"Tweet-tweet-tweet," sang a bird in a tree top; "tweet-tweet-tweet."

He c.o.c.ked 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 s...o...b..ll."

"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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 gra.s.s 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 b.u.t.terfly 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 gra.s.s, but the b.u.t.terfly 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 b.u.t.terfly 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 gra.s.s, with Big Ben bounding wildly after it.

The red umbrella made him so angry that he forgot all about the little girls.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BIG BEN BOUNDED AFTER THE UMBRELLA]

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 b.u.t.tercup, 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 s...o...b..ll and Fluff and m.u.f.f?"