don’t need +to worry. They are sure to be all right. They are always +getting lost, but they will get safely home again. Don’t +worry.”</p> + +<p>So the little old lady didn’t worry very much, and the +policeman went away, and then the lady found the thankful +letter where the cat was sleeping on it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if the little old man has the children they are all +right,” said the little old lady, and then she gave the cat some +milk.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span>But now I must tell you what happened to the Trippertrots +and the little lost girl. They walked along the street +with the nice, kind old man until pretty soon they came to a +place like a park, with beautiful trees in it, and little brooks +flowing over stones, and in the brooks were goldfishes and +some silver-fishes, too, and they were wiggling their tails, and +swimming about, looking for something to eat.</p> + +<p>“Oh, what a lovely place!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“Yes. What is it?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“I’d like to go in there,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“You may,” said the little old man. “This is a garden, +and a playground for boys and girls. You may do just as +you like, as long as you are kind and good and pleasant. And +I know you will be that way. So come on in, and have some +fun; and when you are through playing I’ll find where you +live, and take you home.”</p> + +<p>“And me, too?” asked the little lost girl named Jack.</p> + +<p>“Yes; you also,” answered the little old man.</p> + +<p>So the children went into the beautiful garden. Oh! I +wish you could have seen it! And perhaps some day I will +be allowed to come around and take you all there in a fairy +automobile with big fat rubber tires. But not just yet.</p> + +<p>Now, in this garden were many swings and hammocks, +and shady trees under which to rest, and there were little hills +all covered with grass, down which the children could roll +over and over, and never get hurt, any more than if they +rolled on a feather bed.</p> + +<p>And there were also piles of sand in big boxes, and there +the Trippertrots and the little lost girl had lots of fun. They +made sand gardens and sand houses and castles, wherein lived +beautiful knights and princes and their ladies, and then there +was a place where a whole lot of soldiers could parade and +shoot off their make-believe guns.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span>And the flower gardens! Oh, I wish you could have seen +them. Even though it was almost winter, the flowers were +in blossom, for the little old man knew how to make them +bloom in cold weather. And the children were allowed to +pick as many flowers as they wanted, only they thought they +looked prettier on their stems, so they didn’t take many.</p> + +<p>Well, the Trippertrots were playing away, and having lots +of fun. Tommy was in the swing, and Johnny pushed him +up so high that Tommy nearly hit the top of a tree. And +then something happened. Mary was building a nice sand +house for a dollie to live in, when the house fell down and +covered her legs all up. Covered Mary’s legs, I mean, not +the doll’s. Mary couldn’t see her legs, and she thought they +might have dropped off.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear!” she cried.</p> + +<p>“What is the matter?” called Tommy.</p> + +<p>“My poor little legs!” said Mary, trying to pull them out +from under the sand.</p> + +<p>“Oh, they’re all right,” spoke Johnny, and then he took +a piece of board and he dug the sand off Mary’s legs, and +she was all right again, and she made a big sand bridge for +boats to go under.</p> + +<p>Soon out from his house in the beautiful garden came +running the funny little man. He was waving his arms all +around his head, like a windmill in a storm.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I have found where you live! I have found where +you live!” he cried, in his jolly voice.</p> + +<p>“Where who lives, us or that little girl named Jack?” asked +Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I know where Jack lives,” said the little old man. “I +called up on the telephone and found out. Her papa is coming +for her in a minute.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goodie!” cried the little girl, jumping up and down.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55-56]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p055"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p055.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="chapter"><i>The Trippertrots Were Playing Away, and Having +Lots of Fun.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span>“But what about us?” asked Mary Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>“I’ll find where you live very soon,” said the little old +man. And just then the little lost girl’s papa came for her, +and took her home, after he had thanked the Trippertrots and +the little old man for being so kind to her.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, when the little old man was +calling up on the telephone, trying to find where the Trippertrots +lived—all of a sudden, I say—along came Suzette, +the nursemaid, looking for them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you children!” she cried, when she saw them in the +garden. “I thought I would never find you. Come home +at once. Why did you run away?”</p> + +<p>“We went to help a little lost girl, and we got lost ourselves,” +said Mary; “but we didn’t mean to, did we, boys?”</p> + +<p>“No,” answered Tommy and Johnny together. Then +Suzette thanked the little old man, and she took the children +home, and oh! how glad their mamma was to see them! And +they said they would never trot away again. But you just +wait and see what happens.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER NINE<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE FIREMAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">A few</span> days after the Trippertrot children got home, following +their adventure with the little old man, their mamma +said to them:</p> + +<p>“Now, children, I am going over to see your Aunt Mary +Jane, and I want you to stay in the house until I get back. +It is rather chilly out of doors, and it looks as if it might rain. +So stay in, play with your toys, or look at your picture books, +but don’t go out.”</p> + +<p>“Can’t we go out at all, mamma?” asked Mary Trippertrot, +as she looked in a glass to see if her hair ribbon was on +straight.</p> + +<p>“No,” said her mother, as she looked in the glass to see +if her hat was on straight.</p> + +<p>“Not even if the house should tumble down on us?” asked +Tommy Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>“Well, if something most extraordinary like that happens, +you <i>may</i> run out,” said Mrs. Trippertrot, trying not to laugh.</p> + +<p>“Of course,” spoke Johnny, “we wouldn’t want to be all +squashed up, like pancakes.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just love pancakes—the kind you eat, I mean!” +exclaimed Mary. “May we have some, mamma?”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps. I’ll see about it when I get back. Now good-by,” +she said to them, “and be good children, and don’t go +out unless you really have to.”</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p058a"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p058a.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="center">HE BEGAN TO PLAY A JOLLY LITTLE TUNE</p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span>So they promised, and they all crowded to the window +of the big front room to wave their hands to their mamma +as she went down the steps.</p> + +<p>Then they began to play with their toys, and to look at +picture books, until pretty soon Mary said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! This isn’t any fun!”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” agreed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I—I almost wish we could run away again, and get lost,” +said Johnny boldly.</p> + +<p>“Oh-o-o-o-o-o!” exclaimed Mary. “You wouldn’t really +go tripping and trotting off again, would you?”</p> + +<p>“I would, if something happened,” said Johnny, and he +tried to make all of his toy soldiers stand up in a line, but +they fell over and bumped their noses on the carpet, and one +soldier lost his sword. Then the children played circus for +a while, and Tommy was a make-believe elephant, who lived +in a cave under the big chair, until all at once Mary said:</p> + +<p>“I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to ask Suzette +to build a nice fire in the open grate. Then we can sit and +watch the flames go up the chimney, and we can make-believe +we see pictures in them.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that will be fine!” cried Tommy and Johnny.</p> + +<p>So Suzette came in, and built a fine, big fire on the large +open brick hearth. And dear me! how the flames did roar +up the chimney! for Suzette put on a great deal of wood. It +burned and it blazed, and then, all of a sudden, the front doorbell +rang.</p> + +<p>“There’s mamma come back!” cried Mary, as she ran to +open the door. Tommy and Johnny followed her, but instead +of Mrs. Trippertrot being there, it was a fireman, in +his nice blue uniform, with silver buttons on the coat, and +he was wiping his feet on the mat.</p> + +<p>“Quick!” he cried, for firemen always have to be quick,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span> +you know. “Quick! Let me in! The chimney is on fire, +and I must put it out!”</p> + +<p>“Put out which, the fire or the chimney?” asked Tommy, +who was often a funny sort of a little fellow.</p> + +<p>“Put the fire out, of course,” cried the fireman. “Ha! +I thought so!” he exclaimed, when he had rushed into the +front room and had seen the big blaze in the fireplace. “There +is too much wood on there. Quick, get me a lot of salt!”</p> + +<p>So Mary ran to the kitchen to get the salt, for Suzette +had gone upstairs, to make the beds, I guess, and the nursemaid +didn’t even know the fireman was in the house. Back +Mary came running with a whole bowlful of salt.</p> + +<p>“Oh, please, Mr. Fireman,” said Tommy, “before you put +out the fire, mayn’t we just run out on the sidewalk and see +it spouting up out of the chimney top? Mayn’t we, please? +We’ve never seen a chimney on fire.”</p> + +<p>“Mamma said we weren’t to go out,” spoke Mary.</p> + +<p>“But this is a most extra-extra-extraordinary occasion,” +said Tommy. “It isn’t exactly like the house falling down, +but if the fire in the chimney burns long enough it may fall +down, mightn’t it, Mr. Fireman?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes,” he answered, and he got ready to throw salt +on the fire, for that puts out a blaze in the chimney, you know. +Yes, really it does. I’m not fooling a bit, honestly.</p> + +<p>“Oh, may we go out?” asked Mary this time, and the fireman +said they might, and that he’d wait a minute before he +threw the salt on the flames. So out the Trippertrots ran, and +sure enough, there was a lot of fire coming out of the top of +their chimney. You see, the soot—that is, the black stuff inside—had +caught fire from the big blaze Suzette had made +on the hearth.</p> + +<p>Then, all of a sudden, as the children stood on the sidewalk, +the fire went out, for the fireman threw on the salt.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span>“Now we must run in,” said Mary. “It’s chilly here, and +the fire’s out, anyhow, so there’s nothing more to see. Come +on, boys.”</p> + +<p>In the children ran, and the fireman was getting ready +to go out, for he had finished his work. He said he happened +to be passing along the street, when he saw the chimney on +fire, and then he hurried in.</p> + +<p>“But now the fire is out, and so I am going out, too,” said +the fireman; and out he went, as quickly as you can stub your +toe on a stone in the road.</p> + +<p>“Now there isn’t any nice warm blaze on the hearth,” +said Mary, after a while. “What shall we play now? We +can’t look at pictures in the fire.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just thought of something!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“We forgot to thank that fireman,” went on Tommy, “and +that’s very impolite. He did us a great favor in putting out +the chimney fire, and now I’m going to run after him and +thank him.”</p> + +<p>“So am I,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but mamma wouldn’t like us to go out; you know she +wouldn’t,” said Mary quickly.</p> + +<p>“She wouldn’t like us not to thank the fireman, either,” +spoke Johnny. “I guess this is one of those most extra-extra-extraordinary +occasions she spoke of, like the house falling +down, so I’m going.”</p> + +<p>Then he put on his hat and coat, and Tommy did the +same.</p> + +<p>“Well, if you two are going, I’m not going to stay here +alone,” said Mary. “I’ll come also.”</p> + +<p>Well, Suzette wasn’t there to stop them, and in another +minute away the Trippertrot children were tripping and trotting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> +again. They just couldn’t seem to stay home, could +they?</p> + +<p>They looked up the street, but they couldn’t see the kind +fireman. Then they looked down the street, but they couldn’t +see him there, either.</p> + +<p>“I know what we’ll do,” said Tommy. “We’ll walk along +until we come to the fire-house where he lives, and then we’ll +thank him.”</p> + +<p>So, hand in hand, they went down the street, looking for +the fire-house. Pretty soon they met a man.</p> + +<p>“Can you please tell us where to find the fireman?” asked +Tommy politely.</p> + +<p>“Why, is your house on fire?” asked the man quickly.</p> + +<p>“No, but the chimney was, and the kind fireman put it +out, but we forgot to thank him, and now we’re looking for +him,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, well, the fire-house is just around the corner, and +down the street a little way,” said the man. “But don’t get +lost,” and he smiled at them.</p> + +<p>“I guess he knows we’re the Trippertrots,” spoke Johnny. +“But we won’t get lost this time.”</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they were at the fire-house where the firemen +live, and where they keep the fire-engine and the horses. +There were some firemen in front of the place, so Tommy +went up to them and said:</p> + +<p>“If you please, we want to thank the kind fireman who +put out the blaze in our chimney, because we forgot it when +he was at our house. But I don’t see him here,” the little +Trippertrot boy went on, as he looked among all the firemen, +and couldn’t pick out the special one he wanted.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes,” said the captain of the firemen, “that was +George. He telephoned to me that he had put out a chimney +fire on his way home to dinner. You see, he hasn’t yet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span> +come back,” the captain said to the children, “but if you would +like to stay here a while he will soon come, and you can thank +him.”</p> + +<p>“Shall we stay?” asked Mary of her brothers.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Johnny and Tommy quickly, but they didn’t +look at Mary, for they were looking through the doorway at +the shining fire-engine and the big brass bell on the wall.</p> + +<p>“But maybe we’ll get lost, and mamma wouldn’t like us +to stay here,” went on Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we can’t get lost in a fire-house,” said Tommy, and +he wished the horses would run out, so he could see them.</p> + +<p>“Besides, I guess the firemen know where our house is,” +said Johnny. “You do, don’t you?” he asked of the captain. +“It’s a house with a red chimney on it.”</p> + +<p>“I guess I can find it,” answered the captain, with a laugh, +and all the men laughed, too. Then the children went inside +the fire-house, and all of a sudden a big bell began to ring.</p> + +<p>Ding! Dong! Cling! Clang!</p> + +<p>Those firemen rushed about like anything, and the captain +grabbed up the children and set them on a table, and the +horses ran out and hitched themselves to the shining engine. +Then men and horses ran out with the engine, and there the +Trippertrots were—left all alone in the fire-house.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER TEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE FUNNY BOY</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Why</span>, where in the world do you s’pose all the horses +and the men went to?” asked Mary Trippertrot, as she looked +at her two brothers, who, like herself, were on top of the table +where the fireman captain had set them. “Where did they +go in such a hurry?”</p> + +<p>“To a fire, of course,” answered Tommy. “Whenever the +bell rings there is a fire, and the horses and the men have to +take the engine to it.”</p> + +<p>“Does the engine want to see the fire?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No. It wants to squirt water on it and put it out,” replied +his brother.</p> + +<p>“Do the firemen have to go to a fire even at night?” asked +Mary.</p> + +<p>“Of course,” replied Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Then I should think they’d take out the bell after supper, +or fix it so it couldn’t ring, and make them go to fires,” went +on Mary. “I shouldn’t like to go out in the dark. Why, +some nights it rains or snows!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, ho! That doesn’t make any difference to a fireman,” +said Tommy. “Firemans is always brave; aren’t they, +Johnny?”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” replied Johnny. “And some one makes the +bell ring in the fire-house, so they will know where the fire +is, and go to put it out, same as the one put out the fire in +our chimney.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span>“That’s so,” spoke Mary. “I wonder when he is coming +back? He missed going to this fire.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, he’ll be along pretty soon,” said Tommy. “We’ll +just wait here. The bell may ring some more, and besides, +I haven’t seen half the things. I guess we can get down off +the table now.”</p> + +<p>“But do you think we ought to stay?” asked Mary, who +wasn’t exactly sure that they were doing right.</p> + +<p>“Of course we must stay,” said Johnny. “Why, we haven’t +thanked the fireman yet for doing us that favor, and mamma +wouldn’t want us to come home until we had done it.”</p> + +<p>“That’s right,” added Tommy. “Why, don’t you remember +once Mrs. Smith gave me a piece of cake, and I forgot +to thank her, and came home, and mamma sent me back to +tell Mrs. Smith I was much obliged? And I’m real glad I +went back, for she gave me a second piece of cake. Oh, yes, +we must always be polite in this world.”</p> + +<p>“Yes; and now let’s look at all the shiny things,” suggested +Johnny.</p> + +<p>So he and his brother and sister went all around inside +the fire-engine house. Pretty soon the fireman came in who +had put out the chimney fire in the Trippertrot home.</p> + +<p>“Why, bless me!” he exclaimed in surprise. “Everybody +has gone to another fire, and I must go, too!” And he was +about to run out on the street again, to find where the fire was, +when Mary said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, but if you please, couldn’t you first wait until we +thank you, and then can’t you take us home? For I’m afraid +we’ll get lost if we go by ourselves. We’re always getting +lost, you know. But we forgot to thank you, so we came +here to do it.”</p> + +<p>“Bless me! That was kind of you,” said the fireman. +“But I really haven’t time to stay, for I must go and help<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span> +the captain and the men put out this other fire. I really +can’t stay.” And once more he was about to run off.</p> + +<p>“Quick! Thank him, Johnny and Tommy!”</p> + +<p>“We thank you!” said Tommy and Johnny together, making +two low bows.</p> + +<p>“And so do I thank you for not letting our chimney burn +up,” said Mary, making her nicest bow.</p> + +<p>“Well, you’re welcome, I’m sure,” replied the fireman. +“But really, now, I must hurry away.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just know we’ll be lost!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“Hold on! Wait a minute!” exclaimed the fireman. “I +have an idea. Here!” he called to a funny-looking boy who +just then came into the fire-house. “Jiggily, will you please +take these children home, so they won’t get lost? I put out +a chimney fire in their house to-day, and they came here to +thank me. You take them home. You know where the Trippertrot +house is, don’t you?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes,” said the funny boy. “I can take them home, +all right, and I’ll be glad to do it.”</p> + +<p>“Then I can go to this other fire,” said the fireman, and +away he ran, like Tom-Tom the piper’s son, waving his hand +to the children as he hurried along the street.</p> + +<p>“Come on, little ones!” called the funny boy. “I’ll see +you safely home.”</p> + +<p>“Is your name Jiggily?” asked Mary, and she didn’t quite +know whether she liked the funny boy or not, for he was very +funny-looking.</p> + +<p>He had on a funny suit, partly green and partly yellow, +and his nose was stubby and short and turned up at the end, +as if it was always trying to fly up to the stars; but the boy +looked kind, and he was always laughing or smiling.</p> + +<p>“Yes, my name is Jiggily,” he said to Mary, as they all +walked out of the fire-engine house.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span>“Haven’t you any other name?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, of course,” answered the funny boy. “My other +name is Jig; so you see my whole name is Jiggily Jig.”</p> + +<p>“How did you get that name?” inquired Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Why, they call me that because I can dance a jig,” said +the funny boy. “Would you like to see me?”</p> + +<p>“Indeed we would,” spoke all the Trippertrot children +together, and then and there that funny boy did a funny little +dance in front of the fire-engine house. And a little black +poodle dog that was running past in the street saw him, and +would you ever believe it, if I didn’t tell you? but that dog +tried to dance just as Jiggily Jig was doing.</p> + +<p>But, bless you, all of a sudden the doggie slipped on a +piece of banana skin, and he almost fell down. He would +have, too, only Jiggily Jig caught him by the tail and stood +him on his feet again—on the dog’s feet, you understand, +not those of Jiggily Jig—which shows you that you must +never, never throw banana skins on the sidewalk, as they are +very slippery.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that was a very nice dance,” said Mary, who went +to dancing school sometimes.</p> + +<p>“Can you do anything else?” asked Tommy, and he wished +the funny boy would come and live with them.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I can whistle on my fingers,” said Jiggily Jig. So +he put his fingers in between his lips, just as if he was going +to eat a piece of pie, only, of course, he didn’t really have +any pie, or cake, either, and then the funny boy whistled as +loudly as an automobile horn can toot.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my!” cried Mary, and she had to put her hands over +her ears, because Jiggily Jig whistled so loudly.</p> + +<p>“My, that was fine!” cried Johnny and Tommy, who +wished they could whistle that way.</p> + +<p>“Can you do anything else?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span>“Yes. I can stand on my head and wiggle my feet in +the air,” answered Jiggily Jig; and before anybody could +stop him, even if they had wanted to, which, of course, they +didn’t, that funny boy was standing on his head in front of +the engine-house, and he was waving his feet in the air, as +easily as a baby can wiggle its pink toes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s great!” cried Tommy and Johnny together.</p> + +<p>“Yes; I’m going to try it,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No! You mustn’t!” exclaimed his sister. “You might +slip, and get dirty.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and you might slip and also get hurt,” said Jiggily +Jig. “The best place to try that trick, until you learn how, +is safely at home, in the middle of the bed. Then, if you +fall, you won’t get hurt.”</p> + +<p>“I’m going to do it as soon as I get home,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Do you know any more tricks?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my gracious goodness me sakes alive!” cried Mary, +shaking her finger at her brothers and the funny boy. “Please +don’t show them any more tricks, or we’ll never get home +to-day. Can’t you take us home now, Jiggily Jig?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes,” answered the funny boy. “I forgot where we +were going. Come along, little ones.”</p> + +<p>So along the street they went, the Trippertrots and Jiggily +Jig. But they couldn’t go very fast, because every once in +a while Jiggily Jig would have to stop and dance, and, of +course, he couldn’t walk then. And sometimes he would +whistle on his fingers, and all the dogs in all the streets for +half a mile around would think he was whistling at them, +and they’d come running up, wagging their tails; and, of +course, when there were a whole lot of dogs around them the +children couldn’t walk at all.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69-70]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p069"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p069.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="center"><i>Jiggily Jig Would Stand on His Head.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p>And then, again, Jiggily Jig would stand on his head, +and that would make a crowd of people come around; and +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span>then, too, the Trippertrots couldn’t walk on through the +crowd.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’ll never get home, at this rate!” said Mary, and +she felt a little bit like crying, for she thought her mamma +would be in the house by this time, and would worry because +her little children weren’t home.</p> + +<p>“Yes, we will soon be there,” said Jiggily Jig, as he looked +around to see if he could locate the Trippertrot house. But +he couldn’t yet discover where it was.</p> + +<p>“I think it must be around the next corner,” said the funny +boy at last. “Come on. We will soon be there.”</p> + +<p>Well, they turned the corner, but still the Trippertrot +home wasn’t in sight, and even Tommy and Johnny were +beginning to be worried now, when, all of a sudden, they +saw coming toward them a man pushing a little wagon on +two wheels, and on the wagon were a lot of pies; and behind +the man was another queer-looking boy, almost like Jiggily +Jig.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Who is that?” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“Why, the man pushing the wagon is a pieman,” said +Jiggily Jig.</p> + +<p>“And who is the boy?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Why, that is Simple Simon,” answered Jiggily Jig. +“You know he used to be in Mother Goose’s book. ‘Simple +Simon met a pieman going to the fair. Said Simple Simon +to the pieman, let me taste your ware.’ That’s who the +boy is.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, how glad I am to meet them!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“And is the pieman going to a fair or circus?” asked +Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No, he is just coming back, because the circus is over!” +exclaimed Simple Simon. “But he’s got lots of pies left.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span> +Hey, Jiggily Jig!” called Simple Simon to the funny boy. +“Let’s see who can turn the most somersaults.”</p> + +<p>And then those two funny boys began turning somersaults +down the street, going over and over, faster and faster, and +getting farther and farther away from the Trippertrots.</p> + +<p>“Oh, he’s gone—Jiggily Jig is gone, and we’ll never get +home!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said the kind pieman, “I think I can take +you home. Come with me.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER ELEVEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE PIEMAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Trippertrot children stood on the sidewalk, looking +after Jiggily Jig, the funny boy, and Simple Simon, turning +somersaults. Then the Trippertrot children looked at the +pieman.</p> + +<p>“Whatever shall we do?” asked Mary. “Oh, I wish we +had never left the house when mamma told us not to! What +shall we do?”</p> + +<p>“Go with the pieman, of course,” answered Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Yes, and maybe he’ll give us each a pie, and mamma or +Suzette could pay him when he gets to our house. I’m very +hungry,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“So am I,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And I guess I am also,” added Mary.</p> + +<p>“Why, bless your hearts!” exclaimed the kind pieman. +“Hungry, eh? That will never do! I can’t bear to see hungry +children. Step right up to the pie wagon, and help yourselves. +I have apple pie, peach pie, lemon pie, cocoanut +pie, orange pie, cranberry pie, and even sawdust pie, but I +wouldn’t like to give you any of that last. Sawdust pie is +very hard to eat.”</p> + +<p>“Who does eat sawdust pie?” asked Mary, wondering +what it looked like.</p> + +<p>“Oh, sawdust pie is for sawdust dolls,” said the pieman. +“I make it especially for them. That’s really the only thing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> +they can eat. But what kind would you children like—lemon, +peach, custard——”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I just love custard pie!” interrupted Johnny, smacking +his lips.</p> + +<p>“So do I!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And mamma says it’s very good for us,” added Mary.</p> + +<p>“Only—only,” spoke Tommy slowly, “we haven’t any +money to pay you with just now, Mr. Pieman.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that doesn’t matter in the least,” spoke the kind pieman, +winking both his eyes, one after the other.</p> + +<p>“But when Simple Simon wanted to taste of your pies you +made him show you first his penny,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And he didn’t have any,” added Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but <i>that</i> was Simple Simon,” said the pieman, with +a laugh. “He’s different, Simon is. Why, he’d eat every +pie on my wagon if I didn’t make him show me his penny +every now and then. And sometimes he loses it, and then +he can’t have any pie for a week. But I don’t want any +money from you Trippertrot children.”</p> + +<p>“What kind of pie does Simple Simon like best?” asked +Tommy, as he went close up to the pie wagon, and saw that +there were several large custard pies on it.</p> + +<p>“Oh, he’ll eat almost any kind,” replied the pieman, “but +most especially he likes a Christmas pie, the kind I always +make for little Jack Horner, who sits in a corner. Yes, Simon +is very fond of Christmas pies, with sugar plums in them.”</p> + +<p>“Do you make pies for Jack Horner?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“To be sure,” answered the pieman, “else he wouldn’t +have any to stick his thumb in. But come, now, choose your +custard pie, and after you eat it we’ll travel on and see if you +can find your home.”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t you know where it is?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“No,” answered the pieman. “I thought you did.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span>“Oh, there we go again!” cried Tommy. “We’re lost +once more! Jiggily Jig knew where our house was, but he’s +gone off!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, he’s gone off, sure enough,” agreed the pieman, and +he looked down the street, but he couldn’t see either Jiggily +Jig or Simple Simon.</p> + +<p>“I thought perhaps Jiggily Jig would have told you where +our house was before he began turning those somersaults,” +said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Bless you, no, he didn’t,” answered the pieman. “But +you never can depend on Jiggily Jig. He’s too fond of doing +funny tricks. But don’t worry. I dare say I can manage to +find your house. So come along, eat your pie, and be happy.”</p> + +<p>Then he cut a nice, fresh custard pie for them, and gave +them each a piece. Oh, it was most delicious! Which means +very nice, you know. Yes, that pie was certainly good, and +I wish I could give you all some, if you were allowed to eat +it, but I’m not—I mean I’m not allowed to give you any, +because there wouldn’t be enough to go around.</p> + +<p>“Well, now, if you’re all ready, we’ll start off,” said the +kind pieman, when the Trippertrot children had finished eating. +“We will go up one street and down another, and perhaps +after a while we may come to your home.”</p> + +<p>“I’m afraid we won’t,” answered Mary. “We always do +seem to have such bad luck in losing our home. I’m sure +we never mean to run off, but something always seems to +happen.”</p> + +<p>“This time it was a fire,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And the other time it was a little lost girl, crying in the +street,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Well, never mind,” said the pieman. “I’ll sing a little +song as we go along, and people will come to the doors or +windows of their houses to see what I have to sell, and some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span> +of the people may see you children, and know you. Then +they can tell me where to take you home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Mary, dancing up and down, almost +like Jiggily Jig did.</p> + +<p>“Lots and lots of people know us,” said Johnny. “I’m +sure that would be a very good plan.”</p> + +<p>“Then we’ll do it,” spoke the pieman. “Now let me see, +what song shall I sing? Oh, I know one.” And then he +sang this song:</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> +<div class="stanza"> +<div class="first">“I am a jolly pieman,</div> +<div class="indent">My pies are nice and sweet;</div> +<div class="verse">They’re made of many different things</div> +<div class="indent">For boys and girls to eat.</div> +<div class="verse">If you would kindly try them,</div> +<div class="indent">I think you’d like them, too,</div> +<div class="verse">Because there is a special pie</div> +<div class="indent">Made specially for you.</div> +</div> +<div class="stanza"> +<div class="first">“There’s lemon, peach and apple,</div> +<div class="indent">And cocoanut and plum,</div> +<div class="verse">And custard pie and orange,</div> +<div class="indent">And also chewing-gum.</div> +<div class="verse">But, best of all, is Christmas,</div> +<div class="indent">A pie you all may eat,</div> +<div class="verse">The kind Jack Horner had when he</div> +<div class="indent">Sat in his corner seat.”</div> +</div></div></div> + +<p>Well, no sooner had the kind pieman finished his song +than all the people along the street began opening their doors +and windows, and putting their heads out.</p> + +<p>“Ho! Ho!” cried some boys and girls who were just home +from school. “We would like some pies.”</p> + +<p>“Then come and get them,” said the pieman, and the boys +and girls, and lots of ladies, also, came around the pieman’s +wagon, and bought his pies.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span>Then, when he was wrapping up the pies, or taking in +the money, or making change, the pieman would say:</p> + +<p>“Do any of you boys or girls, or ladies know where these +children live?”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t they know where they live themselves?” asked +one lady.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no,” answered the pieman. “These are the three +little Trippertrots, and they are always getting lost. I am +looking for their house as I go along selling pies.”</p> + +<p>But no one seemed to know where Mary or Johnny or +Tommy lived. Lots and lots of boys and girls and ladies +and men came out to buy pies, and they looked at the children, +but none knew where they lived.</p> + +<p>“Maybe some big giant has moved our house away,” said +Tommy, “and that’s why we can’t find it.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, of course not!” exclaimed Mary. “Giants don’t live +around here.”</p> + +<p>“Well, I wish they did,” said Johnny quickly.</p> + +<p>“Why?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, then we could ask one of them to take us up on his +shoulder, and he could walk about two of his steps and he +would be right at our house, and we’d be home,” went on +Johnny. “But I s’pose that can’t happen. We’ll have to trip +and trot along until the pieman finds our house.”</p> + +<p>So along through the streets they went, the pieman singing +his little song, and selling pies, and asking all the people +he met if they knew where the Trippertrots lived.</p> + +<p>But no one did, and Mary and Tommy and Johnny were +beginning to think they would never find their papa or +mamma, or Suzette, the nursemaid, again.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, as the pieman was pushing his +cart down a little street where there were lots of trees, and +many small houses with red chimneys on them sticking up<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span> +through the roof—all of a sudden, I say—out ran a little girl, +holding a dollie in her arms.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Mr. Pieman!” cried the little girl. “I have been +waiting such a long time for you!”</p> + +<p>“Why, what is the matter?” asked the kind pieman.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Sallie, my doll, is very ill,” said the little girl, “and +I want some sawdust pie for her.”</p> + +<p>“I have just one left,” said the pieman. “Here it is, and +I hope she will soon be better.” Then he wrapped up the +sawdust pie for the little girl’s doll, and he asked her—asked +the little girl, I mean—if she knew where the Trippertrots +lived. “For I can’t seem to find their home,” said the kind +pieman, blinking both his eyes at once.</p> + +<p>“No, I don’t know, where they live,” said the little girl, +as she looked carefully at Mary, Johnny and Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear!” cried Mary. “I’m so tired walking about, +looking for our home.”</p> + +<p>“So am I!” exclaimed Johnny and Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Then I know the very thing to do,” said the little girl, +as she looked in the paper to see if her sawdust pie was all +right. “Here comes the banana man, and he has quite a large +wagon which he pushes about on its two wheels. Let him +take you on his wagon, and ride you through the streets, and +perhaps you may find your home that way.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“It will be fun to ride in the banana wagon,” said Johnny, +jumping up and down.</p> + +<p>“Yes, and I think he can take us home,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>And just then along came the banana man, and he said +he would be very glad to help the Trippertrots get home. +So the pieman said good-by to them, and gave them each a +little custard pie, and then he went off to find Simple Simon +and Jiggly Jig.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span>“Jump on my wagon,” said the banana man, and the Trippertrot +children did so, as there was lots of room. Up they +hopped, and away they went along the street, looking for their +house, and wondering how long it would be before they +found the place.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER TWELVE<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE BANANA MAN</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">It’s</span> almost as nice to ride on a banana wagon as it is on +a load of hay,” said Mary. “This is just lovely, I think.”</p> + +<p>“So do I,” agreed Tommy. “And there really <i>is</i> hay on +this wagon, so it’s almost like a straw ride.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, I always put the bananas on soft hay, so they +won’t break open when the wagon goes over rough stones,” +said the banana man. “But hold tight, now, as I am going +very fast.” And so he did, and the children were bounced +about, and up and down a bit, but then the hay was so soft +that they didn’t get hurt in the least.</p> + +<p>“Do you know where our house is?” asked Johnny, after +a bit.</p> + +<p>“No, but I think I can find it,” answered the banana man. +“I know where lots and lots of houses are, and I’m sure one +of them must be yours. I’ll go along through the street, and +you can look at all the houses you see, and pretty soon you’ll +see the right one.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but we have been away from home a long time,” +said Tommy. “Ever since early this morning, when we went +after the kind fireman to thank him. And we’ve been lost +from then on.”</p> + +<p>“And maybe some one has painted our house a different +color,” spoke Johnny, “so we won’t know it even when we +see it.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” spoke the banana man.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> +“They couldn’t have painted your house since morning, and +it isn’t night yet.”</p> + +<p>“The false-face man could,” said Mary. “He is a very +fast painter, but then I know he would make funny faces on +our house, if he <i>did</i> paint it, so we would know it anyhow.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, that’s right,” said the banana man. “But lie down, +now, and rest yourselves, and I will wheel you up first one +street and then down the other, and soon you may be home.”</p> + +<p>So he did that, and lots and lots of persons stopped to look +at the funny sight of three lost children sitting on the hay in +a two-wheeled banana wagon.</p> + +<p>“Do you happen to know where they live?” the banana +man would ask the different people who crowded around his +wagon.</p> + +<p>“No,” said every one, and the men and women shook their +heads.</p> + +<p>“Do you know any of these people?” the banana man then +asked of the Trippertrot children. But neither Mary nor +Johnny nor Tommy knew any of them.</p> + +<p>“Then we will have to go along a little farther,” said the +banana man; and so he went up some streets that were hilly, +and down some that were smooth, and along some that were +very rough with cobblestones, and all the while he kept wheeling +the children in his wagon, or cart, if you’d rather call +it that.</p> + +<p>And once the wagon went over a stick of wood, and +tipped to one side, and Mary nearly fell out. She would +have, only Tommy grabbed her just in time, and held her on +the hay.</p> + +<p>And a little later there was a dog chasing a cat, and the +cat ran so fast to get away from the dog that the pussy jumped +right up in the wagon, into Mary’s lap.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you poor, dear little pussy!” cried Mary, as she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span> +rubbed the cat’s fur, and tried to make its tail smaller, for +it was all swelled up on account of the dog, you know.</p> + +<p>“That cat looks like our cat, Ivy Vine,” said Tommy, when +the banana man had driven away the dog.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, I just wish Ivy Vine was here now,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“And I wish Fido was here,” spoke Johnny. “He is kind +to cats.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, if we could only find Ivy and Fido, they would show +us the way home.” And Mary sighed a little, and a salty +tear fell out of her left eye.</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said the banana man. “I think we will +soon be there.” But he talked in a tired voice, for his legs +were very weary with tramping around all day, selling bananas, +and then giving the lost children a ride up and down +so many streets, looking for their home. Still he wouldn’t +give up.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they came to where a man was selling hot, +roasted chestnuts, and also some cold, boiled ones. And the +banana man knew the chestnut man, and bought some nuts +from him and gave them to the lost Trippertrots, for they +were hungry again, those three children were.</p> + +<p>“Oh, it doesn’t seem as if we were ever going to be at +home again!” said Mary, after a while, when she had eaten +some of the roasted chestnuts.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” spoke Johnny, as he ate some boiled ones.</p> + +<p>“I’m never going to run away again,” said Tommy, “not +even if the chimney does get on fire.”</p> + +<p>“Or even if the house falls down,” added Mary. And +then they put their arms around one another and sat there on +the banana wagon, and wished they were home.</p> + +<p>And the banana man did the best he could. He looked +at all the houses, and he asked lots of people where the Trippertrots +lived, but none knew.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span>“I guess you will have to look for the kind policeman +again,” suggested Tommy. “He can find our house for us.”</p> + +<p>“Or else Mr. Johnson, who took us home in his automobile, +the other time when we were lost,” added Johnny. “He +might help us.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps I had better look for a policeman,” said the +banana man, for he was now very tired, because it was like +pushing three baby carriages, made into one, to push the Trippertrots +about on the banana wagon.</p> + +<p>So he looked all over for a policeman, but he couldn’t +see any. I guess they were all down at the big fire, where +all the firemen had gone. And the banana man couldn’t even +see the pieman or Simple Simon, nor even Jiggily Jig.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Whatever shall we do?” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know,” answered Johnny. “Do you, Tommy?”</p> + +<p>“No, I don’t know, either,” replied Tommy Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>But just then they turned around the corner of the street, +and they heard some music playing, and there was a hand-organ +man, with a monkey!</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Mary. “There is the hand-organ man +who once rode with us in the automobile, and he will know +where we live.”</p> + +<p>“No, I am sorry to say I don’t know where you live,” +answered the hand-organ man, when they had asked him. +“You see, I am a new man here, and not the one you thought +I was. I just bought this organ and the monkey from the +man who rode with you in the auto. The monkey may know +where you live, but I don’t.”</p> + +<p>“Then let’s ask the monkey,” suggested Tommy.</p> + +<p>So they asked the monkey. But, bless you! the monkey +couldn’t talk, you know, and all he did was to take off his +cap and make a low bow, as if he was asking for pennies.</p> + +<p>“That’s of no use,” said Tommy hopelessly.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span>“No,” agreed Mary. “We’ll never get home that way.”</p> + +<p>Well, the three little Trippertrots didn’t know what to do, +and they were almost ready to cry, when, all at once, Johnny +gave a loud shout.</p> + +<p>“What’s the matter?” asked Mary. “Are you hurt?”</p> + +<p>“No! But look!” cried Johnny. “There comes Ivy Vine, +our cat!”</p> + +<p>“And there comes Fido, our dog!” exclaimed Tommy, and +he pointed to the dog and cat coming down the street together +like twins, only, of course, they weren’t twins—dogs and cats +can’t be twins, you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, now we will find our way home,” said Mary. “Ivy +and Fido will lead us. We can’t be far from our house.”</p> + +<p>“I am glad of it,” said the banana man, who was more +tired than ever.</p> + +<p>“Here, Fido! Fido!” called Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Come, Ivy! Ivy!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>The dog and the cat came running up to the children, +and they were very glad to see them. I mean the children +were glad to see Fido and Ivy Vine, and Ivy Vine and Fido +were glad to see the children. So they were all glad, even +the banana man.</p> + +<p>“Now show us the way home, Fido!” called Tommy, and, +somehow or other, Fido understood, for he wagged his tail +so hard that it almost dropped off, and Ivy Vine wagged her +tail, and then they trotted on ahead of the banana wagon. +They looked back every now and then, to see if the wagon +was coming.</p> + +<p>“Just follow them, and we’ll soon be at our home,” said +Mary. And the banana man did so, riding the children on +his cart, and a little later, just as they went around a corner, +there was the Trippertrots’ house!</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’re home! We’re home!” cried Mary joyfully.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span>“And how glad we are!” cried Tommy and Johnny, and +they all hugged each other. Fido capered about, barking +as loudly as he could; and then out ran Suzette and Mr. Trippertrot +and Mrs. Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you children!” cried their mamma. “Lost again, I +suppose!”</p> + +<p>“Yes’m,” answered Mary.</p> + +<p>“And we were looking all over for you,” said their papa.</p> + +<p>“But Fido and Ivy Vine and the banana man brought +us home,” explained Tommy, “and we had some wonderful +adventures since we went to thank the fireman.”</p> + +<p>“Well, please don’t ever have any more,” said their +mamma.</p> + +<p>“No’m, we won’t,” answered Mary.</p> + +<p>Then they all went into the house and had supper, and +Mr. Trippertrot thanked the banana man very kindly, and +gave him some money.</p> + +<p>“I don’t want any more adventures very soon,” said +Tommy.</p> + +<p>But my goodness sakes alive and the mustard spoon! It +wasn’t any time at all before those three little Trippertrots +had something more happen to them.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER THIRTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE DANCING BEARS</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> three little Trippertrots were in the house one day, +looking out of the window. Suzette, the nursemaid, was in +the next room, trying to mend a hole that Mary had torn in +her red dress. I mean that Mary had torn a hole in her own +dress, not in Suzette’s, you understand, of course. And the +way it happened was this:</p> + +<p>They were playing soldiers, the Trippertrot children were, +Tommy and Johnny and Mary, and Tommy had a make-believe +gun. It was really the poker from the stove, but it +looked something like a gun.</p> + +<p>And they were having a great battle, making believe shoot +off the poker-gun bang-bang, you know, when, all of a sudden, +Mary ran past Tommy, and the poker caught in her dress, +and tore a hole in the cloth.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m afraid you can’t play soldiers any more,” said +Mrs. Trippertrot. “It’s too rough a game. Please play +something gentle, that doesn’t make so much noise.”</p> + +<p>So Mary and Tommy and Johnny played a guessing game; +that is, they tried to guess how many people were in the trolley +cars that passed the window, or how many letters the +postman had in his bag, or how fast the butcher boy could +run when a pussy cat chased him, and all guessing games +like that. So that’s the reason, as I told you at first, why +the Trippertrots were looking out of the window of their +house.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span>“Oh, I’m tired of this,” said Tommy at last.</p> + +<p>“And so am I,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“What can we do?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, let’s make-believe we’re lost again,” suggested Mary. +“We can pretend that the parlor is away off downtown, and +that the dining-room is another city, and the kitchen can be +a cave where a fairy lives, and upstairs—I wonder what upstairs +can be?”</p> + +<p>“That will be a mountain, of course,” said Tommy. “The +stairs are high, and so are mountains; and I’m going to climb +one, and get lost on the top, and build a campfire, and sleep +there all night.”</p> + +<p>“Pooh! You sleep upstairs all night, anyhow,” said +Johnny. “Our beds are there.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but this is only a make-believe mountain,” said Tommy. +“Come on! All ready to play this game! We’ll see +who will be the first one to get lost.”</p> + +<p>Well, the Trippertrots played that game a long time, and +then Suzette had Mary’s dress mended, and the nursemaid +went to answer the back doorbell, for the butcher boy was +there with some meat for supper.</p> + +<p>Now in about a minute you will see where the dancing +bears appear in this story. I’m almost up to that part, so +watch closely.</p> + +<p>When Suzette was at the back door, Mrs. Trippertrot happened +to think there was no bread in the house for dinner.</p> + +<p>“I know what I will do,” said the children’s mamma. “I +will just run next door to Mrs. Johnson’s, and borrow a loaf. +Now don’t you children go outside while I’m gone!” she +called to Tommy and Mary and Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Not even in case of something most extra-extra-extraordinary +happening?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I suppose if it’s something most extraordinary you<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> +may go out for a minute,” answered Mrs. Trippertrot, “but +don’t you dare to get lost.”</p> + +<p>So they promised that they wouldn’t, and then they went +back to play the game of looking out of the windows, and +Mary said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wish something most extra-extraordinary would +come along!”</p> + +<p>“So do I!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And there it is!” suddenly cried Johnny. “If that isn’t +extraordinary, I’d like to know what is!”</p> + +<p>And sure enough, down the street came a man with three +dancing bears. There was a little bear and a middle-sized +bear and a big bear, just as in the story book. And the man +had a horn, on which he played jolly, funny little tunes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope the bears dance where we can see them,” +said Mary, and Tommy and Johnny said the same thing; and +really it was just as if the dancing-bear man heard the Trippertrot +children, for, sure enough, he stopped in front of +their house, and began to blow a tune on his horn.</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> +<div class="first">“Hum tum-tum tiddle di de um,</div> +<div class="indent">Hum tum-tum tiddle day;</div> +<div class="verse">Dum-dum-dum fiddle faddle de um,</div> +<div class="indent">Ho tum-tum skiddle ray.”</div> +</div></div> + +<p>And with that, those bears stood up on their hind legs, +and began to dance around almost as well as you or I could +do it. I’m sure you would have been very glad to see them, +for they were such nice bears.</p> + +<p>The big bear took big steps when he danced, and the +middle-sized bear took middle-sized steps, and, of course, the +little bear had to take little steps, for that was all the kind +of steps that were left, but they suited him exactly.</p> + +<p>“Oh! Aren’t they fine!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span>“Yes. I wish we had one,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t!” exclaimed his sister. “He might scratch +us, not meaning to, you know, but accidentally. I don’t want +a bear in the house.”</p> + +<p>“I think it would be fun,” said Tommy. “We could play +we were hunters on a mountain, and make-believe shoot the +bear, only, of course, we wouldn’t <i>really</i> do it.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, look! Look!” suddenly cried Mary. “One bear +is climbing a telegraph pole!” And, sure enough, the middle-sized +bear was doing that, while the man played more tunes +on his horn.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look there!” cried Johnny. “The big bear is standing +on his head!” And, just as true as I’m telling you, he +was.</p> + +<p>“See! See!” exclaimed Tommy. “The little bear is turning +somersaults just like Simple Simon and Jiggily Jig did! +Isn’t it great!”</p> + +<p>Well, the man made the dancing bears do many more +tricks, and then he held out his hat for money, for that was +how he made his living. And Suzette gave the children some +money to give to the bearman.</p> + +<p>Then the man made a bow, to show that he was thankful, +and the bears made bows, too, to show they were thankful, +for if the man hadn’t gotten any money the bears wouldn’t +have had much for supper. Then they started off up the +street to dance some more.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m sorry they’re gone!” said Mary, and her brothers +were, also; and they were just wondering what else they +could do to have fun, when, all of a sudden, Tommy cried:</p> + +<p>“Look! Look! The little bear has run away from the +man, and is coming back here!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and I guess the man doesn’t know it, or he would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span> +come back after him,” said Johnny. “I think we ought to +go out and catch the little bear for the man.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t you do it!” cried Mary, shivering.</p> + +<p>“Why, he’s tame, and won’t hurt me,” said Tommy. “Besides, +we would be doing the man a kindness.”</p> + +<p>“But mamma doesn’t want us to go out of the house,” +said Mary, for she could now see the bear quite plainly, as +he was right in front of the house again, and he was so kind +and gentle-looking, and he seemed to smile so at the children, +that they just loved him.</p> + +<p>“I’m going out and catch him for the man, and give him +something to eat,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Who? The man or the bear?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“The little bear. See! He has a chain on his neck, and +we can lead him by that. Come on.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! Well, I s’pose I’ll have to go, too,” said +Mary. “This is one of those most extra-extraordinary occasions, +I guess. But I do hope we’re not lost again.”</p> + +<p>“Hurry up!” called Johnny. “We can catch the bear, +take him to the man, and soon be in the house again.”</p> + +<p>Well, would you ever believe it if I didn’t tell you? +That little bear just stood still when the Trippertrot children +came up to him, and he almost seemed to smile, you know +the way bears do, by opening his mouth, and then he made +a low bow.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I almost believe he could talk, if he wanted to, he +is so cute,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Come along, little bear,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, we’re going to take you back to the man,” said +Johnny. “He doesn’t know you’re lost, I guess.”</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p090a"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p090a.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="center">DOWN THE STREET CAME A MAN WITH THREE BEARS</p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p>Well, the bear growled a little bit, but that was only his +way of saying “Thank you!” And then he stood still while +Johnny took hold of the chain around his neck—I mean the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span>chain around the bear’s neck, not Johnny’s, for Johnny didn’t +have any chain on his neck. And Tommy also took hold of +the bear’s chain, and so did Mary, just the littlest, tiny tip +end, you know.</p> + +<p>“Now we’re all ready,” said Johnny. “Come along, little +bear, and we’ll soon have you back to your master.”</p> + +<p>So the three little Trippertrots marched down the street, +leading the tame little bear, and they expected any minute +to find the man with the horn. But they couldn’t see him +anywhere.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we must find him soon,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said Johnny. “We can’t take the bear back home +with us.”</p> + +<p>“And if we let him go by himself he’ll get lost,” spoke +Tommy. “Let’s go on a little farther.”</p> + +<p>So they went on a little farther with the animal, but they +couldn’t find the man who owned the bear, and they couldn’t +hear his tooting horn. And then, as they turned around a +corner, Mary suddenly said:</p> + +<p>“There! I knew it!”</p> + +<p>“Knew what?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“I knew we were lost again,” said Mary. “I’ve never +seen this street before. We are certainly lost again.”</p> + +<p>“Oh! What will mamma say?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And lost with a little dancing bear to take care of,” added +Mary.</p> + +<p>“Well, if we’re lost, the bear is lost, too, and that’s all +there is about it,” spoke Johnny cheerfully. “Maybe we can +find our way back. Let’s try.”</p> + +<p>So they walked down another street, looking for the way +back home, or for the man who owned the little bear.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER FOURTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE PINK COW</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">We don’t</span> seem to be getting anywhere very fast,” said +Tommy Trippertrot, after he and his sister and his brother +and the little tame dancing bear had walked up and down +several streets.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” agreed Mary.</p> + +<p>“Are you sure we’re lost again?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“I certainly am,” replied his sister. “We must have come +farther than we thought we did. All the streets are strange, +and all the houses, too, and I don’t see a single person that +I know. Oh, dear! Isn’t it too bad?”</p> + +<p>“Never mind!” exclaimed Johnny, putting his arms around +Mary to hug her. “I’ll take care of you.”</p> + +<p>“And so will I,” added Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Wuff! Wuff!” growled the bear in his gentle voice, and +that was his way of saying that he, too, would take care of +Mary. And he put one fuzzy paw around her neck, and +squeezed her the least bit; not enough to hurt her, you understand. +Oh, of course not.</p> + +<p>“Well, what had we better do?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“We’ll ask the first person we meet if they know where +we live,” said Mary. “It’s funny, but we never can seem to +remember. I guess we ought to have a stamp and an address +on us, just as letters do, and then the postman could +always take us home.”</p> + +<p>“I think that <i>would</i> be a good idea,” said Tommy. “But<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span> +it’s too late to do that now, and I don’t see any people we +can ask,” and he looked up and down the street, but no one +was in sight.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I tell you what let’s do!” exclaimed Johnny. “We’ll +let the bear go wherever he wants to, and maybe he’ll take us +home, the way Fido and Ivy once did.”</p> + +<p>“That’s a good idea,” said Tommy. “We’ll do it.”</p> + +<p>So they let go of the chain that was around the bear’s +neck, and Mary said to him:</p> + +<p>“Now go ahead, little bear, and take us home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, bears can’t understand our talk,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Why, Fido understands me!” said Mary. “When I +speak pleasantly to him he wags his tail, so I’m sure he understands; +and if <i>he</i> can, why can’t bears?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, well, maybe he does,” admitted Johnny. “Let’s see +what he’ll do.”</p> + +<p>The little bear didn’t do anything at first. He just stood +there on his hind legs, looking all around, and sort of sniffing +the air. I guess he was trying to see if he could smell his +supper cooking anywhere. Then, all at once, he started to +run across the street.</p> + +<p>“Come on!” cried Johnny. “I guess that’s the way home! +We’ll follow the bear!”</p> + +<p>So they ran after the shaggy little creature, who kept right +on going, looking over his shoulder every now and then, just +as if he was telling the children to follow him. And they +did. But where in the world do you suppose he led them?</p> + +<p>You’d never guess, I’m afraid, so I’m going to tell you. +It was right up to a bakery shop window, that was filled with +all sorts of nice cakes and cookies and pies. Yes, just as true +as I’m telling you, that’s what the bear did. He came to a +stop right in front of the window, and then he looked up at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span> +the children, and sort of whined, just as Fido, their dog, did +when he was hungry.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know what he wants!” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“What is it?” asked both her brothers at once.</p> + +<p>“He wants some cakes,” said Mary. “He is hungry, poor +little fellow. That’s why he led us over to this bakery. I’m +going to see if the bakery man will give us some cakes or +buns for our little bear.”</p> + +<p>“I wish he’d give us some for ourselves,” spoke Johnny. +“I’m hungry myself.”</p> + +<p>“So am I!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Well, let’s go in,” suggested Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, not all at once,” objected Johnny. “For if we did, +and left the bear all alone outside here, he might run away. +I’ll stay here with him, Tommy, and you and Mary can go +in and ask the bakery man for some cake.”</p> + +<p>“All right,” agreed Tommy, and into the bakery shop he +and his sister went, leaving Johnny to take care of the baby +bear.</p> + +<p>“Well, little ones, what can I do for you to-day?” asked +the baker-man of Mary and Tommy, as he came out of the +back room, wiping some flour off the end of his nose. “Will +you have bread or pie?”</p> + +<p>“Neither, if you please, sir,” answered Mary, “but we +have a little bear, and——”</p> + +<p>“Good gracious sakes alive and some ground cinnamon!” +cried the baker-man. “You don’t mean to tell me you have +a real live bear in here? Take him out at once, I beg of +you!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, he isn’t in here,” said Tommy. “He’s outside, +with my brother Johnny. But anyhow, he’s tame and gentle, +and he wouldn’t hurt a fly, not if one were to light on his nose +and tickle him. He’d just blow him off.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95-96]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p095"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p095.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption"><i>Johnny Brought in the Bear.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span>“Oh, he is a very kind bear,” went on Mary.</p> + +<p>“I am very glad to hear that,” spoke the baker-man. “But +what do you want me to do—buy him?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no,” answered Tommy. “You see, he is lost, and we +are lost, and he came over here to look at your cakes because +he was hungry, and we are hungry, too. But you needn’t +mind us, unless you have some cakes you don’t want, and——”</p> + +<p>But then Tommy had to stop to catch his breath, which +had nearly gotten away from him, and Mary said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, you had better let me finish. What we want, Mr. +Baker-man, is some cake for our little bear. At least he isn’t +really ours, but he belongs to the man who plays tunes on the +funny little horn, and he is lost.”</p> + +<p>“Who is lost, the man or the bear?” asked the baker, with +a jolly laugh.</p> + +<p>“Both, I guess,” said Tommy, who had his breath by this +time. “But have you any cakes?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, plenty of them,” said the kind baker. “I will +give you some, and the bear some, and——”</p> + +<p>“But we have no money,” said Mary quickly, “and we are +lost—we’re always getting lost,” she said.</p> + +<p>“No matter about the money,” went on the baker. “I +will give you as many cakes as the bear needs, and some for +yourself. Bring in the bear.”</p> + +<p>So Johnny brought in the bear, and the baker cried out +as soon as he saw the shaggy little fellow:</p> + +<p>“Why, I know that bear! He belongs to a nice Italian +in the next street. You had better leave him with me, and +I will see that he gets home safely. But first he must have +some cakes. Come here, Bruno!” called the baker to the +bear, and the little tame bear came right over to him, and +ate a chocolate cake out of his hand.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span>“You see, he knows me,” said the baker. “I will see +that he gets safely home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Mary. “I wish that some one +knew <i>us</i>, and would see that <i>we</i> got home. It’s dreadful to +be lost all the while, but we can’t seem to help it.”</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said the baker kindly. “Here, eat some +cakes, and then we will see what is to be done. Perhaps I +can think of a way to get you home.”</p> + +<p>Well, you would never believe it if I didn’t tell you, I +suppose, but this is just how it happened. All of a sudden +into the baker shop walked a man, and he had a string in +his hand.</p> + +<p>“What are you leading by that string? Another bear?” +asked the baker-man.</p> + +<p>“No. I am leading my pink cow,” said the man.</p> + +<p>“A pink cow!” exclaimed the baker. “I never heard of +a pink cow!”</p> + +<p>“Well, I have one,” said the man. “You can look for +yourself, if you don’t believe me.”</p> + +<p>So they all looked out on the sidewalk—that is, all but +the little bear, and he was too busy eating cakes to look—and +there, sure enough, was a nice pink cow, and the man +was leading her by a yellow string around her neck.</p> + +<p>“How did she get pink?” asked the baker-man.</p> + +<p>“She went to the circus once,” said the other man, “and +she drank a pailful of pink lemonade, in mistake for water, +so she has been pink ever since. But it doesn’t hurt her any, +and she gives as good milk as ever.”</p> + +<p>“What are you going to do with her?” asked the baker-man.</p> + +<p>“Why, I am going to sell her to a man named Mr. Jones,” +said the cowman. “He lives a few streets away, and he has +always wanted a pink cow. So I am taking mine to him.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span>“Oh! I wonder if that’s the Mr. Jones who lives two +doors from us?” cried Mary.</p> + +<p>“What might your names be?” asked the pink-cow man +quickly.</p> + +<p>“The Trippertrots!” cried Tommy and Johnny and Mary, +all at the same time.</p> + +<p>“Then that’s the Mr. Jones, all right,” said the pink-cow +man. “He said he lived next door to a family of Trippertrot +children, who were always getting lost——”</p> + +<p>“And we’re lost now!” interrupted Mary.</p> + +<p>“But you can take us home!” cried Johnny.</p> + +<p>“To be sure I can,” answered the man. “I’ll take you +home on my way to leave my pink cow at Mr. Jones’s house. +Come along, children.”</p> + +<p>So they said good-by to the little bear, who was still eating +buns, and then to the baker, who gave the Trippertrots +some cakes to take home; and then the children started out +with the man and the pink cow to go home to their house.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how thankful I am that we’re not lost any more!” +exclaimed Mary, as they walked along, with the pink cow +following behind, and switching her tail to keep the flies +away.</p> + +<p>“Yes; and wasn’t it lucky that the baker-man knew what +to do with the bear?” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“It certainly was,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“You will soon be home now,” said the pink-cow man, +and they kept on up the street, and in a little while they were +safely at the Trippertrot house.</p> + +<p>Just as the three children got in front of their house they +saw their papa and mamma, and Suzette, the nursemaid, looking +at them out of the parlor windows.</p> + +<p>“Oh, there are our dear children!” cried Mrs. Trippertrot.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span>“I wonder where they have been this time?” asked Mr. +Trippertrot.</p> + +<p>“There is no telling,” replied his wife. “They do seem +to go to the strangest places. And look what they have with +them! A pink cow, of all things!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope they are not going to bring that pink cow +in here!” exclaimed Suzette, the nursemaid. “There is no +place to put it!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I wonder what those children will do next?” +asked Mrs. Trippertrot. But there was no one there to answer +her, for Mr. Trippertrot ran out to get Mary and Tommy +and Johnny, and Suzette ran out to help him, and so Mrs. +Trippertrot thought she would run out herself.</p> + +<p>“Oh, mamma!” cried Mary. “We had the grandest +time!”</p> + +<p>“And we took the little bear home,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And the baker-man gave us some cakes, but we ate them +all up,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you children!” cried their mamma.</p> + +<p>“And what about the pink cow?” asked Mr. Trippertrot. +“I do hope you haven’t brought that home with you!”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no,” said the man who owned the cow. “I am taking +my cow to Mr. Jones, who lives two doors from you. He +wants her, and as I was coming this way, I brought your children +with me.”</p> + +<p>“That was very kind of you,” said Mr. Trippertrot, “and +I hope they don’t trip and trot off again. Come in, now, +children, and tell your mother and me all about where you +were this time.”</p> + +<p>“And we can tell you why the cow is pink,” said Tommy. +“She ate some pink ice cream once—strawberry, I guess it +was——”</p> + +<p>“No, she drank pink lemonade,” corrected Mary.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span>“Oh, yes, that’s it,” agreed Tommy, “and so she’s been +pink ever since.”</p> + +<p>So the three little Trippertrots went into their house, and +the man took the pink cow to where Mr. Jones lived, and +everybody was happy for a while, just as you all are, I +hope.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER FIFTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE TRAIN OF CARS</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">It was</span> shortly after the Trippertrot children got home, +after finding the little lost bear, that, one afternoon, when +they were all looking out of the window of their house, +their mamma said:</p> + +<p>“Now, children, I am going across the street to see a +lady, and I don’t want you to stir out of the playroom until +I come back.”</p> + +<p>“May we go out when you do come back, mamma?” +asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“I’ll see,” returned Mrs. Trippertrot. “At any rate, +you are to stay here until I come back.”</p> + +<p>“Can’t we even go out if we see the little lost bear +again?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” answered his mamma. “Not on any +account.”</p> + +<p>Well, the Trippertrots didn’t like to stay in very much, +but they were good little people, and they did just as they +were told, unless, of course, they happened to forget, or unless +a very extra-extraordinary thing happened.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I wish we had some game to play,” sighed Mary.</p> + +<p>“I know!” exclaimed Johnny, “let’s play another choosing +game. I’ll let you have first choice, Mary, of whatever +comes along the street. Then Tommy can have his choice, +and then it will be my turn.”</p> + +<p>“All right!” cried Tommy and Mary, so they began to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span> +play. And when Mary saw an automobile coming alone +she chose that—not really to have for her very own, you +understand, but just to make-believe. Then it was Tommy’s +turn, and he picked out a nice horse and wagon. But +when it came Johnny’s turn, all there was left was a man +pushing a wheelbarrow, so Johnny took that.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s not a bit nice to choose,” said Mary, as she +wrinkled up her nose. “You may have part of my automobile, +if you like, Johnny.”</p> + +<p>“And he can have part of my horse and wagon,” said +Tommy.</p> + +<p>“All right, then I’ll take the horse, and we’ll all go +riding,” quickly cried Johnny. But, of course, this was +only make-believe, you know.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, Mary happened to look +down the street, and she cried out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, look! There is the pink cow running away from +the stable where Mr. Jones put her.”</p> + +<p>“Sure enough, so she is!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“We must go after her,” declared Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No, mamma said we weren’t to leave the house,” said +Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but she said we weren’t to go if a bear came +along,” insisted Johnny. “This is a cow, not a bear, and, +besides, she’s pink.”</p> + +<p>“And besides,” added Tommy, “Mr. Jones wouldn’t +want to lose that cow, as it must have cost a whole lot of +money. I think we ought to chase after her and bring her +back.”</p> + +<p>“So do I,” added Johnny, and then the two boys, catching +up their hats and coats, ran out of the house.</p> + +<p>“Well, I’m not going to stay here all alone,” said Mary. +“I guess mamma would want us to catch the pink cow,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> +as long as it isn’t a little tame bear. Wait, boys, I’m coming,” +she called.</p> + +<p>And there those three little Trippertrots were running +away again, and without in the least meaning to. But it +just shows you what will happen sometimes; doesn’t it?</p> + +<p>The pink cow was slowly walking down the street, +chewing her gum—I beg your pardon, I mean her cud—and +the Trippertrot children were chasing after her.</p> + +<p>“Hold on!” cried Tommy to the cow.</p> + +<p>“Yes, wait a minute,” called Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t talk to her,” said Mary. “Cows can’t understand +our talk. Just catch hold of the string around her +neck, and then we can lead her back to Mr. Jones.”</p> + +<p>“But there isn’t any string on her neck,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Then, of course, you can’t do it,” spoke Mary. “Never +mind, I guess she will soon get tired, and then we can catch +her.”</p> + +<p>But that pink cow didn’t seem to get tired, and all at +once she ran down a street where there weren’t any houses, +and she kept on until she was out in a big field, and the +children were chasing after her, but they couldn’t catch +her.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, there was a loud whistling +noise. At first the children thought it was a giant, but it +wasn’t, it was only the choo-choo engine in front of a train +of cars that just then came puffing along. And as soon as +the cow saw the engine, with the smoke shooting up out of +the black chimney, and when she heard the loud whistle, +that pink cow just kicked up her heels and jumped so +high that it looked if she jumped over the moon.</p> + +<p>At least I think she jumped over the moon, for the children +couldn’t see her any more, though maybe the cow was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span> +only hiding behind the bushes until the train got past. +Anyhow, she wasn’t in sight.</p> + +<p>“She’s gone!” exclaimed Mary.</p> + +<p>“There’s no use chasing after her any more, then,” said +Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, we had better hurry home, and tell Mr. Jones that +his cow has run away, so he can run after her,” spoke +Johnny.</p> + +<p>Well, those Trippertrots started to go back home, but, +would you believe it, they couldn’t find the way. They +looked everywhere, but they couldn’t find the right path +that led back to their house.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’re lost again!” exclaimed Mary.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I guess we are,” said Tommy, sorrowfully.</p> + +<p>“And what are we to do?” asked Johnny. “This is a +queer place to be lost in—out in the fields.”</p> + +<p>Just then the train with the choo-choo engine on in front +came to a stop. A man with a blue coat, all covered +with shiny brass buttons, jumped off the first car.</p> + +<p>“All aboard!” he called, waving his arms around his +head. “Everybody get on! All aboard, everybody! No +time to wait! Get on the train!”</p> + +<p>“Who is he?” asked Mary of her brothers in a whisper.</p> + +<p>“He’s the conductor,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And I guess he’s talking to us,” spoke Johnny. “He +wants us to get on.”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” said Mary. “I never thought of it. Papa +has sent the train to take us home. Get on board.”</p> + +<p>“Ladies first,” said the conductor, politely, and he helped +Mary up the steps, and then he helped Johnny and Tommy, +for they were too little to get up by themselves.</p> + +<p>“All aboard!” called the conductor again, and then the +engine gave a loud toot, and off the train started.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER SIXTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS IN A TROLLEY CAR</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Oh, this</span> is fine!” cried Tommy, after they had ridden +some distance.</p> + +<p>“It’s the best yet,” said Johnny. “I like this kind of +running away!”</p> + +<p>“But we’re not running away,” said Mary. “We only +ran after the pink cow belonging to Mr. Jones, and now the +train is taking us home.”</p> + +<p>“I hope we get in before mamma comes back from her +call across the street,” said Johnny. “She told us not to go +out.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but she only said not to go out after a little tame +dancing bear, as we once did,” said Tommy. “This time we +went out after the pink cow.”</p> + +<p>“Well, I hope it will be all right,” spoke Mary. “Oh! +look out of the windows, boys, and see all the pretty fields +and trees and—and——”</p> + +<p>“And telegraph poles,” added Tommy. “My, what a +lot of them.”</p> + +<p>“And look! There is the pink cow!” suddenly cried +Johnny, and, sure enough, the pink animal was running +along beside the train in a green field. But pretty soon the +train got going so fast that the cow was left behind.</p> + +<p>“I hope she gets back home all right,” said Tommy; +and Mary and Johnny hoped the same thing.</p> + +<p>Well, the train kept going faster and faster, and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span> +children were looking out of the windows, having a good +time, when the conductor, with his blue coat all covered +with brass buttons, came in.</p> + +<p>“Where do you children want to go?” he asked.</p> + +<p>“Home,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Home,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Home,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Ha, so you <i>all</i> want to go home,” exclaimed the conductor, +with a jolly laugh. “Well, where might your home +be?”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t you know?” asked Mary in surprise.</p> + +<p>“No, I am sorry to say I don’t!” answered the conductor.</p> + +<p>“He—doesn’t—know—where—we—live!” exclaimed +Tommy and Johnny together, slowly.</p> + +<p>“Why, I thought papa sent this train to take us home,” +went on Mary.</p> + +<p>“Well, it may take you to your home, if you tell me +where your home is,” went on the conductor. “Let me see +your tickets, and I can tell where you want to go.”</p> + +<p>“But we haven’t any tickets,” spoke Mary.</p> + +<p>“No tickets!” cried the conductor. “Then why did you +take this train?”</p> + +<p>“We didn’t take it,” replied Mary slowly. “It took us, +and it’s taking us now. But if it doesn’t take us home I +don’t want to stay on it.”</p> + +<p>“Me either,” said Tommy and Johnny, as they started +to leave their seats.</p> + +<p>“Wait a moment!” called the conductor. “Why did +you get into this railroad car?”</p> + +<p>“Because you told us to,” answered Mary. “We were +chasing after the pink cow, that belongs to Mr. Jones, but +she got away from us, and then your train came along, and +you told us to get on board, and we did. It isn’t our fault.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span>“Well, well! This is quite a puzzle,” said the conductor, +shaking his head, and scratching his nose with his +ticket puncher. “And so you haven’t any tickets at all, +eh?”</p> + +<p>“Wait!” cried Tommy, with his jolly little laugh, “I +think I have a ticket.” He looked in all his pockets, and +as he had a number of things in them, it took him some +time to find his ticket. There were balls of cord, an old +knife, some wheels from an alarm clock, and a piece of +chewing-gum. Then there was a red stone and a broken +lead-pencil, and when Tommy had all these articles out on +the seat the conductor said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, I am afraid you have no ticket.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, I have, just wait a minute, please,” said Tommy. +And then he pulled out a little tin can that he used to +take with him when he went fishing, and inside of that was +a piece of paper. “There is our ticket!” cried Tommy, +with another jolly laugh. “It’s a ticket I made for a magic-lantern +show that I had, and it cost two pins to come in to +it. Now we can go home, can’t we, Mr. Conductor?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried the conductor, again +scratching his nose with his ticket puncher, “that isn’t the +kind of a ticket I meant at all. ‘A ticket to a magic-lantern +show! Admission two pins!’” he read from the piece of +paper as he looked at it.</p> + +<p>“What kind of a ticket did you mean?” asked Mary, +politely.</p> + +<p>“A railroad ticket,” answered the conductor. “That is +what I meant. This one is no good.”</p> + +<p>“And can’t—can’t we ride on your train?” asked Mary, +and, somehow or other, a few tears came into her pretty +eyes. Tommy and Johnny felt like crying, also, but they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span> +happened to remember that boys never cry—that is, hardly +ever—so they didn’t.</p> + +<p>“I’m afraid you can’t ride on that ticket,” said the conductor +slowly, as he gave it back to Tommy. “I shall have +to put you off——”</p> + +<p>“Wait, I’ll pay their fare!” interrupted a nice fat man, +in the seat behind the children.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m not going to put them off here,” said the conductor +kindly, and it is a good thing he wasn’t, for just +then the train was going through the woods. “But I’ll put +them off at the next station,” he said. “Then I will send +word back to the place where they got on, and some one +can come for them. It would not be right to take them as +far off as where this train is going.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” exclaimed Mary. “We want to go +home.”</p> + +<p>“But some one will have to come for you when I put +you off at the station,” said the conductor.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no one ever comes for us,” exclaimed Mary. “We +always have to go home by ourselves, don’t we, boys?”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” answered Tommy and Johnny together. +“We are the Trippertrots, and we are always getting lost, +but this time we didn’t mean to. It was the pink cow’s +fault.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I don’t know what in the world to do!” exclaimed +the conductor, and for the third time he scratched +his nose with his cap—I mean with his ticket puncher.</p> + +<p>“Well, I know what to do,” said a voice on the other +side of the car. “I am going to give those children something +to eat. I know they must be hungry—children +always are.”</p> + +<p>And, would you ever believe it? there was the nice little +old lady to whose house the Trippertrots once went when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span> +they were lost, and she had a cat, you remember, who +purred as it lay asleep in the middle of the floor.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that lady knows us!” exclaimed Mary. “You can +tell where our home is, can’t you?”</p> + +<p>“I’m afraid I can’t,” said the little old lady. “You +know you were at my house, but when I went to get a +policeman, to show you the way home, the queer little old +man came, and you went away with him, and so I never +found your home.</p> + +<p>“But don’t worry now, I will give you something to eat, +and then I will get off at the next station with you, and I’ll +see if I can’t find some one to take you home.”</p> + +<p>So the little old lady opened her satchel and she took +out some nice chicken sandwiches, and some jam tarts, and +some oranges, and gave them to the Trippertrot children +to eat.</p> + +<p>Well, the train kept going on and on, and lots of the +passengers watched the Trippertrots eating the lunch +which the little old lady gave them, and the children themselves +were having a nice time, though of course they were +sorry that the pink cow had gotten lost.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, the train conductor called +out:</p> + +<p>“Here’s where you get off, children. Come along; step +lively, please.”</p> + +<p>So they hurried out of the car, and the little old lady +went with them, and there the children saw a nice little +railroad station, like an umbrella, built under a tree. It +was right in the middle of a field.</p> + +<p>“My, this is a queer place,” said the little old lady, as +she looked around. “I don’t see how we are going to get +away from here,” for, would you believe me? as soon as they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span> +had gotten off the train, the cars and the choo-choo engine +puffed away and left them all standing there.</p> + +<p>“Maybe we’ll find the pink cow, and she can take us +home,” said Mary, so she and her brothers looked all +around, but they couldn’t see the cow. But they heard a +funny buzzing, humming noise, and, all at once, along +came a trolley car.</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s the very thing!” cried the little old lady. +“I’m sure you can get home in that.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps we can, if the conductor knows us,” said +Mary.</p> + +<p>And when the trolley car buzzed up, with a lot of electric +sparks coming out of the roof, the conductor leaned +out over the platform and said:</p> + +<p>“Who wants to go home?”</p> + +<p>“We do!” cried Mary and Tommy and Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Then hop on!” said the trolley-car conductor, with a +jolly laugh; so they hopped on, and the car went off before +the little old lady could get aboard.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” cried Mary. “She’s left behind! Now we can +never find our way home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, you can,” exclaimed the trolley-car conductor. +“I know you children. You are the Trippertrots, and my +car goes right past your house. I’ll see you there safely.”</p> + +<p>So off the car started, with the three Trippertrots inside, +and the little old lady, who was left behind, waved +good-by to them. And the children didn’t have to pay any +car-fare, either.</p> + +<p>Inside the car were many people. And there was one +very slim boy, who was very tall, and he kept going to sleep +all the while, until finally the conductor came in and hung +him up across one of the straps, just as if he was a clothes-pin.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> +And there the tall thin boy slept just as well as if he +had been home in bed.</p> + +<p>And then, pretty soon, the car stopped right in front of +the Trippertrot home, and Tommy and Mary and Johnny +ran up the steps of their house, very glad indeed to get back, +I do assure you.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER SEVENTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE LAME BIRD</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Mary</span> and Tommy and Johnny Trippertrot were coming +home from school early one day when something strange +happened to them. You see, the Trippertrot children were +in the kindergarten class.</p> + +<p>“What did you learn to-day?” asked Mary of Tommy, +as all three of them came along the street together.</p> + +<p>“Oh,” said Tommy, “I learned how to cut out a paper +lantern, and it’s real pretty when you hang it up.”</p> + +<p>“That’s nice,” said Mary; “and will you show me how +to make one when we get home?”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” answered Tommy, who liked his sister +very much.</p> + +<p>“And what did you learn to make in the kindergarten +class?” asked Mary of Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Oh, the teacher showed us how to make a chain out of +paper,” answered Johnny, “and you can put it around your +neck for a necklace.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, how lovely!” cried Mary. “I’d like a chain like +that.”</p> + +<p>“Then I’ll show you how to make one,” said Johnny +kindly. “But what did you learn to make to-day, Mary?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, our teacher showed us how to fold a piece of +square red paper, and then cut it with the scissors, and then +bend the corners over and make a pin-wheel just like the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span> +man sells at the circus, where there are lions, and tigers, and +elephants that eat peanuts.”</p> + +<p>“Lions and tigers don’t eat peanuts,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I know that,” answered Mary, “but elephants do, for +once I had a whole bagful, and I was giving the baby elephant +one peanut, and a big elephant behind me, when I +didn’t see him, reached over with his trunk, and took my +whole bag of peanuts out of my hand, and ate them up at +one mouthful.”</p> + +<p>“Oh! that was terrible!” cried Johnny. “I wish we had +some peanuts now.”</p> + +<p>“Well, let’s hurry home, and maybe mamma will give +us some,” said Mary. “Anyhow, we can make the paper +things which the kindergarten teacher showed us. Let’s +hurry home.”</p> + +<p>“That’s what we can,” exclaimed Johnny, and then the +three little Trippertrots tripped and trotted toward their +home, for they didn’t want to get lost again, you see, and +have to be brought home in a trolley car.</p> + +<p>As they were going down the street where their house +was, and when they were almost at home, all at once a little +birdie fluttered along the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Mary. “There’s a little birdie.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and it’s lame, too,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Maybe we can catch it, and make it better,” spoke +Johnnie, and he hurried after the birdie, which really was +lame. There was something the matter with one of its legs, +so that it couldn’t hop very well, and there was something +the matter with one of its wings, so that it could only flutter +along.</p> + +<p>“Wait, little birdie!” exclaimed Tommy kindly, “I won’t +hurt you the least bit.”</p> + +<p>But perhaps the bird didn’t understand Tommy’s talk.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span> +At any rate, it still fluttered on, and the three Trippertrot +children kept after it, for Johnny and Mary wouldn’t let +Tommy go on alone.</p> + +<p>“Wait, birdie!” called Tommy again, “and I’ll give you +my paper lantern,” for Tommy had brought one with him +from his kindergarten class.</p> + +<p>But I guess the birdie didn’t like paper lanterns. Anyway, +he kept on fluttering along, just far enough ahead so +that the Trippertrot children couldn’t catch him. They +didn’t want to hurt him, you understand; no, indeed! They +only wanted to help him.</p> + +<p>“Oh, wait a minute, little bird!” called Johnny, “and I +will give you my paper chain.”</p> + +<p>But perhaps the birdie was afraid the paper chain +might get tangled in his legs. At any rate, he didn’t wait, +but kept on fluttering along the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>“Perhaps some cat might get him,” said Mary, after a +while. “We must try to catch that birdie, boys, and put +him in a safe place. Wait, and I will speak to him.”</p> + +<p>So Mary walked on in front of Tommy and Johnny, and +said, in her soft little voice:</p> + +<p>“Wait a minute, birdie, and you may have my paper +pin-wheel that I made in kindergarten class, and it goes +around and around as fast as anything.”</p> + +<p>“What goes around,” asked Tommy, with a laugh, “the +pin-wheel or the kindergarten class?”</p> + +<p>“Both of them,” answered Mary quickly. “The pin-wheel +goes around when you blow your breath on it, and +the kindergarten class goes around when teacher plays the +piano, and we march and play games. But now please keep +quiet, and I may get the birdie.”</p> + +<p>So Mary walked on ahead, very, very softly, and once +more she told the lame birdie that it might have her pin-wheel.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span> +I don’t know just how it was, but perhaps the +birdie thought if he had the pin-wheel he might be able to +fly up in the air again. At any rate, he stopped fluttering, +and a moment later Mary had him softly nestled in her +little, warm hands.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you dear, darling little birdie!” she exclaimed.</p> + +<p>“One of his legs is hurt and so is one of his wings,” said +Mary, as she looked at the little lame birdie. “Oh, boys!” +she exclaimed, “I know what let’s do!”</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Let’s take this bird to a doctor’s office,” went on Mary, +“and the doctor will make him all better. How’s that?”</p> + +<p>“Fine!” cried Tommy and Johnny together, and then +they looked up and down the street to see a house where a +doctor lived. And then, all of a sudden, Johnny cried:</p> + +<p>“Oh, Mary! Oh, Tommy! We’re lost again! We +came down the wrong street, when we followed the fluttering +birdie, and now can’t find our way home again! Oh, +what shall we do?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, never mind!” spoke Mary, after a bit, when she +had looked all around to see if she could find the way home, +but she couldn’t. “Never mind. We’ll go to the doctor’s +office first, and maybe he can tell us the way home.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe he can!” said Tommy and Johnny, and then +they didn’t feel badly any more. Well, the Trippertrot +children walked on, Mary carrying the birdie, which was +just as happy as it could be now. And pretty soon the children +met a nice man.</p> + +<p>“If you please, sir,” said Tommy, “can you tell us where +there’s a doctor’s office?”</p> + +<p>“Why, are you sick?” asked the man quickly.</p> + +<p>“No, but the bird is,” said Johnny. “And we’re lost.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[117-118]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p117"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p117.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption"><i>The Trippertrot Children Ran On.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p>“But we didn’t mean to be,” said Tommy quickly. “You +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span>see, we were coming home from school, and we kept on going +after this birdie, until, all of a sudden, we were lost.”</p> + +<p>“I see,” said the man, with a jolly laugh. “Well, I hope +you will find your home again. The doctor’s office is just a +few houses down this street. Right next to the candy store,” +he added.</p> + +<p>“Oh, thank you, then we can easily find it,” said Mary +quickly; “we just love candy.”</p> + +<p>“Then here is a cent for each of you,” spoke the man, +and he gave them each a cent, and pretty soon the Trippertrot +children ran on, and they were at the candy store. And +they bought some sticks of peppermint candy, and then they +rang the bell at the doctor’s office.</p> + +<p>“Well, what is it, children?” asked the doctor, when he +came to the door. “I hope you are not all sick.”</p> + +<p>“No, but the little lame birdie is,” said Tommy, “and +will you please cure him? We would give you some pennies +for doing it, but we just spent them all for candy, so we have +none.”</p> + +<p>“Hum, then I’m afraid <i>you</i> may be sick, as well as the +birdie,” said the doctor.</p> + +<p>“We’re lost, anyhow, but we’re not sick—that is, not yet, +if you please,” said Mary. “But can you cure the birdie?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m afraid not,” said the doctor kindly. “You see, +I am a boy-or-a-girl or a man-or-a-lady doctor, but not a +bird-doctor. You will have to take the birdie to a bird-doctor.”</p> + +<p>“If you please, where is one?” asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know,” answered the man-doctor.</p> + +<p>“Then I guess you will have to be one yourself,” said +Mary. “If you can cure a boy or a girl you can cure a bird. +And then, please will you find our home for us? We’re the +Trippertrots, and we’re lost.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span>“Oh, my! Oh, my!” exclaimed the doctor, and he laughed +and scratched his head. “I don’t know what in the world to +do. But come in, and bring the bird.”</p> + +<p>Then he took them inside and he gave the bird some +warm milk, and he put some salve on the sore wing and leg, +and pretty soon the birdie was all well again.</p> + +<p>“Now what are you going to do with the bird?” asked +the doctor when he had cured it. “Are you going to take +it home, and put it in a cage?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” exclaimed Mary. “Birdies don’t like to +be shut up in a cage. We’re going to let it go; aren’t we, +boys?”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” said Tommy and Johnny. So the doctor +opened a window and out flew the little birdie, and it was +so happy that it wiggled its tail and called “cheep-cheep!” +to the children.</p> + +<p>“And now can you please take us home?” said Mary to +the doctor. “We are tired and we haven’t been home from +school yet, and mamma may worry. Besides, we want to +make some paper lanterns, and paper chains, and paper pin-wheels. +Please take us home.”</p> + +<p>“Dear me!” exclaimed the doctor. “I hardly know what +to do. Where do you live?”</p> + +<p>“We don’t know,” said Mary and Tommy and Johnny +at once.</p> + +<p>“Oh, this is worse and worse!” exclaimed the doctor.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you know where we live?” asked Mary. “I +thought doctors knew everything.”</p> + +<p>“I only wish I did,” said the doctor kindly. “But I will +see what I can do.” So he called in Bridget, his cook, and +asked her if she knew where the children lived.</p> + +<p>“Of course,” answered Bridget. “They are the Trippertrots. +They live a couple of streets from here.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span>“Can you take them home?” asked the doctor.</p> + +<p>“Ah, sure I can,” said Bridget.</p> + +<p>“Then please do,” said the doctor.</p> + +<p>So Bridget put on her bonnet and shawl, and started to +take the Trippertrots home, but on the way there something +else happened.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER EIGHTEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE NICE BIG DOG</small></h2> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Bridget</span> led Tommy and Mary and Johnny Trippertrot +down the steps of the house and started off up the street with +them.</p> + +<p>“Are you sure, if you please, that you know where we +live, Bridget?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“Ah, sure I do!” exclaimed Bridget, with a laugh. “I +know Suzette, your mamma’s nursemaid, and if I know +what house <i>she</i> lives in, sure I can take you to that <i>same</i> +house, can’t I?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’m sure you can!” exclaimed Mary, “and if we +had any of our candy left we’d give you some; wouldn’t we, +boys?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, indeed!” exclaimed Tommy and Johnny together, +like twins, you know.</p> + +<p>“Oh, bless your dear little hearts!” exclaimed Bridget. +“I don’t want any candy. But come along now, and you’ll +soon be home.”</p> + +<p>So she led them up one street, and down another, and +pretty soon they came to a window of a store that was filled +with pretty toys. Oh, there were trains of cars, and toy +soldiers, and dolls, and doll carriages, and steam engines, +and elephants that waggled their heads, and all things like +that.</p> + +<p>“Oh, don’t you remember this place?” cried Mary to her +brothers.</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p122a"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p122a.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption">THE TRAIN KEPT GOING ON AND ON</p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span>“Yes,” said Johnny, “this is the toy shop where we came +the first time we were lost, and we choosed things from the +window.”</p> + +<p>“That’s what it is,” agreed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Have you children been lost before?” asked Bridget.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’re always getting lost!” exclaimed Mary. +“Aren’t we, boys?”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” answered Tommy and Johnny together, +once more like twins, you know.</p> + +<p>“But it isn’t our fault,” said Mary. “It’s just like to-day; +something always leads us off, like a lame birdie or a pink +cow, or the dancing bears.”</p> + +<p>“Bless and save us!” cried Bridget. “What funny children +you are, to be sure! But come along, and we’ll soon +be home.”</p> + +<p>Well, she was hurrying them along as fast as she could, +for it was getting on toward evening, you know, when all at +once Johnny fell down and he bumped his nose on the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my!” he exclaimed.</p> + +<p>“There now, don’t cry!” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“I’m not going to!” said Johnny bravely. “But—but I +want to very much, and it hurts awful, that’s what it does,” +and he couldn’t help two tears coming into his eyes, but he +didn’t let them fall down on the sidewalk; no, indeed. Oh, +I tell you he was a brave little boy!</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said Bridget, “I’ll rub my gold ring on +the sore spot, and maybe that will make it better.”</p> + +<p>So she rubbed her cold gold ring on Johnny’s sore nose, +and it was soon better—I mean his nose was better, not the +ring, you know.</p> + +<p>Well, all of a sudden, as Bridget was leading the children<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span> +along the street, and they were thinking they would +soon be at home, Bridget cried out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear! I quite forgot that I left the meat cooking +on the stove for the doctor’s supper! It will be all burned +up! I must hurry back to the house. Oh, dear! Poor man, +he can’t eat burned meat! I must go back at once.”</p> + +<p>“Are you going to take us back with you?” asked Mary, +and she didn’t feel like going, as her feet were very tired, +and she wanted to get home.</p> + +<p>“Take you back with me?” cried Bridget. “No, I don’t +believe I’ll do that, or you’ll never get home. See, darlings, +it’s but a short step now to your house. Just down this street +a little way, and then you turn the corner, and there you are. +Don’t you think you can find it by yourselves? The little +boy who didn’t cry when he bumped his nose ought to be +able to find it.”</p> + +<p>“I—I guess I can,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“We’ll try, anyhow,” spoke Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Well, if we get lost again we can’t help it,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you won’t get lost,” declared Bridget, and then, +giving them each a kiss, she hurried back to the doctor’s +house so that the supper meat wouldn’t burn.</p> + +<p>Well, the children stood still in the street for a minute, +and then they started in the direction Bridget had shown +them. They thought surely, this time, they could find their +house. They were beginning to be hungry.</p> + +<p>“Come on, let’s hurry,” said Mary, so she took hold of +Johnny’s hand on one side, and Tommy’s hand on the other, +and away they went.</p> + +<p>They hadn’t gone very far before, all at once, and when +they hadn’t yet had time to turn the corner, a nice, big, +black and white dog came running toward them.</p> + +<p>“Oh, look, there’s Fido, our dog!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span>“No, Fido isn’t as big as that,” said Johnny quickly. +“That is another dog.”</p> + +<p>“But he’s as nice as our Fido,” said Mary, and the boys +were sure this was so.</p> + +<p>“And oh, look!” exclaimed Tommy, when the big black +and white dog came closer to them, “this dog must have +run away, for there’s a broken string fast to his collar. +Maybe he broke it, and pulled away from the little house +in the yard where he lives.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe he did,” agreed Mary. “Doggie, did you run +away, and are you lost?” she asked him.</p> + +<p>The doggie wagged his tail up and down.</p> + +<p>“Look! Look!” cried Tommy. “He’s saying ‘yes.’ He +must be lost, the same as we were.”</p> + +<p>“Do you want us to take you home?” asked Johnny, and +once more the nice, big dog wagged his tail up and down, +just as if he was saying “yes,” that he did.</p> + +<p>“Then we’ll take you home,” said Johnny kindly. “Wait +a minute, doggie, until I get hold of that string around your +neck.”</p> + +<p>So the dog waited, and Johnny took hold of the cord, +and so did Tommy; and then Mary said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, boys, I am <i>so</i> tired I don’t believe I can walk another +step to take that lost doggie home. Besides, you don’t +know where he lives, and it may take a long time.”</p> + +<p>“Doggies always know their own selves where they live,” +said Tommy; “don’t you, doggie?”</p> + +<p>And once more the doggie said “yes” with his tail, that +he waggled up and down.</p> + +<p>“Very well, then,” said Mary. “I’ll wait here until you +come back, after you take the doggie home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know something better than that!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span>“What?” asked Mary, looking about for a place where +she could sit down.</p> + +<p>“Why, you can ride on the doggie’s back,” exclaimed +Tommy. “He is big and strong, and he won’t mind carrying +you the least bit; will you, doggie? You’ll carry Mary +on your back, won’t you?”</p> + +<p>“Bow-wow!” barked the doggie, which means “yes,” of +course, and besides that he waggled his tail again.</p> + +<p>So Mary’s two brothers lifted her up on the doggie’s +back, and he stood still, just like a pony-horse. Then Tommy +and Johnny took hold of the string on the dog’s collar +and they called:</p> + +<p>“Go ahead now, doggie. Go where you live.”</p> + +<p>Then the dog looked around, to make sure that Mary +was safely on his back, and off he trotted. He went so fast +that he nearly pulled Tommy and Johnny off their feet.</p> + +<p>“Oh, wait! Please wait!” cried Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, don’t go so fast!” begged Johnny.</p> + +<p>“For you’re jouncing me all to pieces,” said Mary, who +was holding on as tightly as she could by winding her +fingers in the dog’s shaggy hair on his back.</p> + +<p>Then the dog said: “Bow-wow! bow-wow!” which meant +that he was sorry, and he went slower.</p> + +<p>Along the street went the three little Trippertrots, and +the nice big dog, and Tommy and Johnny and Mary were +watching all the while for the place where the dog lived.</p> + +<p>But that dog kept straight on, and didn’t seem to want +to turn in anywhere.</p> + +<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Mary, “s’posin’ he hasn’t any home!”</p> + +<p>“He’s <i>got</i> to have a home,” said Tommy. “All dogs +have homes, and we’ll come to this one’s pretty soon.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127-128]</span></p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowe28_125" id="i_p127"> + <img class="w100" src="images/i_p127.jpg" alt=""> + <figcaption class="caption"><p class="caption"><i>He Stood Still, Just Like a Pony-Horse.</i></p></figcaption> +</figure> + +<p>“But we’re going right away from our home,” said +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span>Mary, “and maybe we can’t ever find it. I’m afraid we’ll +be lost again.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I guess not,” spoke Johnny. “Is your home near +here?” he asked, in the doggie’s ear.</p> + +<p>“Bow-wow! Bow-wow!” barked the doggie.</p> + +<p>“Now what do you s’pose he means?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“I don’t know,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Neither do I,” spoke Johnny, “but we’ll keep right on, +and we’ll get there some time.”</p> + +<p>Pretty soon they met a nice man, and he said to the +children:</p> + +<p>“Well, where is that big dog taking you?”</p> + +<p>“If you please, he isn’t taking <i>us</i> anywhere,” said Mary. +“We’re taking <i>him</i> home. He’s lost.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I see,” said the man, with a laugh. “Well, be sure +you don’t get lost yourselves.”</p> + +<p>Then Mary and Tommy and Johnny went on a little +farther with the dog, until all at once, when they got in +front of a nice, big, brown-stone house, they heard a little +boy cry out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, papa, there’s Nero come back! Some children +are bringing him back! Oh, how glad I am! I thought he +was lost.”</p> + +<p>“Is this your dog?” asked Tommy, when the little boy +and a man came down the steps.</p> + +<p>“Yes,” said the man, “that is my little boy’s dog.”</p> + +<p>“And his name is Nero, and he was lost,” spoke the boy.</p> + +<p>“Where did you find him?” asked the boy’s papa, while +Nero danced around and barked as loudly as he could, because +he was so happy to be home again.</p> + +<p>“He was lost, and we found him,” answered Mary, who +had slid down off Nero’s back, “but now <i>we</i> are lost.”</p> + +<p>“Never mind,” said the man, “since you were so kind as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span> +to bring my little boy’s dog home, I will send <i>you</i> home in +my carriage. James,” he called to the coachman, “hitch up +the horses, and take these children home. And, Nero, you +must never run away again.”</p> + +<p>So Nero barked, which, I suppose, was his way of saying +that he never would, and then he went in the house with +the little boy. And pretty soon the horses were hitched to +the carriage.</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody! We’re going to have a ride home!” exclaimed +Mary.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER NINETEEN<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE POOR LITTLE BOY</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">Oh, this</span> is the best fun yet!” exclaimed Tommy. “I’m +real glad we got lost this time.” He could see the nice coach +and horses now.</p> + +<p>“So am I,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And to think of going home in a real coach, with a real +coachman!” exclaimed Mary. “It will be real stylish!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and they are real horses, too!” exclaimed Tommy, +as the coachman came along the driveway, driving the +prancing animals.</p> + +<p>“Of course!” cried Johnny. “If they weren’t real horses +we’d never get home.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, well,” said Mary, “I guess Tommy meant they +might be rocking-horses, or sawhorses, or clothes-horses, +such as we once rode on. But I’m glad they are real horses. +Oh, here we are, all ready for a ride.”</p> + +<p>And with that the coachman drove up to the steps and +stopped the carriage.</p> + +<p>“Jump in, children!” he called to them, “and I’ll soon +have you home. Whoa, there, horsies! Don’t jump so and +prance about, or you might step on somebody’s toes.”</p> + +<p>Then the horses stood very quiet, and Tommy and Mary +and Johnny got into the nice carriage. Oh, it was a fine +one! with such soft cushions on the seats, and little windows, +out of which the children could look, and see what was happening +in the streets.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span>And oh, so many things were happening! There were +trolley cars rushing here and there, some one way and some +another way, and there were wagons being driven here, and +there, and some were from the grocery store, and some from +the butcher store. And then there were such lots of automobiles, +with their horns going “Toot! Toot!”</p> + +<p>“I believe there must be forty-’leven autos at the very +least,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I’m glad we’re not walking home,” said Mary, “because +an automobile might accidentally bump into us.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, it’s nice here,” said Tommy, and just then a man +with a peanut wagon ran it across the street, right under the +noses of the coachman’s horses.</p> + +<p>“Hey, there! Where are you going?” cried the coachman +to the peanut man, and the coachman had to pull up the +horses very quickly, or the peanut man might have been run +over. Mind, I’m not saying for sure, but he <i>might</i> have +been, you know, though I hope none of us would want a +thing like that to happen. “Where are you going?” called +the coachman again.</p> + +<p>“I am going across the street, so as to get on the other +side,” said the peanut man. “None of the people over there +would buy any of my hot peanuts, so I want to go over on +the other side.”</p> + +<p>“Quite right,” said the coachman kindly. “I don’t blame +you a bit.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, isn’t it too bad that nobody would buy his peanuts, +poor man!” said Mary. “I would buy some, if I had the +money.”</p> + +<p>“So would I!” exclaimed Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And so would I,” added Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Would you now, bless your hearts?” said the hot peanut<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span> +man. “Then it is I who will be wishing you <i>did</i> have the +money.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, well, maybe if they haven’t I have,” said the coachman, +and, with that, what did he do? He put his one hand in +his pocket, while holding on to the horses’ reins with the +other, and out he pulled three five-cent pieces. “Here,” said +the coachman kindly, “give the children each a bag of hot +peanuts.”</p> + +<p>“That I will!” exclaimed the peanut man, “and here’s a +bag for yourself, Mr. Coachman, for being so kind as not to +run over me while I was crossing the street.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, pray don’t mention such a little thing as that,” said +the coachman, with a smile, as he took the fourth bag. Then +the peanut man hurried on across the street, and the coachman +drove the Trippertrot children on a little farther.</p> + +<p>Pretty soon, after a while the coachman turned around, +and, looking into the back part of the big carriage, where the +children were, he asked them:</p> + +<p>“And now, my little dears, where would you like me to +be driving? I mean where is your home? for I want to get +the horses back in the stable pretty soon. Where do you +live?”</p> + +<p>“Why, don’t you know?” asked Mary in wonder.</p> + +<p>“Not a bit of it,” answered the coachman, and he was so +surprised that he stopped eating peanuts.</p> + +<p>“He—doesn’t—know—where—we—live!” cried Tommy +and Johnny together, and they, too, were so surprised that +they stopped eating peanuts. And then Mary stopped, too.</p> + +<p>“How should I know where you live?” asked the coachman. +“The master just told me to take you home, and I +thought you knew where it was.”</p> + +<p>“But we don’t,” said Mary gently. “You see, we are the +Trippertrots, and we are always tripping and trotting off<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span> +somewhere, and getting lost. That’s what we did this time. +But I should have thought the man, whose boy owns the big +dog we found, would have told you where to take us.”</p> + +<p>“Well, he didn’t,” said the coachman. “But I’ll tell you +what I’ll do.”</p> + +<p>“What is it?” asked Tommy and Johnny and Mary, all +at once.</p> + +<p>“I’ll drive all around, up one street and down the other, +and maybe you will see your house,” said the coachman. +“Please keep a sharp lookout.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that’s just the way the banana man did, the time we +rode in the hay on his cart,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Yes, we got home then all right,” said Mary, “and I +think we will this time. Go on, Mr. Coachman, if you +please, and we will tell you when we come to our house, so +you can stop and let us out.”</p> + +<p>“Bless their dear little innocent hearts!” exclaimed the +coachman—and he spoke to the horses to make them go +faster—“I never saw such children in all the days of my life. +Not to know where they live! Ah, well, sure the little +fairies will watch over ’em, and me, too, I hope, and I’ll get +them safely home if I can.”</p> + +<p>So he drove on and on, through street after street, but he +couldn’t seem to find the Trippertrot house, and, though the +children looked out of the carriage windows, and ate their +peanuts, they couldn’t see their house, either.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, as Mary was looking at the +nice horses, and wondering if they would ever get home +again—all at once, I say—she saw a poor little ragged boy +standing on the street corner, and he was crying.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Tommy and Johnny! Look there!” exclaimed +Mary. “That little boy is crying. Something must be the +matter.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span>“I guess there is,” said Johnny. “We ought to help +him.”</p> + +<p>“We will!” exclaimed Tommy. “Oh, Mr. Coachman, +stop, if you please!” he called out of the front window of +the carriage.</p> + +<p>“Why, what is the matter?” asked the coachman. “Have +you found your house?”</p> + +<p>“Not yet,” answered Mary, “but we have found a poor +little boy, and we want to see what is the matter with him.”</p> + +<p>So the coachman stopped the horses, and out jumped +Tommy. He went right up to the poor little crying boy, +and asked:</p> + +<p>“What is the matter? Are you hurt?”</p> + +<p>“No, I am lost,” said the poor little boy, and he cried +harder than ever.</p> + +<p>“My! My!” exclaimed Tommy, in his jolly little voice. +“That is nothing. We are lost, too, and we don’t mind it a +bit. We are always getting lost. But the coachman is taking +us home, and I know he’ll take you home also. Get in +the carriage.”</p> + +<p>So the poor little ragged boy started to get into the carriage. +The coachman saw him and cried out:</p> + +<p>“I say now, where are you going?”</p> + +<p>“He is coming with us,” answered Mary. “He is lost; +and will you please take him home, too?”</p> + +<p>“Oh! Oh!” cried the coachman. “This is the worst I +ever heard! Here are you children who don’t know where +your own home is and you’re trying to find a home for another +lost boy. Oh, dear! This is terrible! Terrible!”</p> + +<p>“But I <i>do</i> know where my home is,” said the poor little +boy, “only it got away from me somehow or other. I know +what street it’s on.”</p> + +<p>“Do you, indeed?” cried the coachman. “Then that’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span> +more than the Trippertrots know. Whisper now, and tell +me where is your home, and I’ll take you to it as fast as the +horses can trot. And then, maybe, we’ll have good luck, and +find out where these children live.”</p> + +<p>So the little boy, who had stopped crying now, told the +name of his street and the number of his house. I forget +where it was, but that doesn’t matter.</p> + +<p>“Oh, joy! Now I know where I’m going,” said the +coachman, and the horses started up. Inside the coach the +three Trippertrots were eating peanuts, and, of course, they +gave the little boy some, and he liked them very much.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, the little boy cried:</p> + +<p>“Oh, there’s my house!”</p> + +<p>“Are you sure?” asked the coachman. But the little boy +didn’t have to answer, for just then out ran a lady.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Teddy!” she cried, when she saw the poor little +boy. “I thought I would never see you again! Where have +you been?” and she took him in her arms.</p> + +<p>“I’ve been lost, mamma,” he said, “and these nice children +brought me home.”</p> + +<p>“And where do you live?” asked the lady.</p> + +<p>“That’s the trouble,” said Mary sadly. “Everyone seems +to have a home but us.”</p> + +<p>And now I’m coming to the strange part of this adventure. +Just as Mary said that, along the street came a man +with a long, white beard, and as soon as Johnny saw him he +cried out:</p> + +<p>“Oh, there is the nice old fisherman! You’ll take us +home, won’t you?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, please do,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“We wish it so very much,” added Mary. “Won’t you, +please?”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[137]</span>“To be sure I will,” said the old fisherman, and there he +stood, the same one who had fished up the rubber boots and +the raincoat and the umbrella, and who had taken the children +to the house of the false-face man. “I’ll take you +home,” he said. So he got into the carriage with the Trippertrots, +and away they went.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[138]</span> + +<h2 class="nobreak">ADVENTURE NUMBER TWENTY<br> + +<small>THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE LITTLE GIRL</small></h2> +</div> + +<p>“<span class="smcap">And</span> where have you been since I saw you last?” asked +the fisherman of Mary, as she and her brothers sat on the +coach cushions eating peanuts.</p> + +<p>“Oh, we have been getting lost nearly every day,” she +replied. “Haven’t we, boys?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, indeed,” answered Tommy and Johnny together. +“This time it was a nice big dog that made us get lost,” +added Tommy.</p> + +<p>“And on other times it was a pink cow, or the dancing +bears,” added Johnny.</p> + +<p>“My! You children certainly have strange adventures,” +said the old fisherman, with a jolly laugh. “But I think they +will soon be over to-day, as we will be home in a little +while.”</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” said the coachman, as he turned around to +speak to the old fisherman, “do you know where these children +live? For they don’t themselves, and I never saw nor +heard of such a thing in all the born days of my life. Do +you know where they live?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes,” said the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“Thank goodness for that!” exclaimed the coachman. +“Get up, horses, we will soon have them home, and then we +can go home ourselves, and I’ll give you your suppers. Not +that I want to be impolite,” the coachman said quickly, “but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span> +you must see that it is a strange thing to be driving around +with children who don’t know where they live.”</p> + +<p>“It <i>is</i> queer,” admitted Mary, as she ate the last of her +peanuts.</p> + +<p>“The next time we get lost,” said Tommy, “we’ll tie a +string to our house and take the cord with us, and when we +want to go back, all we’ll have to do will be to follow the +string.”</p> + +<p>“That’s a good idea,” said the old fisherman, and then he +told the coachman where to drive, so as to get to the Trippertrot +house as soon as possible.</p> + +<p>“Have you caught any more queer fish?” asked Tommy, +as they drove along, for he could not help thinking of the +rubber boots, and the umbrella, that the fisherman had +pulled up on the hammock-hook out of the little lake.</p> + +<p>“No, I haven’t been fishing since then,” said the old +gentleman. “But I have my hammock-hook now, and, if +the driver will lend me one of the lines, I’ll fish right here, +out of the carriage window.”</p> + +<p>“Why, you can’t catch anything by fishing out of a carriage +window,” said Mary politely.</p> + +<p>“How do you know?” inquired the old fisherman, with +a smile. “Did you ever try it?”</p> + +<p>“No,” said Mary, “I never have.”</p> + +<p>“Then you can’t tell!” exclaimed the fisherman. “Why, +I have caught fish in the queerest places you ever heard of, +and then again, I’ve gone fishing in places where I was sure +there were fish, and I never got a bite—except a mosquito +bite. So you never can tell.</p> + +<p>“Why, once I was in the market, getting something to +eat, and I happened to drop my umbrella, that had a crooked +handle. And when I picked it up, there was a fish fast to it. +What do you think of that?”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span>“Oh, well, yes, of course!” exclaimed Johnny. “There +are fish in a market, for people want to buy them. I believe +<i>that</i> all right.”</p> + +<p>“So do I,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“But listen to this,” said the old fisherman. “Once I was +in a lady’s house, and I went in the parlor, and there was a +glass jar there on the table. I put my finger in the jar and +a fish bit me. What do you think of that?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, but,” said Mary, “they were goldfish, in water, +in the jar. I have often seen goldfish in a parlor.”</p> + +<p>“Then,” said the old fisherman, “if there are goldfish +in a parlor and other fish in the meat market, how can you +tell but what there may be fish in this carriage? I’m going +to try, anyhow, for I haven’t fished in some time. Please, +Mr. Coachman, lend me a piece of the horse lines.”</p> + +<p>So the coachman did this, and the old fisherman fastened +the line on his hammock-hook, and then he sat on the seat, +and let the hook dangle on the floor.</p> + +<p>Every once in a while the old fisherman would pull up +the horse line, with the hammock-hook on it, and he would +look carefully at it. But each time there was nothing on, +and the fisherman was much disappointed.</p> + +<p>“I’m afraid you will never get any fish in here,” said +Mary, after a while.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” exclaimed Tommy. “For we have been +riding in here for some time, and if there were any fish we +would know it.”</p> + +<p>“Besides,” added Johnny, “there isn’t any water here, +or else our feet would be wet, and fish can’t live without +water.”</p> + +<p>“I believe you’re right!” exclaimed the old fisherman. +“I never thought of that. I have made a mistake. I should +have put my hook out of the back window of the carriage.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span> +I’ll do it now,” and he did so at once, and then he sat very +quietly, waiting for a bite, while the coachman drove on to +the Trippertrot house.</p> + +<p>All at once the old fisherman cried out:</p> + +<p>“I have a bite! I have a bite!”</p> + +<p>“Is it a mosquito bite?” asked Mary quickly. “Because +if it is you must put witch hazel on it.”</p> + +<p>“No, it is a fish bite,” said the old gentleman.</p> + +<p>“On your finger?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“No, on the hammock-hook,” said the old gentleman, +and then he pulled in the horse-fish-line, and there, on the +hammock-hook, was a tall silk hat, such as doctors sometimes +wear.</p> + +<p>“Oh, what a funny catch!” exclaimed Mary.</p> + +<p>“Isn’t it, though!” agreed the fisherman. “I don’t know +when I ever caught a silk hat before.”</p> + +<p>He was just taking the hat off the hook, and looking at it +to see if there were any holes in it, when all at once the +coach stopped and the coachman said:</p> + +<p>“If you please, sir, there is trouble out here.”</p> + +<p>“What sort of trouble?” asked the old fisherman.</p> + +<p>“Why, there is a gentleman here, sir, without any hat, +and he says, sir, that it’s in my coach.”</p> + +<p>“I shouldn’t wonder but what he was right,” spoke the +queer fisherman. “I think <i>I</i> have his hat.”</p> + +<p>“Ha! What do you mean by taking off my hat?” asked +a voice, and there, at the coach window, stood a little man, +with a very red face. “Where is my hat?” he cried.</p> + +<p>“Here it is,” answered the fisherman. “I beg your pardon. +You see when I fish I never can tell what I am going +to catch. I hope I haven’t bothered you.”</p> + +<p>“Well, if I don’t catch cold I won’t mind,” said the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span> +little man with the red face. And he took the hat from the +fisherman, put it on his head, and hurried off.</p> + +<p>Then the coachman drove his horses on some more, and +the queer old fisherman dangled his hammock-hook out of +the back carriage window again.</p> + +<p>“I wonder what we shall catch this time?” he said to the +children, with a jolly laugh.</p> + +<p>“Oh, maybe you’ll catch a chocolate cake,” said Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Or an orange pudding,” added Mary.</p> + +<p>“Or a dish of ice cream,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Well, it might happen,” spoke the fisherman. “Hello! +I have something, anyhow,” he cried, as he pulled in the +hook and line.</p> + +<p>And what do you suppose was dangling on the end of it?</p> + +<p>Why, a lady’s bonnet, of course! Yes, a real lady’s bonnet, +all covered with flowers, and lace, and ribbons, and +things like that. I mean the bonnet was covered with those +things—not the lady, you understand.</p> + +<p>“Why—why!” exclaimed the fisherman, with a pleased +laugh. “I don’t know when I have caught a lady’s bonnet +before. I am having very good luck to-day.”</p> + +<p>Then, just as he was taking the bonnet off the hook, the +coachman stopped the horses and said:</p> + +<p>“If you please, sir, there is more trouble out here!”</p> + +<p>“What sort of trouble?” asked the fisherman.</p> + +<p>“Why, there is a lady here, sir, that says you have her +new bonnet.”</p> + +<p>“I shouldn’t wonder,” spoke the fisherman. “This must +be it. It got caught on my hook by mistake.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I hope it’s not torn!” cried the lady, as she looked +in at the coach window.</p> + +<p>“Not in the least,” said the fisherman politely, as he gave +the bonnet to her.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span>And on they went again.</p> + +<p>“I must be careful what I catch next time,” said the +fisherman, as he once more put the hammock-hook out of the +back window of the coach. In a minute he pulled it in +again, and this time there was a loaf of bread on it, all +wrapped up in paper, and tied with a pink string. And no +sooner had the bread been pulled in, than there was a crying +sound out in the street, and a voice said:</p> + +<p>“Oh, my bread! Some one has taken my loaf of bread, +and I haven’t any money to buy any more! Oh, dear!”</p> + +<p>“Bless me!” cried the old fisherman. “I wouldn’t have +taken any one’s loaf of bread for the world.”</p> + +<p>Then he looked out of the coach window, and he saw a +poor little girl crying real, salty tears.</p> + +<p>“Oh, my! don’t cry,” said the kind fisherman. “Are you +lost, too?”</p> + +<p>“No, but I was coming home from the store, with a loaf +of bread,” said the poor little girl, “and all at once I—I +didn’t have it.”</p> + +<p>“Ah, here it is,” said the old fisherman kindly, and he +handed it to her out of the coach window. Well, you just +should have seen how wide open the little girl’s eyes were.</p> + +<p>“Are—are you one of the magicians that makes rabbits +come out of a hat?” the poor little girl asked.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes. I can do those tricks sometimes,” said the old +fisherman. “I just caught your bread by mistake.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, will you do some tricks?” cried Mary and Johnny +and Tommy, all together.</p> + +<p>“Not now, some other day,” said the old fisherman. +“Get up in the carriage, little girl, and we will take you +home.”</p> + +<p>So the poor little girl got up in the carriage, and as she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span> +knew where her home was, the coachman soon drove her +there, and the old fisherman gave her ten cents.</p> + +<p>“And now for the Trippertrot house!” cried the old +fisherman, as they started off again. “We’ll soon be there.”</p> + +<p>“And very glad I’ll be of it!” said the coachman, “for +such queer goings on I never saw before in all the born days +of my life. Fishing out of a coach! The idea!”</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, as the children and the old fisherman +were riding along, a policeman, who was on a horse, galloped +up to the coach, and holding up his hand to stop it, +cried out:</p> + +<p>“Is the old fisherman in there?”</p> + +<p>“Of course I am,” replied the fisherman. “What is the +matter?”</p> + +<p>“You are wanted at once,” spoke the policeman. “Down +at the bird and animal store. The big glass globe, where +the goldfish swim, was upset by a puppy dog wagging his +tail, and the fish are all flopping over the floor. The man +who owns them wants you to come and help him catch +them.”</p> + +<p>“Of course, I’ll go at once,” said the kind old fisherman. +“It will be fun for the children to watch me catch +the fish.”</p> + +<p>“No, the Trippertrot children must stay here,” said the +policeman. “I forgot to tell you that a snake also got loose +when the fish fell out of the globe, and we wouldn’t want +the children to be bitten by the snake.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed, we don’t want to be, either,” spoke Mary. +“But what is to become of us? Who will take care of us? +How will we ever get home?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I will look after you,” said the policeman. “Here, +I will wrap you up in my nice coat,” he went on, taking off +the coat that he wore.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span>“But where will we stay?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“Yes, we must stay somewhere, until the coach and the +old fisherman come back for us,” went on Johnny.</p> + +<p>“Ha! I have it! The very thing!” cried the policeman, +as he saw a man going past carrying a big rocking-chair on +his head. “Let me take that chair for the Trippertrot children +to sit in until this coach comes back,” the policeman +said to the man, and the man did it at once.</p> + +<p>So the policeman wrapped the three children in his +coat, and set them in the big rocking-chair, close to a street +lamp-post, so the coachman could easily find them again +when he came back.</p> + +<p>“I’ll just write your names and addresses on a card, and +tie it to the chair,” said the policeman. “Then there will +be no trouble about you getting home again.” So he did +that, for he knew where the Trippertrots lived, though he +didn’t have time to take them home himself.</p> + +<p>Then the policeman rode away on his horse, and the +fisherman drove off in the coach to catch the goldfish, and +the children were left sitting in the rocking-chair on the +street, beside the lamp-post.</p> + +<p>And they didn’t mind it a bit, not even when it began +to rain all of a sudden, for they were very snug in the coat.</p> + +<p>Well, it rained and it rained, and pretty soon the children +were so nice and cozy and warm that they went to +sleep. And then, who should come along but an expressman, +driving his wagon, and the wagon was painted red.</p> + +<p>“Whoa!” called the expressman to his horse, as he saw +the rocking-chair by the lamp-post. “I must see what this +is. Maybe it dropped off some one’s wagon.”</p> + +<p>So he went up to the rocking-chair, and my goodness +me sakes alive and a spoonful of mustard! Wasn’t he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span> +surprised when he opened the big coat, and saw Mary and +Tommy and Johnny sleeping inside it.</p> + +<p>“Why, this is very strange!” said the expressman. “I +wonder who could have left three little children out in the +rain like this?” Then he looked at his wagon to see if he +would have room for them inside it. And he thought he +had.</p> + +<p>“My! My! My sakes alive and some Thanksgiving +turkey!” cried the expressman. “I never heard of such a +thing in all my born days and nights! I am certainly surprised!”</p> + +<p>“Heard of what? What is the matter?” cried Tommy, +who suddenly awakened, and looked up at the expressman. +“What is it that you are surprised at? Is it a surprise +party?”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed,” replied the expressman. “But I am surprised +that any one would leave you here in the storm like +this.”</p> + +<p>“The policeman did,” explained Mary, “but he wrapped +us up in his big coat. We were with the old fisherman, but +he had to go away to catch the goldfish that spilled all over +the floor. I guess he is coming back for us.”</p> + +<p>“But if he doesn’t, what are we to do?” asked Johnny. +“I wish some one could take us home now.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps this nice expressman can take us home,” suggested +Tommy, for he could see the expressman’s wagon +standing there.</p> + +<p>“Of course, I could take you home, if I knew where +you lived,” said the expressman.</p> + +<p>“It’s written on a tag tied to the chair,” said Mary, in +her most polite voice.</p> + +<p>“What is?” asked the expressman. “What is written +there?”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span>“The address where we live,” went on the little Trippertrot +girl. “Do you think you can find our house?”</p> + +<p>“Of course I can,” answered the expressman. “I’ll soon +have you home. You’ll be all right now, and I’ll pull the +canvas sides down on my wagon, and you’ll be as nice and +snug as you can be, even though it rains all the while, for +my express wagon has a top on it. And later on I’ll tell +the policeman and the fisherman that I took you away. +Then they won’t worry.”</p> + +<p>So he picked up the chair and the children, both at the +same time, still wrapped in the coat as they were, and the +expressman put them, chair and all, into his big wagon. +Then, having looked at the address on the tag, which told +on which street the Trippertrot family lived, and the number +of the house, the expressman whistled a funny, jolly +little tune to his horse, and away he galloped through the +storm, up one street and down another.</p> + +<p>And, oh! how nice, and warm, and cozy it was for the +Trippertrot children in the express wagon. The canvas +sides kept out the wind and the rain, and none of the drops +could get in the top, for there was a roof over the wagon. +It was so warm in there (for there was a nice lantern all +lighted and burning, as it was getting dark)—it was so +warm, I say—that the children didn’t need the coat around +them any more.</p> + +<p>“Let’s get out of the chair, and see the different things +that are in the wagon,” suggested Mary, after a while.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, let’s,” agreed Johnny. “We have never ridden +in an express wagon before. This is a new adventure.”</p> + +<p>So they laid aside the coat, and crawled out of the big +rocking-chair. They saw lots of boxes and packages in the +wagon, and they wondered what they contained, but they +were too polite to ask. In fact, the expressman was too<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span> +busy to answer them, for the storm was quite bad now, and +he had all he could do to drive his horse through it. But +it was fun for the children in the wagon, as they were +warm, and they could see very well by the light of the +lantern.</p> + +<p>All of a sudden, in one corner of the wagon they heard +a noise that sounded like:</p> + +<p>“Cut! Cut! Cut-ka-dah-cut!”</p> + +<p>“What’s that?” cried Johnny.</p> + +<p>“That’s a chicken,” answered Tommy.</p> + +<p>“What, in this wagon?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“It sounded so,” went on Tommy. “Let’s look around +and find it.”</p> + +<p>So the children began looking in and around the different +boxes and packages, until, all of a sudden, Mary saw a +little box, with slats nailed across the front, like a small +chicken-coop, and inside was a dear, little red hen.</p> + +<p>“Cut! Cut! Cut-ka-dah-cut!” called the red hen.</p> + +<p>“Oh, you little dear!” exclaimed Mary. “I wish I had +you for my own.”</p> + +<p>“Maybe it is coming to our house for a present to us,” +suggested Tommy.</p> + +<p>“See if there’s a tag on it, like on our rocking-chair, to +tell where the expressman is to leave it,” said Johnny.</p> + +<p>“No, there isn’t any,” said Mary, after she had looked.</p> + +<p>“Cut! Cut! Cut-ka-dah-cut!” cried the red hen again, +just as if she was trying to tell where she belonged.</p> + +<p>“Has she laid any eggs?” asked Tommy.</p> + +<p>“I don’t see any,” spoke Mary, as she looked inside the +little chicken-coop. “But maybe she will, if we wait a little +longer.”</p> + +<p>So the three Trippertrot children sat down on the floor +of the express wagon, and watched the little red hen, as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[149]</span> +she scratched around in the coop, but she didn’t seem to be +laying any eggs. And all this while the expressman was +driving through the rain toward the place where Tommy +and Mary and Johnny lived.</p> + +<p>And then, all of a sudden, there was a noise in another +corner of the wagon, and when the children looked +there they saw a dear, little white bunny-rabbit in a cage.</p> + +<p>“Oh, if we could only have that!” exclaimed Tommy, in +delight.</p> + +<p>“Has it got a tag on it, to say that it is coming to our +house?” asked Johnny eagerly.</p> + +<p>“No,” replied his sister Mary. “It’s just like the coop +of the little red hen—no tag on it.”</p> + +<p>And then there was a queer little chattering sort of a +noise in another corner of the express wagon, and when the +children ran over there, they saw a squirrel, with a big, +bushy tail, in a wire cage, and there was no tag on his +cage to tell where he belonged.</p> + +<p>“Oh, maybe the expressman will let us keep the three +pets!” cried Mary. “It would be lovely if he would.”</p> + +<p>And just then the express wagon stopped.</p> + +<p>“Here you are, children!” cried the man, in a jolly +voice.</p> + +<p>“Where are we?” asked Tommy and Mary and Johnny +all together, like twins.</p> + +<p>“Right in front of your own house!” said the expressman. +“I have brought you home, and the big coat, and +the rocking-chair, also. Here we go!”</p> + +<p>And with that he picked up Tommy and Johnny and +Mary, and the chair, and the coat, and carried them into +the house. And maybe Mr. and Mrs. Trippertrot and Suzette, +the nursemaid, weren’t surprised to see their children +back after such a long time away.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[150]</span>“Oh, you runaway darlings!” cried their mamma. “Where +have you been?”</p> + +<p>“Almost everywhere,” answered Mary. “But, mamma, +dear, one minute, please. I want to ask the expressman if +we can have the little red hen, and the rabbit, and the +squirrel we found in his wagon, because they have no tags +on the cages to show who owns them, and we might have +them.”</p> + +<p>“Have them? Of course you may!” cried the expressman. +“I’ll bring them right in. You see, the tags were +torn off the boxes, and I don’t know what to do with +them, and I’ll be glad to have some nice children feed the +animals.”</p> + +<p>So he brought into the Trippertrot house the squirrel +and the rabbit and the little red hen, and gave them to the +children, who had lots of fun with them for many days +after that.</p> + +<p>And then Papa Trippertrot thanked the expressman, +and all of a sudden, who should come along but the old +fisherman. He got to the house just as the expressman was +driving away.</p> + +<p>“Oh, such a time as I had catching those goldfish!” the +fisherman exclaimed. “They flopped all over the floor, and +the monkey in the bird store nearly caught one, and the +parrot almost had another. But, thank goodness, I got +them all safe in the fish-globe again, and then I went to +take care of you children, but I found you had gone away. +So I came on here.”</p> + +<p>“How did you know we were here?” asked Mary.</p> + +<p>“I met Jiggily Jig, the funny boy, and he told me,” +said the fisherman. “He came along just as the expressman +was taking you home, and so I knew just what to do. +I sent the coachman and coach back, and I came here by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[151]</span> +walking. Oh, but such a time as I’ve had! And how glad +I am that you children are safe home!”</p> + +<p>And Mary and Tommy and Johnny were also very +glad to get home, and their papa and mamma were very +glad to see them, and they invited the old fisherman to stay +to supper. And he said he would, and the Trippertrots +thought they would never trip or trot away from home +again.</p> + +<p>But, of course, that isn’t saying that they did not go +away. In fact, they did, and they had many more wonderful +adventures, and I will tell you about them in the next +book of this series, which will be called, “Three Little Trippertrots +on Their Travels.”</p> + +<p>So Mary and Tommy and Johnny, and their papa and +mamma, sat talking to the old fisherman, who told them +many strange stories of the funny things he had caught.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but it is nice to be home again,” said Mary.</p> + +<p>“Indeed it is,” agreed Tommy and Johnny.</p> + +<p>“And we are happy to have you home,” said their +mamma and papa. And now, for a little while, we will +say good-by to the Three Little Trippertrots.</p> + +<p class="center">THE END</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="transnote"> +<p class="ph1">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:</p> + +<p>Perceived typographical errors have been corrected.</p> + +<p>Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.</p> + +<p>Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.</p> + +<p>New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.</p> +</div></div> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75474 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/75474-h/images/cover.jpg b/75474-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1a0aa23 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/coversmall.jpg b/75474-h/images/coversmall.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b24778d --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/coversmall.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_f000.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_f000.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1c7eb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_f000.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p009.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p009.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..698d1fd --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p009.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p025.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p025.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a5f6682 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p025.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p041.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p041.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8d284fe --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p041.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p055.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p055.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..438c53f --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p055.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p058a.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p058a.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1852b17 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p058a.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p069.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p069.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e89b028 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p069.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p090a.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p090a.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..690afd7 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p090a.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p095.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p095.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a1ee01f --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p095.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p117.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p117.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..99e8fac --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p117.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p122a.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p122a.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..457b5e5 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p122a.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/i_p127.jpg b/75474-h/images/i_p127.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2962c81 --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/i_p127.jpg diff --git a/75474-h/images/title.jpg b/75474-h/images/title.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7e512fe --- /dev/null +++ b/75474-h/images/title.jpg |
