for groceries and feed.
Sometimes he let Betsy drive the horse. Then there was Linda in the kitchen, Linda who made the big ginger cookies that were always in the center of the breakfast table.
There was only one thing that made Betsy feel sorry about going to the farm. That was Ellen. She would miss Ellen so very much. There were no little girls at Grandfather's, just two little boys who lived across the road.
The next morning, Father had everything packed in the car before breakfast. After breakfast, Betsy and Thumpy got in the back of the car and Mother sat beside Father.
"You haven't forgotten my surprise, have you, Father?" asked Betsy.
"No, indeed," said Father as he started the car.
Betsy wondered what the surprise could be. "What do you think it is, Thumpy?" said Betsy. Thumpy was too busy to think about surprises. He was hanging his head out of the window and letting the wind blow his long ears.
Soon Father slowed down and the car stopped. Betsy looked out of the window. They were in front of Ellen's house. Ellen was standing on the front step. She was wearing her best hat and her
coat was over her arm. Beside her was a big traveling bag. "Here they are, Mother," Ellen called through the screen door. Ellen's mother and her brother and her baby sister all came running to the front door. Ellen ran out to the car. Betsy's father got out of the car and picked up the traveling bag.
"Well, Betsy, here is your surprise," he said, as he put Ellen and the bag in the back of the car with Betsy.
"Is Ellen going with us?" cried Betsy.
"Yes," said Mother. "She is going to be with us all summer."
"Oh, Father!" cried Betsy. "It's the best surprise I ever, ever had!"
Ellen's mother kissed her little girl good-bye. "Be a good girl, dear," she said.
"I will, Mummy," said Ellen and she waved her hand to her brother and her baby sister.
Betsy's mother put Ellen's best hat in the paper bag with Betsy's and they started off.
It was a long drive to Grandfather's. The road stretched like a ribbon over the hills and down into the valleys. The children chattered. "I brought my doll, Lydia," said Ellen. "I washed all of her clothes and ironed them myself."
"I brought my doll, Judith," said Betsy. "I couldn't bring Evelyn. Evelyn's eyes fell inside of her."
"Didn't you bring Koala Bear?" asked Ellen.
"Of course," replied Betsy. "I wouldn't go away without Koala Bear. He would cry if I left him all by himself."
"Where is he?" asked Ellen.
"He's riding on the front seat between Father and Mother. Koala likes to ride on the front seat. He likes to see things before he comes to them." This was only one reason why Koala liked to
ride on the front seat. The other reason was that Thumpy liked Koala better than Koala liked Thumpy. Thumpy liked Koala so much that he loved to play with him, but Thumpy's idea of playing was to shake Koala very hard and then chew him. Koala didn't like it a bit because he couldn't shake and he couldn't chew. So Betsy bought Thumpy a rubber bone, and Koala never sat on the floor but on the tops of things.
"Oh, there is a white cow," cried Betsy, pointing out of the window.
"There's another one," cried Ellen.
The children decided to play a game. They called it "White Cow." Betsy looked out of one window and Ellen looked out of the other window. When Betsy saw a white cow on her side of the road she would call out "White Cow"; and when Ellen saw one on her side she would call out "White Cow." Mother kept the score. By the time they reached the farm, Betsy had seen twenty white cows and Ellen had seen thirty-two. So Ellen won the game.
Grandfather's farmhouse was built on the side of a hill. It was made of stone and had a big porch. The porch ran across the front of the house and around the side. Grandfather called it "the piazza." A trumpet vine ran all over the
porch railing and climbed up the posts. Betsy loved the big red trumpet flowers. She was sure the fairies blew them at night and made
Sometimes he let Betsy drive the horse. Then there was Linda in the kitchen, Linda who made the big ginger cookies that were always in the center of the breakfast table.
There was only one thing that made Betsy feel sorry about going to the farm. That was Ellen. She would miss Ellen so very much. There were no little girls at Grandfather's, just two little boys who lived across the road.
The next morning, Father had everything packed in the car before breakfast. After breakfast, Betsy and Thumpy got in the back of the car and Mother sat beside Father.
"You haven't forgotten my surprise, have you, Father?" asked Betsy.
"No, indeed," said Father as he started the car.
Betsy wondered what the surprise could be. "What do you think it is, Thumpy?" said Betsy. Thumpy was too busy to think about surprises. He was hanging his head out of the window and letting the wind blow his long ears.
Soon Father slowed down and the car stopped. Betsy looked out of the window. They were in front of Ellen's house. Ellen was standing on the front step. She was wearing her best hat and her
coat was over her arm. Beside her was a big traveling bag. "Here they are, Mother," Ellen called through the screen door. Ellen's mother and her brother and her baby sister all came running to the front door. Ellen ran out to the car. Betsy's father got out of the car and picked up the traveling bag.
"Well, Betsy, here is your surprise," he said, as he put Ellen and the bag in the back of the car with Betsy.
"Is Ellen going with us?" cried Betsy.
"Yes," said Mother. "She is going to be with us all summer."
"Oh, Father!" cried Betsy. "It's the best surprise I ever, ever had!"
Ellen's mother kissed her little girl good-bye. "Be a good girl, dear," she said.
"I will, Mummy," said Ellen and she waved her hand to her brother and her baby sister.
Betsy's mother put Ellen's best hat in the paper bag with Betsy's and they started off.
It was a long drive to Grandfather's. The road stretched like a ribbon over the hills and down into the valleys. The children chattered. "I brought my doll, Lydia," said Ellen. "I washed all of her clothes and ironed them myself."
"I brought my doll, Judith," said Betsy. "I couldn't bring Evelyn. Evelyn's eyes fell inside of her."
"Didn't you bring Koala Bear?" asked Ellen.
"Of course," replied Betsy. "I wouldn't go away without Koala Bear. He would cry if I left him all by himself."
"Where is he?" asked Ellen.
"He's riding on the front seat between Father and Mother. Koala likes to ride on the front seat. He likes to see things before he comes to them." This was only one reason why Koala liked to
ride on the front seat. The other reason was that Thumpy liked Koala better than Koala liked Thumpy. Thumpy liked Koala so much that he loved to play with him, but Thumpy's idea of playing was to shake Koala very hard and then chew him. Koala didn't like it a bit because he couldn't shake and he couldn't chew. So Betsy bought Thumpy a rubber bone, and Koala never sat on the floor but on the tops of things.
"Oh, there is a white cow," cried Betsy, pointing out of the window.
"There's another one," cried Ellen.
The children decided to play a game. They called it "White Cow." Betsy looked out of one window and Ellen looked out of the other window. When Betsy saw a white cow on her side of the road she would call out "White Cow"; and when Ellen saw one on her side she would call out "White Cow." Mother kept the score. By the time they reached the farm, Betsy had seen twenty white cows and Ellen had seen thirty-two. So Ellen won the game.
Grandfather's farmhouse was built on the side of a hill. It was made of stone and had a big porch. The porch ran across the front of the house and around the side. Grandfather called it "the piazza." A trumpet vine ran all over the
porch railing and climbed up the posts. Betsy loved the big red trumpet flowers. She was sure the fairies blew them at night and made
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