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diff --git a/old/flfrn10.txt b/old/flfrn10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..20b8d53 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/flfrn10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1761 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Five Little Friends, by Sherred Willcox Adams + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Five Little Friends + +Author: Sherred Willcox Adams + +Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7801] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on May 18, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, William Flis, Ted Garvin +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + +FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS + +BY + +SHERRED WILLCOX ADAMS + + +_ILLUSTRATED BY_ + +MAUD AND MISKA PETERSHAM + + + + +CONTENTS + + +THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL + +THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS IN VACATION + + + + +THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL + + +Bob and Betty, Paul and Peggy and little Dot are five little friends. +They go to the same school. Many other children go to the school too, +but these five little friends are the ones this story is about. + +Bob is the tall boy in the brown suit. Betty is the girl in the checked +dress. Paul is the boy with the white blouse. Peggy is the girl with +curls. Little Dot is the tiny child with bobbed hair. + +Bob and Betty, Paul and Peggy and little Dot have a very fine teacher. +She is called Miss West. Many other children are in Miss West's room +too. But the five little friends are the ones this story is about. + +One morning when the children came to school Miss West had a surprise +for them. On her desk was something large and round. It was all covered +with paper. + +"Guess what this is, children," said Miss West. + +"It is a balloon," said Bob. + +"I think it is a football," said Paul. + +"No, no, you are both wrong," said Miss West. She took the paper off. +What do you think it was? + +It was a big glass bowl. In it were six goldfish. They were swimming +about in the water. + +"Little folks," said Miss West, "these are our school pets. We must feed +them and give them fresh water. Then they will live a long time and we +can have fun watching them." + +The children stood around the bowl. They watched the fish swim and +float. They laughed when one fish chased another round and round the +bowl. He looked very funny with his big mouth wide open. + +Soon Miss West showed the children how to feed the fish. After that they +took turns in caring for them. Paul and Peggy had the first turn. Next +Bob and Betty had their turn. After that little Dot took care of the +fish all by herself. The other children had turns too. But this story is +about the five little children whose names you know. + +One day Miss West said to the children, "How many of you little girls +and boys have pets of your own?" + +A great many hands were raised. + +"I have!" said Bob. + +"I have!" said Paul. + +"I have," "I have," "I have," said Betty and Peggy and little Dot. + +"I have thought of a fine plan," said Miss West. "Each day one child may +tell the other children about his pet." + +"What fun!" said Betty; and all the other children thought, "What fun +that will be!" + +"Who will have the first turn?" asked Bob. + +"We will play a game to see," said Miss West. + +So Miss West wrote the names of all the children on slips of paper. Then +she put all the slips in Paul's cap. Next she blindfolded Peggy. Peggy +put her hand in the cap and drew out a slip. What name do you think was +on this slip? The name was _Dot_. + +So the next day little Dot told about her pet. This is what she said: + +"My pet is a white cat. Her name is Snowball. She is as white as snow. +When she curls up in front of the fire she is round like a ball. + +"One day my daddy could not find his hat. He looked and looked and +looked for it. At last he found it in a dark corner under the stairs. + +"There was something in the hat. First Daddy saw two bright eyes. Then +he saw Snowball all curled up in the hat. By her side were two little +baby kittens. They were just like their mother. We named them Fluff and +Muff. Now we have a happy cat family. + +"Daddy never got his hat back. At first the kittens slept in it. Now +Fluff and Muff are so big they sleep in a box. But they like Daddy's hat +to play with. Fluff gets on one side and Muff on the other. Then they +pull and pull. Daddy's hat is almost worn out now." + +The children liked little Dot's story very much. They laughed when they +thought of Fluff on one side and Muff on the other and Daddy's hat in +the middle. + +The next day Betty was blindfolded. She put her hand in the cap and drew +a slip. This time _Paul_ was written on the slip. So it was Paul's turn +to tell about his pet. This is what he said: + +"My pet is a big collie dog. His name is Hero. When my mother goes to +market she takes Hero with her. He trots by her side and carries a +basket in his mouth. + +"Sometimes my mother sends Hero home with the meat and bread for dinner. +He goes right along. He does not stop or look around. When he comes +to our house he sets the basket down. Then he watches it until Mother +comes. If anyone calls, 'Here, Hero,' he pricks up his ears, but he will +not move from his place. + +"One day I tried to coax him away with a big bone. I know the bone +looked and smelled good to Hero. He sniffed the air and looked at the +bone with hungry brown eyes, but he never moved from the basket. + +"Last summer we went to the seashore. We took Hero with us. One day I +was on the beach, playing in the sand. Hero was lying asleep in the sun. +I was making a sand fort and my back was toward the sea. + +"Suddenly a big wave dashed in and knocked me down. Then another big +wave came and carried me out into the water. As I did not know how to +swim, I was very much frightened. I tried to call out, but my mouth was +full of sea water. I could make only a little frightened sound; but Hero +heard me. What do you think he did? He jumped into the water and swam +out to me. I was too nearly drowned to catch hold of him. So he took my +clothes in his mouth and began to swim with me to the shore. + +"I was heavy, and Hero was almost worn out before he got there. But he +never once let go. He kept right on until he dropped me on dry land. +Then he lay panting on the sand. + +"Just then Mother came to see where I was. When she saw what had +happened she hugged me hard. Then she hugged Hero hard too. The next day +she bought Hero a new collar with his name on it in big letters--HERO. +That night Hero had a big bone with lots of meat on it for his supper." + +The children enjoyed Paul's story as much as they had Dot's. They +thought Hero was a fine name for such a brave dog. They said Paul was +a lucky boy to have a pet like that. + +On another day little Dot was blindfolded. The slip of paper she drew +had this name on it--_Betty_. So it was Betty's turn to tell about her +pet. This is what she told: + +"My pet is a pigeon. He is not just a common pigeon like the ones on +the church roof. He is a carrier pigeon. My Uncle Fred brought him from +France. He calls him the living airplane. Can you tell why? + +"He is named Arrow. In France Arrow used to carry messages to the +soldiers. These messages were written on tiny slips of paper and tied +around Arrow's neck. + +"When Uncle Fred came home he taught Arrow to go from my grandmother's +house to our house and straight back again. It was a ten mile trip. + +"This is the way Uncle Fred did it. Almost every day he would feed Arrow +at both places. It was easy for him to do this as he used to ride over +to our house a great deal. When he took Arrow away from one place he +would leave some grain there. Arrow knew this. So when he was let loose +he would fly straight to the grain. He never seemed to lose his way or +stop in the wrong place. + +"On Valentine's Day, Uncle Fred wanted to surprise me. He turned Arrow +loose at Grandmother's house with something tied around his neck by a +ribbon. Uncle Fred did not tell anyone what it was. + +"Arrow flew straight to our house. When I saw him I ran out to his +feeding place. I spied the ribbon and untied it. I found a tiny gold +heart with my name on it. I liked this Valentine best of all." + +The boys and girls in the class enjoyed the story of Arrow. They liked +it so much that Betty said she would ask Uncle Fred to come to school +and tell about what Arrow did in France. + +Another day when one of the pupils was blindfolded and drew a slip of +paper, the name on the slip was _Bob_. So at last it was Bob's turn. +This is the story Bob told: + +"My pet is a pony named Dandy. Grandfather bought him for me. He got him +from a man who had a pony show. This man had taught Dandy many tricks. + +"When I say, 'Dandy, how old are you?' Dandy lifts his right front foot +and brings it down three times. This is how he says that he is three +years old. When I say, 'Make a bow, Dandy,' he puts his front feet out +and bows his head almost to the ground. His mane hangs over his eyes and +he looks very funny. + +"Dandy can play 'Hide-and-Go-Seek' too. This is the way he does it. I +take an ear of corn and show it to him. Then I run and hide it. I call, +'Come, Dandy, come.' He comes and looks all around for the corn. When he +finds it, he takes it in his mouth and trots around and around with it. +When I say, 'Bring it to me, Dandy,' he comes to me with the ear of corn +in his mouth. But when I try to take the corn, he shakes his head and +trots away again. + +"One day I tried to play 'Hide-and-Go-Seek' with a handkerchief instead +of an ear of corn. Dandy did not like it this way. He looked at the +handkerchief. Then he sniffed at it. At last he shook his head and +turned away. He seemed to say, 'A game like that may be fun for a boy, +but it isn't fun for a pony. I am not going to play.'" + +Everyone liked the story of Dandy. Some of the children asked to hear +some more about him. But Miss West said it was time for recess. So the +children went out into the school yard and played "Pony" and "Hide-and- +Go-Seek." + +Another day someone drew Peggy's name on the slip of paper. And this is +what Peggy told: + +"My pet is a big green and red parrot. She has a cage in the living +room. Mother calls her 'the General' because she likes to give orders. +When we sit down Polly calls out, 'Get busy! Get busy! Get busy!' If we +are too busy and do not notice Polly she rolls over on her back in the +bottom of the cage and cries, 'Come quick! Come quick! Polly's sick! +Polly's sick!' In the evening we put a cloth over Polly's cage to keep +her quiet. When the cloth is taken off in the morning she begins to +shout, 'Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!' + +"One evening we forgot to put the cloth over Polly's cage. That night, +quite late, my big brother went down into the living room to find a book +he had been reading. When he turned on the light, Polly thought it was +day. She began to scream, 'Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!' + +"Everyone _did_ wake up. At first we were frightened. But when we found +out what had happened we laughed and laughed. We laughed more when we +heard a voice croak, 'Come quick! Come quick! Polly's sick! Polly's +sick!'" + +The girls and boys all laughed at the story of Polly. Paul wrote a poem +about her. This is what he wrote: + +Upon my word, Poll's a funny bird. + +The children went around at recess saying this. They said some of +Polly's speeches too. + +One day Miss West told the children a true story that was very, very +sad. It was about a blind man who sold papers. He had owned a little dog +that used to lead him to his work and watch him all day; but the little +dog had died. Now the poor man had no one to lead him. So he could not +sell his papers. + +The children were very sorry for him. They wanted to do something to +help. + +"Wouldn't it be fine," said Betty, "if we could buy him another dog?" + +"But how can we get the money?" said Paul. + +"We could give all our pennies, but that wouldn't be enough," said +little Dot. + +"I know, I know!" cried Bob. "Let's give a show and have our pets for +the show animals." + +The children thought this was a fine plan. Miss West thought so too. She +let them plan for the show. + +Then she let them make tickets. Each child made two tickets. They were +like the funny picture in the middle of this page. + +Everyone who came had to pay for a ticket. Even the children who had +pets in the show had to pay. + +When the big children heard about the Pet Show they bought tickets too. +Then they helped the five little friends get ready for the show. + +The school yard was the show ground. The big boys made a gate for the +people to come through. They made pens for all the animals. Next they +printed some big signs to put on the pens. The signs were like these +only much, much bigger. + + +----------------+ +===========+ + | THIS IS HERO | | HERE IS A | + | THE LIFE SAVER | | HAPPY CAT | + +----------------+ | FAMILY | + +===========+ + +=================+ + |/ THIS IS DANDY \| + | THE | + |\ TRICK PONY /| + +=================+ + +-------------------+ + +-----------------+ | YOU WANT TO | + | o o o o o o | | FEEL JOLLY | + | THE | | SEE GENERAL POLLY | + | LIVING AIRPLANE | | - - -o- - - | + +-----------------+ +-------------------+ + +At last it was the day of the Pet Show. Bob and Betty, Paul and Peggy +and little Dot came early with their pets. Soon the other children came +too. There were big children, and middle-sized children, and little wee +children. + +When they stopped at the gate who do you think the ticket man was? It +was Hero with a basket in his mouth. The children dropped their tickets +into the basket. They patted Hero's shaggy head and called him "Good +dog" and "Brave old fellow." + +He looked very kind but very, very solemn. + +They went to all the pens to see the show pets. Dandy stood in his pen. +He looked very wise and very plump and shaggy. He poked his head out and +let the children stroke his mane. + +In Polly's pen nothing could be seen but a big cage with a black cover +over it. Not one bright feather showed. Not a single sound came from the +cage. + +Snowball and her kittens were curled up in their box. They were as quiet +as mice. All three had red and blue ribbons around their necks. + +The pen with Arrow's name on it was empty. On the ground some grain was +scattered. By the grain were three light gray feathers. But no living +airplane could be seen. "Where can he be?" the children asked. + +Just then Bob came out in front of the children. He was dressed like +a real showman. He had on a high hat and a long coat. "Ladies and +gentlemen," he said, in a funny deep voice, "the big show is about to +begin. Will you please find seats in the show tent?" The children +laughed and sat down on the ground. + +Bob went on talking like a showman. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, +"you are now to see Dandy, the trick pony." When he had said this, Bob +went to the pen and brought Dandy out. + +"Now Dandy," he said, "tell the ladies and gentlemen how old you are." +Dandy lifted his right foot and brought it down three times. The +children clapped their hands. + +"Make a bow to the ladies and gentlemen, Dandy," said Showman Bob. Dandy +put his front feet out. Then he bowed his head almost to the ground. His +mane fell over his eyes and he looked very wise and funny. + +Next Bob took an ear of corn from his pocket. He held it in front of +Dandy's nose. "Dandy, do you see this?" he said. Dandy nodded his head. +His mane fell over his eyes. He looked very funny and full of mischief. + +"Now Dandy," said Showman Bob, "shut your eyes." Dandy winked and +blinked. Then he shut his eyes tight. "Keep your eyes shut till I call +'Come,'" said Bob. Then Bob started off with the ear of corn. + +Dandy kept his eyes shut just one little minute. Then he opened them +and began to peep. He peeped very slyly to see where Bob was hiding the +corn. The children shouted with joy! Then Showman Bob came back. The +corn was still in his hand. He pretended to be angry. He made Dandy hide +his eyes once more. + +Again Dandy peeped slyly to see where Bob was hiding the corn. At last +Showman Bob took little Dot's hat and tied it over Dandy's eyes. How the +children did laugh! Dandy looked so funny with a little girl's hat on. + +Then Bob hid the ear of corn behind a box. He called, "Come, Dandy, +come!" Dandy shook his head very hard. The hat rolled on the ground. +Then Dandy began going round the show grounds. He stopped and sniffed at +everything. + +"Oh see!" said Peggy, "Dandy is looking with his nose!" Soon Dandy +sniffed at the box and found the ear of corn. + +"Come, Dandy, come!" called Showman Bob. Dandy came trotting up with the +ear of corn in his mouth. But when Bob put out his hand for the corn +Dandy kicked up his heels and away he went. He ran round and round like +a pony in a circus. + +The children clapped their hands and shouted. Dandy went faster and +faster. It was very exciting. At last Dandy stopped running. Then Bob +led him back to the pen. There the little pony munched the corn happily. + +Next it was Peggy's turn to show Polly. Showman Bob brought out a table. +Then he helped Peggy put Polly's big cage on it. Peggy lifted the black +cloth. There was Polly! She was the greenest, reddest, funniest parrot +you ever saw. She winked her eyes, shook her feathers, and called out, +"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" The children laughed; but they did not +get up. So General Polly sang out, "Get busy! Get busy! Get busy!" The +children soon knew what they must "get busy" about. Polly began to say +in her most coaxing voice, "Polly wants a cracker! Poor Poll! Pretty +Poll! Poor Polly wants a cracker!" This sounded so funny that everybody +laughed. + +Peggy had some crackers in her pocket. She took them out and let the +children feed Polly. They poked bits of cracker through the wires of her +cage. Polly was not very polite. She pecked and grabbed and talked to +herself. But everything she did was so funny that the children enjoyed +it. + +At last Polly had all the crackers she wanted. Then she grew tired and +cross. She began to scream, "Bad boy! Go away! Go away! Go away!" The +children ran back to their seats. General Polly was left all alone. + +For a time she liked this. She swung on her perch and made queer noises +to herself. Then she grew tired. She threw herself on the bottom of the +cage and began to moan, "Come quick! Come quick! Polly's sick! Polly's +sick!" Then Peggy came with the black cloth, and General Polly was taken +to her pen. + +Next it was little Dot's turn to show her cat family. She was too shy to +play showman as Bob had done. She just came out in front of the children +and stood there. Snowball was in her arms and Fluff and Muff were on her +shoulders. She put Snowball down. Then she gave her shoulders a shake +and Fluff and Muff scrambled down to the ground. + +Next Dot took two red balls from her pocket. Each ball had a long rubber +fastened to it. It would bounce high without rolling away. Dot put a +ball near each kitten's paws. Just as Fluff and Muff sprang to get the +balls, Dot pulled the rubber. You never saw such surprised kittens! They +sat still and looked with wide-open eyes. These were queer balls indeed +that flew up into the air instead of rolling on the floor. This was +something new and strange. + +The next time Dot bounced the balls Fluff and Muff were ready. Up they +jumped, with their paws raised, but the balls sprang out of reach. "The +kittens are trying to be living airplanes, too," said Paul. + +Next Dot went to the pen and brought something back. She held it up and +said shyly, "This is Daddy's hat. It used to be the kittens' bed. Now it +is their plaything." + +When she had said this she threw the hat on the ground. Quick as a wink +Fluff was on one side of it and Muff was on the other. Then they began +to paw and pull. Fluff pulled one way. Muff pulled the other. It was a +real pulling match. Some of the children cried, "I think that Fluff will +win." Others cried, "Hurrah for Muff." + +Just then a queer noise was heard. Can you guess what it was? It was the +brim of Daddy's hat. It had torn all the way around--_rip, rip, rip_. +Off it came so suddenly that both little kittens rolled over backward. + +All the children clapped their hands and laughed aloud. This frightened +Fluff and Muff. They scampered to their mother as fast as their little +white feet could carry them. This ended the act of the cat family. + +Next it was Betty's turn to show Arrow. But Arrow's pen was still empty. +Betty whispered to Miss West. Miss West rose and said, "While we are +waiting for the next act, let's sing together." She started a song +everyone knew. All the children joined in. + +Just as they were singing a second song, something happened. A light +speck was seen moving through the air. It came nearer and nearer. At +last it circled round the pen, where the grain was scattered. Then it +flew slowly to the ground. It was Arrow, the living airplane. + +The children crowded about the pen to see. "Look," said one of them. +"There is something around Arrow's neck!" Betty bent over and looked. +Yes, there _was_ something. She untied it quickly. On a piece of paper +was written, "This is Arrow's gift to the blind man." In the paper was a +bright five dollar gold piece. + +Betty read aloud what was on the paper. Then she held up the five dollar +gold piece. How the children did shout and clap their hands. "Hurrah +for Betty's Uncle Fred!" they cried. "Hurrah for the living airplane! +Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" When the last shout had been given, Showman +Bob stepped out. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said in his deep showman's +voice, "we thank you for coming to the Pet Show. We know the blind man +will thank you too when he gets his new dog. The show will now close +with a grand parade!" + +Then Bob made a showman's bow and went behind the school-house. Soon +a drum began to beat--_tum, tum, tum_. The parade was coming! First +marched Showman Bob beating the drum. Behind him was Betty carrying a +big American flag. On her shoulder was Arrow, the living airplane. Next +came brave old Hero pulling a little cart. In the cart were Snowball, +Fluff, and Muff and what was left of Daddy's hat. Dot marched beside the +cart. After them came Dandy. Paul was walking by his side and holding +something on his back. It was Polly's cage with the black cover off. + +Pretty Poll was peeping from behind the wires. She looked surprised and +a little bit frightened. Suddenly she rolled on her back at the bottom +of the cage. The last thing the children heard as the parade passed out +of sight was, "Come quick! Come quick! Polly's sick! Polly's sick!" + +I wish the children who read this book could hear about the blind man +and his new dog but that is another story. + + + + + +THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS IN VACATION + + +I + +Soon after the Pet Show, school closed for the summer vacation. The +children said good-bye to each other and to Miss West. + +For weeks everybody had been busy making plans for the summer. + +Paul went to the seashore and you may be sure brave Hero was taken +along. + +Bob and his family went to the seashore too; and, what was best of all, +they took a cottage not far from where Paul lived. + +Dandy was sent out to the country. + +Betty's mother said, "I want to have my little girl spend a summer on a +farm--a real farm," so they went to Mr. White's. + +See if you can guess who went with them! + +No, it wasn't Arrow. The living airplane was left with Uncle Fred at +Grandmother's. It wasn't Miss West. She went away on a long trip across +the ocean. It was a very nice little person whose name begins with _D_, +and it was another very nice little person whose name begins with _P_. + +Peggy's mother went too, but Poll was sent to a bird shop. Little Dot's +mother stayed in the city with Dot's father and the cat family to keep +them from getting lonely. + +Dot promised to be a good girl and to do just what the other mothers +told her. + +It was a bright June afternoon when the three little girls and the two +mothers got off the train at a little country station. Mr. White came to +meet them. He and Billy, the hired man, piled all the trunks and bags in +a wagon. Then Billy climbed up on the high seat and cracked his whip, +saying, "Get-up! Get-up!" The horses pulled, the dust flew, and away the +wagon went. Then Mr. White packed the mothers and the little girls into +his automobile and away they also went to the farm. + +The farm was the very nicest place in the whole world. At least that is +what the three little girls thought. Everything about it was nice. The +rooms were big and cool and low. The wide side porch was a lovely place +to eat dinner. The big low attic was splendid for rainy-day play; but +the very, very nicest of all the nice things at the farm was Mary White. + +Mary was nine years and she had lived on the farm all her life. She knew +all the good places to play. She could call every animal on the farm by +name. She could make up the most delightful games. What a splendid +playmate she was! + +First she took the children to the pasture to see the cows. There were +three of them, Bonny-Belle, Bess, and Buttercup. + +Beside Buttercup was the dearest little calf with long thin legs and a +soft tan coat. It was Don, Buttercup's first baby. He was just two +months old and very full of life and mischief. + +"Is that another cow over there?" said Peggy, pointing to a field beyond +the pasture. "Oh, no," said Mary, "That's Big Ben. He is a very wild and +cross bull, so he has to have a home all by himself. No one ever goes +into his field except Billy. Big Ben seems to hate people. But what he +hates most is anything that is red." + +The children peeped in at Big Ben, with nice safe-afraid shivers going +down their backs. Then Mary said, "Come let's go to the farmyard." + +The farmyard was a very busy place. "I never saw so many pets in all my +life," said Betty. But Mary knew them all. She showed them Mrs. Speckle +with her family of little baby chicks that looked like fluffy, yellow +balls bobbing around her. + +Next she pointed out Mrs. Black Hen with her larger children. Some of +these chickens were losing their feathers. How Mary did laugh when Peggy +cried, "See, those poor little chickens are peeling off!" + +"Now," said Mary, "I will show you my trained chicken." First she went +into the house and came out with two ripe, red cherries still on the +stem. Then she called softly, "Come, come, Tom Thumb," and as she +finished calling she put the stem of the cherries between her lips. + +Out from among the other chickens came a beautiful little white rooster. +He looked almost like a toy, he was so tiny. With a glad little crow +he flew straight up to Mary's shoulder, where he began to peck at the +cherries. He ate very daintily. Sometimes he would stop eating and +cuddle down on Mary's shoulder. When the ripe red treat was all eaten +he gave another glad crow and flew down. + +Betty and Dot and Peggy loved to help feed the chickens. Every morning +after breakfast Mrs. White would come out into the yard with a big pan +of corn-meal mush and Mary would follow with a smaller pan of bread +crumbs. Then both mother and little girl would call, "Chick, chick, +chick! Chick, chick, chick! Chick, chick, chick!" as if they were +singing the same tune over and over. At this, such a hurry and scurry as +there would be! + +It seemed as if every fowl on the farm heard the call and was coming. +There were big hens and little hens, brown hens, black hens, white hens, +and speckled hens. There were fluffy baby chicks and long-legged middle- +sized chickens. There were proud roosters with bright combs and gay, +glossy feathers. There were stately turkeys with long necks and great +fan-like tails. There were ducks with long fat bodies and big flat feet. + +Hurry, scurry! Scurry, hurry! "Cluck, cluck." "Peep-peep." "Groo-groo." +"Gobble-gobble." "Quack, quack." Such noise and excitement you never +heard! + +Such table manners you never saw! All were talking at once. Everyone was +pecking and pushing and grabbing! + +One morning at the farmyard breakfast Mrs. White said, "Where can Brown +Betty be? I haven't seen her for two or three weeks. I am afraid she has +gone off and hidden her nest somewhere. I wish I knew where, for turkey +eggs are scarce this year. If you four children will find her nest I +will pay you ten cents for each egg in it." + +The little girls were very much excited. + +"Just suppose," said Betty, "that we find a nest with six eggs in it. +That will be sixty cents. What shall we buy with so much money?" + +"Wouldn't it be fun to get Father to take us to the store and let us buy +things for a picnic?" said Mary. + +"Oh, yes, let's have a picnic," cried Peggy and Betty. + +"But first," said wise little Dot, "we must find Brown Betty's nest." + +That very day the children began to hunt for the hidden eggs. They +climbed up into the barn loft and looked in the hay. Here they found +Mrs. Nicker on her nest. When they came near she ruffled up her feathers +and gave an angry cluck. "Don't be afraid," laughed Betty; "we are +looking for something worth much more than one little hen's egg." + +Then hidden down in the hay they came across a mouse's home with four +baby mice in it. They looked very small and young and funny. Their tiny +eyes were shut tight. "You are cunning little things but you won't buy +us a picnic," said Peggy. + +In the eaves of the barn they found a swallow's nest, but the baby birds +had flown away. Only some pieces of eggshell were left. + +All that day and part of the next and the next and the next the children +hunted and hunted but no Brown Betty and no turkey eggs could they find. + +One bright June morning Mary said, "Let's go into the woods to play." + +"Oh, may we?" Betty and Peggy asked their mothers. And little Dot said, +"Oh, please may I?" and looked from one mother to the other. + +"Yes, let them go," said Mrs. White. "The woods are not far away and +there is nothing to harm them there." + +So the four little girls started out. + +They went down a shady lane and through a meadow. Then they came to the +woods and wandered about for a while. At last they stopped by the side +of a little brook that flowed merrily on its way. + +In a few minutes, shoes and stockings were taken off and the children +were wading in the cool, rippling water. It was lots of fun, but the +water was very cold. Soon they were glad to dry their feet in the soft +grass and put on their shoes and stockings again. + +"Let's make a tree playhouse," said Mary; "I'll show you how." So they +set to work with Mary as leader. They found a hollow tree with plenty +of room in it. Next they gathered all the soft, velvety moss they could +find. With this they made a thick green carpet on the floor. Then they +made green moss furniture too. They had a bed, a couch, a table, and a +chair. + +"We should have some one to live in our green, mossy house," said Peggy. +"Let's go to the meadow and gather some daisies and make little flower +people out of them." + +So off the children went. In a little while, back they came with their +hands full of flowers. + +Peggy was the first one to reach the tree house. She looked in and then +began to laugh and call to the others to come quickly. + +"We needn't make any flower people for our house," she said. "It's +already rented." And sure enough, there on the green moss couch was a +fat brown toad. He was winking and blinking and looking much pleased +with his new home. + +The children sat down to rest and watch Mr. Toad. All of a sudden they +heard a queer sound. "Cheep-cheep! Cheep-cheep! Cheep-cheep-cheep!" It +seemed to come from the bushes. + +"It must be some little birds," said Betty. + +"Perhaps it is a mother quail and her babies," said Mary. + +Very carefully the four little girls peeped through the leaves and +bushes. + +Can you guess what they saw? + +There, walking about in an open place in the woods, was Brown Betty, and +running beside her and talking to her in turkey talk were eight baby +turkeys. + +How excited the children were! They all wanted to run to the farmhouse +with the good news. But at last they drew lots to see who should go. + +"I will hold four daisies," said Peggy, "and each of you may take one. +The girl who gets the daisy with the longest stem may run ahead. If you +leave the longest one in my hand, I will go." + +"Yes," said Mary, "and the other children may drive Brown Betty and her +brood back to the farmyard." + +So they drew the daisies and little Dot had the one with the longest +stem. Away she ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. + +"Oh, Mrs. White," she cried, as she reached the farmhouse, "we found +Brown Betty in the woods, but her eggs have all turned into little +turkeys." + +While Mrs. White was laughing over Dot's way of telling the news, the +other children came up with Brown Betty and her brood. + +"Dear, dear," said Mrs. White, "as the eggs have turned into turkeys I +will let the money I promised turn into a picnic. Let me see, to-day is +Tuesday. Will you be ready to go on Thursday?" + +"Indeed we will!" cried the children. "Thank you so much." + +On Wednesday morning Mary woke up very, very early. + +Then Mary woke Betty and Peggy and little Dot. + +They all dressed as quickly as they could and hurried out of doors. +The sun was just rising and the sky was a beautiful red and gold. The +dew sparkled on the grass, and in the tree tops the birds were just +beginning to chirp and call. + +"Where are you going, my pretty maids?" laughed Mr. White. + +"We're 'going a-milking, sir, she said,'" Mary replied. + +Then each little girl took a tin cup and followed Mr. White and Billy to +the pasture where Bonny-Belle and Bess stood waiting. Billy let down the +bars and the cows came into the barnyard. Mr. White milked Bonny-Belle +and Billy milked Bess. + +The little girls stood near and watched. + +How Mr. White and Billy laughed when little Dot said, "Oh, is that the +way you get milk on a farm? We get ours out of bottles." + +Before milking time was over each little girl held her cup and had it +milked full of fresh, new milk. + +At first the children thought they would carry the cups home and drink +the milk for breakfast. But they were so hungry they couldn't wait, +so they drank it standing in the barnyard, with Bonny-Belle and Bess +looking at them with soft, kind eyes. + +That afternoon Mary had some work to do and Betty and Peggy went for a +walk with their mothers. + +Little Dot was tired from her early morning visit to the barnyard. So +she took a book of fairy stories and went out into the near-by field. +She settled herself cozily under a big maple tree and began to read. +After a little while the book slid from her hands. Her head nodded and +nodded and then rested on the grass. Her eyes winked and winked and then +closed. + +She must have slept almost an hour when she woke with a start. Something +very soft and moist was moving over her nose and cheeks. It felt almost +as if her face were being washed with a sticky cloth. + +Dot opened her sleepy blue eyes and looked right into the big brown eyes +of Don, Buttercup's baby calf. + +"Oh! Oh!" cried the little girl. + +"Ma-a-a," replied Don as he frisked away. + +"You are a dear little thing," Dot called after him, "but I wish you +wouldn't kiss me with your tongue all over my face." + +The morning of the picnic was bright and clear. There was great +excitement in the kitchen and pantry. Mrs. White and Molly, the maid, +were fixing the lunch, but the four little girls couldn't help popping +in every few minutes to take a peep. The two other mothers peeped too. +What they saw made them wish that they were to be invited to the picnic. +But this time only the four little girls who had found Brown Betty were +to go. + +At last the lunch was packed in four baskets and off the children went. + +On their way they found some wild strawberries. They stopped to pick +them, and Mary showed the others how to make leaf baskets to hold +berries. They gathered broad, flat leaves and fastened them together +with little twigs. + +Then they went on until at last they came to the loveliest spot you ever +saw. It was an open space with trees all around it. Near-by was a little +bubbling spring. + +The children set their baskets in the shade and began to romp and play. +They played "Hide-and-Go-Seek" and a new game which they called "Echo." +Can you guess how to play this game? + +At last they grew tired and hungry and began to unpack their baskets +and to put their lunch on a mossy spot near the brook. Such a feast you +never saw! Everything a child likes best came out of those baskets. How +the four children did eat and eat and eat! And when they had eaten and +eaten and eaten until they could eat no more, there were still some good +things left. + +"Let's rest a while," said Mary, "and perhaps we'll be hungry again. +Shall I tell you a fairy story?" + +"Oh, please do," said Betty; and Peggy and Dot echoed together, "Please +do." + +So Mary told them of a fairy ball where all the little fairies came out +of their flower cups and danced by the light of the moon. + +"Wouldn't this spot be a lovely place for a fairy ball?" said Peggy, +when Mary had finished the story. "I wonder if there are any fairies in +this wood." + +"I know how we can find out," cried Betty. "We can give the fairies a +party." + +"But they only come out at night," said Dot, "so we couldn't see them." + +"But," replied Betty, "we can make a feast for them; and, if the next +morning we find the feast is gone, we shall know the fairies really +came." + +"Oh, let's do it," cried Dot and Peggy. And Mary said, "If we want the +fairies to come we must make a magic ring of flowers." "That will be +lots of fun," cried the children. + +So for the rest of the afternoon they were very busy indeed. + +They went to the meadow and gathered clover blossoms. Then they sat down +on the moss and made a magic ring. + +When the magic ring was placed around a lovely mossy spot they began to +set the table for the feast. + +"We'll give them cake and some ripe strawberries," said Betty. + +"But fairies eat dewdrops served on rose leaves," said Peggy. + +"When they come to a party given by little girls, they eat just what +little girls give them. You'll see," said Betty. So the moss table was +set with leaf plates, and on each plate were a ripe, red strawberry +and a fairy-size piece of cake. When everything was ready the children +danced around the magic ring three times to make it more magic. Then +they packed their baskets and went home, feeling very tired but very +happy and much pleased with the picnic. + +That night Betty could not go to sleep for a long, long time. She lay in +bed and watched the moonbeams. + +"I wonder," she thought, "whether the fairies will come. I wonder +whether the man in the moon is looking down at them now. I wonder"--and +then she went to sleep and dreamed that she was dancing around and +around the magic ring with the man in the moon. All around them fairies +were sliding up and down from the tree tops to the mossy ground, on +silver moonbeams. + +The next day the children went to the woods to see whether the fairies +had been there. Betty reached the spot first and cried out joyfully, +"They came! They came!" And sure enough, the leaf plates were empty. +Every strawberry, every crumb of cake, was gone. + +"The fairies really came," said the other little girls as they stood +around the magic ring. + +"Tweet-tweet-tweet," sang a bird in a tree top; "tweet-tweet-tweet." + +He cocked his little head and looked very wise and knowing. But "Tweet-- +tweet--tweet; tweet--tweet-tweet" was all he said. + +One of the things Peggy and Betty and Dot liked best to do was to watch +Mrs. White skim the rich cream from the great pans of milk in the dairy. +The dairy was down by the brook and the pans of milk were on shelves +near the water, so that they were kept fresh and cool. + +One very warm day Mary said, "Let's play dairy." + +"All right," said Betty. + +"All right," echoed Peggy and Dot. "You show us how." + +So Mary brought two big pans and two pieces of soap from the kitchen. +She filled the pans with water and put a piece of soap in each pan. Then +she told the other children to watch the cream rise. She began to shake +the soap about in the water, and the suds rose higher and higher. + +"It's rather _white_ cream," she said, "but we can play it comes from a +cow named Snowball." + +"It's splendid cream," cried the three little girls. "May we help make +it?" + +"I wonder whether Molly will let us use her cream skimmers," said Mary. + +Molly heard her name and came to the kitchen door to see what mischief +those blessed children were up to now. She saw the pans on a seat built +round a big maple tree and the four little girls bobbing about, very +busy indeed. + +"Molly, will you please let us have the skimmers?" Peggy cried. + +"Well," replied Molly, "as it's clean dirt you're making I suppose I +must." + +So Mary and Betty made the cream rise, and Dot and Peggy skimmed it and +poured it into bottles and old cans to "sell." + +While they were in the midst of the fun, Red Chief, the proudest rooster +in the farmyard, came strutting along. + +He put his head on one side and looked at the pans. "Too-ok, too-ok, +too-ok. Is it feeding time?" he said. "Too-ok, too-ok, too-ok. I must +see; I must see; I must see." With that he flapped his great red wings +and flew up on the side of the pan. + +Now Red Chief was a heavy rooster and the pan was not very firm. Down +tumbled the pan and Red Chief together. The make-believe cream and milk +went all over him. Such a wet, cross, disgusted rooster you never saw! +"Too-ok, too-ok, too-ok," he croaked, as he shook the soapsuds from his +feathers. Then away he marched, scolding to himself about little girls +who played silly games. + +One afternoon the children were out in the orchard playing "lady." Mary +and Betty were the mothers in the game. Peggy and Dot were the children. + +Betty had on a long skirt and a fine grown-lady's hat. Mary had a scarf +trailing on the ground instead of a long skirt, and she carried her +mother's very best umbrella. It was a bright red one that could be used +for sun as well as rain. It made Mary feel very grown-up indeed. The two +"play" families made their homes under the trees. They paid visits back +and forth. They gave tea parties. The children had measles and mumps and +were put to bed on the grass with leaf plasters over their faces. + +Mary was Mrs. Ray and Dot was her little daughter, Lily. + +At last Mrs. Ray sent Lily to the meadow to buy some flowers. Dot danced +gaily away. Just as she was gathering the flowers, a bright, blue +butterfly lighted near her and then flew a little farther on. He seemed +to be inviting her to race with him. So off Dot started. + +Her fat little legs seemed to twinkle over the grass, but the butterfly +went faster still. Away he flew across the pasture, away over the fence +into the next lot. Dot paused only a minute, then she slipped under the +wire of the fence and followed. On and on she went. She did not notice +where she was going. But the butterfly fluttered far ahead and was soon +out of sight. + +Then Dot stopped and looked around. She was in a strange field. No +living thing was about. Yes, something was moving over in the far +corner. It turned around and seemed to sniff the air. Poor little Dot +stood almost frozen with fright. It was Big Ben. + +Then Dot did the worst thing she could have done. She gave a loud cry +and began to run. + +Big Ben shook himself and sniffed the air again. Then he began to come +toward her in great bounds, with his head down. + +Back in the orchard the make-believe Mrs. Ray had begun to wonder why +her little girl was staying so long. At last with her scarf across her +shoulders and her umbrella over her head she went out to find her +daughter. + +Mary reached the meadow just as Dot screamed. + +For a moment she stood still and looked around. The meadow was empty. +Then she knew that little Dot was in the field with Big Ben. + +Swift as the wind Mary ran on, closing the umbrella as she went. + +Under the fence she crept and ran toward Dot. + +Poor little Dot was running and stumbling and crying. Big Ben was +bounding nearer and nearer. + +"Don't be afraid," Mary called, as she came up to the little girl. + +Then Mary did a strange thing. She opened the red umbrella and whirled +it around and around. Then she threw it toward Big Ben as far as it +would go. It went rolling over the grass, with Big Ben bounding wildly +after it. + +The red umbrella made him so angry that he forgot all about the little +girls. + +Mary and Dot crept under the fence to safety. + +"O Mother," sobbed Mary, when the children reached home and told the +story, "O Mother, your lovely red umbrella is all ruined!" + +"But my little girl is safe," said Mrs. White, "and she has saved the +life of her little friend." Mrs. White put her arm around Mary and held +her tightly, and drew little Dot to her, too, just as Dot's own mother +would have done. + +I wish you could hear all the things Betty, Peggy, and little Dot did on +the farm. It would take a great, big book to hold the story; and this is +a little book for little folks. + +At last the summer vacation was over. The three little girls and the two +mothers had to leave their friends on the farm and go back to the city. + +The little girls said good-bye to every living thing on the place--to +the little pet rooster, to Red Chief, to the Speckle family, and to +Mrs. Black Hen and her children who were now almost grown and had whole +suits of clothes on. They said good-bye to Brown Betty and her children. +They went to the pasture and said good-bye to Bonny-Belle, Bess, and +Buttercup, and to frisky little Don. They even stood at the fence and +waved good-bye to bad Big Ben. + +Then the two mothers and the three little girls said good-bye to Mrs. +White and Billy and Molly and last of all to dear little Mary, who +promised to come and visit them at Christmas time. + +"Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye!" they called as Mr. White tucked them +into the automobile and drove away. "We've had a happy, happy summer!" + +When they reached the city, little Dot's father was at the station to +meet them. How glad he was to see his little girl again! And how happy +Dot was to put her arms around dear Daddy's neck! + +"How is Mother?" she said, "and how are Snowball and Fluff and Muff?" + +"Everyone is well," said Daddy, "and I have a grand surprise for you." + +"What is it, Daddy?" cried little Dot. + +Betty and Peggy came near to listen too. + +"That's telling," laughed Daddy. "I'd rather show you when we get home." + +"May Betty and Peggy go with us?" he asked the two mothers. I think the +two mothers must have known the secret. They smiled and said, "Yes, +indeed." + +So off the three little girls went with Dot's father. + +When they reached Dot's house no one was at the door to meet them. + +This seemed strange. + +At the head of the stairs a strange lady with a cap and apron on was +standing and smiling at them. She led them into the front room, still +smiling but saying nothing. This made it very exciting. + +There in an easy chair was Dot's mother. She was holding something in +her arms. At her feet were Snowball and the kittens sound asleep in +their basket. + +"O, Mother, Mother!" cried little Dot running to her. + +"My own little girl!" said Mother. "See, here is a darling new pet for +you and Daddy and me." + +She held out the bundle in her arms, and it was a dear little baby +brother. + +"The very best pet in all the world!" said little Dot. + +And Betty and Peggy thought so too. + + +II + +But what have Paul and Bob been doing all this time? We will have to go +back to the beginning of vacation and see. + +The place where they spent the summer was called Fairport. At Fairport +there was a wide, smooth, sandy beach. Here the boys went in bathing, +built sand forts, and gathered shells. + +On one part of the shore the beach was very narrow. Great rocks rose +like a fort above it. Paul and Bob liked to play on the rocks. Sometimes +they played that they were Indians and sometimes that they were cave +men. + +They found a place under the rocks for their cave. When they pretended +that they were pirates, they hid their treasures in the cave. Their +treasures were things they found on the beach. There were shells and +boxes, and bottles and queer bits of china and glass. Hero was a fierce +monster guarding the treasure. + +Sometimes the boys put Hero in the cave and pretended he was a lion. +Then they stole into his den and captured him and sold him to a circus +man. The circus man was Roy, a little boy who liked to play with them. + +One day Bob and Paul and Roy saw some big boys standing on the wharf. +They were catching crabs. First they baited their lines and then threw +them into the water. When the crabs "bit" they drew them in. It looked +very exciting. The three little boys wanted to try. + +So they found strings and the big boys gave them some bait. Bob and Roy +had good luck. But Paul was so excited he couldn't pull his line in +quickly enough to catch a crab. At last he thought, "If I wade into the +water I'll be near the crabs. Then it won't be so hard to pull them in." + +So down he climbed and into the water he waded. Soon Bob and Roy heard +him call, "Oh, Oh, Oh, come quick!" + +"What is it?" called Bob. "Have you caught a big crab?" + +"Oh, no," said Paul. He was half laughing and half crying, and all the +time he was shaking his foot as hard as he could. "Oh, no, I haven't +caught a crab. A--crab--has--caught me!" And sure enough, a big fat crab +had nipped Paul's toe and was holding it fast. + +Bob climbed down and pulled it off. Paul went home and tied up his sore +toe. Then he came back and sat on the wharf and watched the others. +Somehow, he didn't feel like catching crabs. So he pretended he was a +sailor who had been bitten by a big shark. + +One day Bob and Paul found a very nice bottle on the beach. It had a +tight cork so that the water could not soak in. At first they thought +they would hide it in their treasure cave. But that didn't seem exciting +enough. So they thought and thought what to do with it. At last Bob +said, "I know! Let's write our names and where we live on a piece of +paper and put it in the bottle. Then let's throw the bottle out to sea." +So he wrote: + + +----------------------+ + | Bob Johnson | + | Paul Ray | + | Fairport, Maine | + +----------------------+ + +They put the paper in the bottle and corked the bottle tightly. Then +they threw it out into the ocean. At first the bottle bobbed up and down +in the water. But soon a big wave caught it and carried it out of sight. + +"Suppose," said Paul, "the bottle goes way out to sea and a big whale +swallows it. And suppose it makes the big whale so sick that he swims +near to the shore. Then some fishermen will catch him and kill him. When +they cut him open they will find the bottle, and when they read our +names they will know we are the boys who helped them get the great big +whale." + +"Or," said Bob, "suppose the bottle goes out to sea and a man in a +seaplane sees it and opens it. And suppose he comes flying to Fairport +and when he lands here he asks where we are. Then when he finds us he +takes us for a long, long ride in his seaplane." + +It was great fun supposing. The next morning Bob and Paul went to the +beach all ready to have some more supposes. + +But what was that small thing lying on the sand? It looked very much +like a bottle. Yes, it was. It was _the_ bottle! + +Bob picked it up and looked rather disappointed. Paul looked +disappointed too. "Our supposes are no good now," he said. "Oh yes," +cried Bob, "I know a fine suppose. It's so good it's almost true. Let's +pretend a big wave was the parcel postman. When he saw the bottle away +out in the ocean with our names in it, he brought it straight to us." +"Why, of course," said Paul. "The parcel postman had to bring the bottle +to us. He couldn't take it to the whale or to the man with the seaplane. +It wasn't addressed to them." + +One day Bob's father took Paul and Bob out fishing. They carried their +bait in a tin can and they took a larger can to hold their fish. They +stood on a high rock and threw their lines out into the deep water. The +fish bit very well. Mr. Johnson caught five or six. But the boys were +so excited they could not wait. They drew up their lines too soon. Once +Paul felt a pull and waited. When he felt another pull he drew in his +line. On it was a very tiny fish. "It's too small to keep," said Mr. +Johnson. So he took it carefully off the hook and threw it back into the +water. + +In a little while Bob felt a pull on his line. He held it very still and +waited. Soon there was another pull--a very strong one. Then there came +a jerk that almost threw him down. "Now draw in your line," said Mr. +Johnson. "Steady, steady!" Bob pulled. His line almost broke. He pulled +and tugged and pulled again. Then up came the line and on it was a fish +--a big, beautiful fish flapping and twisting. "Good, good," cried Mr. +Johnson. "That's a prize catch." + +How proud Bob felt as he landed his fish. He wouldn't let his father +help take it off the hook. He did it all himself. For a moment he stood +with the beautiful prize fish in his hand. Some people were fishing +near-by and he wanted them to see. He wanted them to know of his prize +catch. He felt very proud. "Look," said one of them; "what a great big +fish!" Bob heard and felt prouder than ever. He threw his fish into the +can as if he were saying, "Oh, that's nothing, I _always_ catch the +biggest fish." Then he began to bait his hook again. + +Just then Paul cried out, "Oh, Oh, Oh!" quickly. Bob turned just in time +to see his prize fish flop out of the can and back into the sea. + +"Oh, Oh, Oh!" He was no longer a proud fisherman. He was just a very sad +little boy. + +On another day Bob and Paul stopped in front of a little cottage. A man +was in the yard mending a him. The man was a strong young fisherman. + +At the door of the cottage sat an old, old man with white hair. A cane +was by his side. He spoke to Bob and Paul and let them come in and sit +on the steps near him. He was the fisherman's father. He was called +Captain John. He had once been a fisherman himself. Now he was too old +to work, but he knew many stories of the sea. Bob and Paul never grew +tired of hearing them. Every day they came to the cottage. Captain John +was always there sitting in the doorway, with his cane by his side. He +was always ready to tell them an exciting true story of the sea. + +One day a big gray cat was curled up at Captain John's feet. "Is pussy +your pet, Captain John?" asked Bob. "No, little lad," said the old man. +"She belongs to my daughter. My pet is almost as old as I am. She's a +brave old friend. We have stuck by each other for over fifty years. +We've seen hard times and good times together. And now we are growing +old side by side." + +"Will you show her to us, please, Captain John?" said the two little +boys. + +"Yes, yes," replied the old man; "come with me." He took his cane and +walking very, very slowly, he took the boys around the cottage to a tiny +garden. There was one spot in the garden that was bright with flowers. + +Captain John led them there. "Here she is," he said. "Here's my old +friend, the _Sea Gull_, dressed up in her Sunday clothes." + +The boys looked and saw that the _Sea Gull_ was a boat. She was Captain +John's pet--almost as old as he was. She was his brave old friend who +had stuck by him for over fifty years. Now she was too old for the sea +so she had a home in the tiny garden. The flowers that had been planted +in her were her "Sunday clothes." + +"She seems alive to me," said Captain John. "I am glad we can grow old +side by side." + +I wish you could hear of all the good times Bob and Paul had at +Fairport. Every day was packed with fun and both little boys grew taller +and very brown. + +At last vacation time was nearly over. Bob left Fairport first. He and +his family went home in his father's automobile. They camped out every +night. The camping tents and the pots and pans were strapped on the back +of the automobile. They rode all day. They went over hills, through +valleys, and into cities. + +One day they passed a flower farm. "Oh, Mother," begged Bob, "May I stop +and buy some flowers?" "Why, Bob," said his mother, "What do you want +with flowers? We haven't any room for them in the automobile." + +"I don't want them to take home," said Bob, "I want to send them by the +postman to Captain John. They are for the _Sea Gull_." + +So the automobile stopped and Bob spent his birthday money at the flower +farm. The next day the parcel post brought Captain John a box of spring +bulbs and fall plants. With them was a card in Bob's very best writing: + + +-----------------------+ + | To Captain John's Pet | + | The "Sea Gull" | + | from | + | B.J. | + | Guess who this is. | + +-----------------------+ + +Paul stayed in Fairport a week after Bob had left. + +He was not lonely, for his daddy had come. Paul and his daddy were great +friends. They went around together like two chums. + +The day before Daddy's week was up they went out for a long sail. Mrs. +Ray was afraid to go, but Paul was not. He felt very big and brave. With +Daddy to sail the boat everything would be all right. The sun shone, +the wind blew, and away they started. The boat seemed to skim along as +lightly as a sea gull. + +At last they landed on a little island. Paul helped his daddy gather +sticks and build a fire. Mr. Ray put four ears of corn under the wood. +Paul thought they would burn up, but they didn't. The husks covered +them. Next Mr. Ray put a pan on the fire and fried some bacon and +some potatoes. Paul unpacked a basket of sandwiches, and by that time +everything was ready. They had no plates and no napkins. They ate with +their fingers, in just the way little boys sometimes wish to do and +mustn't, when they are at the table. + +Daddy told stories of camping and hunting as they sat by the fire. + +Time passed very quickly. It was four o'clock before they knew it. + +"All aboard," cried Mr. Ray, and in a very few minutes the lunch things +were packed up and they were in the boat. At first the sails filled and +the boat moved swiftly on. But suddenly the sky grew dark. Great claps +of thunder were heard. Lightning played all around the boat. The wind +blew fiercely. The waves dashed so high that the boat was almost upset. +Paul felt very small and almost afraid, but not quite. His big, brave +daddy was there. "Sit still, hold tight," Daddy called. His voice +sounded far away, the storm was making such a noise. + +It seemed hours and hours that Paul sat still and held tight. He grew +cold and stiff and wet. The sky became blacker and blacker. The wind +howled louder and louder. Sometimes Daddy shouted, hoping that some one +in a bigger boat would hear and come to help him. But no help came. + +All at once a clear, bright light shone over the water. "The +lighthouse!" cried Mr. Ray, "The lighthouse! We are saved." + +He turned the boat and steered toward the light. It shone into the +darkness like a kind eye. + +Fighting the wind and storm was hard work, but at last the boat reached +the island on which the lighthouse stood. As the boat came to the shore +Mr. Ray called and called. At last the door of the lighthouse opened and +the keeper came out. He helped pull the boat to shore. Then he lifted +Paul out and carried him into the lighthouse and Mr. Ray followed. + +At first Paul was too wet and cold and too much frightened to care about +anything. But when he had been warmed and his clothes dried he began to +look around. He was in a cheerful room with the lighthouse keeper and +his wife. His dear daddy was there, too. And there was another person +in the room. This was a little boy with a very pale face. He sat in a +wheeled chair. His poor back was so weak he could not walk. But his face +was bright and smiling. He held out his hand to Paul. "I'm Dick," he +said, "I came to the lighthouse in a storm too, and I've been here ever +since." + +"Oh, please tell me about it," said Paul. + +"It was eight years ago," began Dick, "when Father Moore found me in a +boat. There had been a shipwreck and I must have been in it. I don't +remember anything about it. I was only two years old and my back had +been hurt. But Father Moore saved me and he and Mother Moore took me to +be their little boy." + +"Yes, he's our little boy," said the lighthouse keeper, who was "Father +Moore." "We live here together and keep the light." + +"Don't you get lonely?" Paul asked Dick. + +"Oh, no," said Dick, "I have a great many things to play with. See!" And +he pointed to a big table near his chair. On it were many small toys. +There was a farm with fences, houses, horses, cows, and chickens. There +were people too--a man, a woman, and two children. Everything was made +of clay. There was a tall clay lighthouse and around it were clay ships +and boats. + +"What splendid toys," said Paul. "Did Santa Claus bring them?" + +"I made them myself," said Dick proudly. "My back and legs aren't much +good but my fingers do whatever I want them to. Whenever I am lonely I +think of something to make and then my fingers make it. I think," he +went on laughing, "I'll make you and your father after you have gone." + +Paul hated to leave the lighthouse and brave little Dick. But he and +Daddy had to go as soon as the storm was over. They knew Mrs. Ray would +be greatly worried about them. + +"I'll write to you," said Paul to Dick, "and I'll send you some of my +books with pictures in them. Then you can make more things." + +How glad Paul's mother was when her little boy and his daddy reached +home. That night she came in to tuck him snugly in bed. + +"Is my little boy sorry this is his last night at Fairport?" she asked. + +"No, Mother," said Paul. "I hate to leave Captain John, and the cave, +and the beach, and the ocean; but I want to get home. I want to see Bob +and Betty and Peggy and Dot. I want them to help me do something for +Dick." + +"What do you want to do, dear?" asked Mrs. Ray. + +"I want to send him something to keep his fingers busy, perhaps a tool +chest and some wood," said Paul. "And, O Mother, do you think we could +do something to make his back strong?" + +"Perhaps we can," answered Mrs. Ray. "We must see what we can do to help +him." + +You may be sure that some happy days came to Dick after the five little +friends had put their heads together. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Five Little Friends, by Sherred Willcox Adams + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS *** + +This file should be named flfrn10.txt or flfrn10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, flfrn11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, flfrn10a.txt + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, William Flis, Ted Garvin +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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