So, for a time at least, Mrs. Todd was to be taken care of. When she grew better she had as much work as she could do.
But this was some time after the day when Tommy called at Mr. Bobbsey’s office. That day, after the three boys had eaten their ice cream, Tommy went back to the lumber yard, and Mr. Bobbsey told him that Mrs. Bobbsey had gone to see Mrs. Todd.
“And haven’t you any errands I could do for you today?” asked Tommy.
“Not today, Tommy. But I may have later. Don’t worry about working out that twenty-five cents. I won’t forget you, and you’ll find your grandmother being taken care of when you get home.”
“I’ll not forget about the ship we’re going to buy either,” promised Freddie, as he and Johnnie parted company from Tommy.
“All right; and thank you.”
Nan and Bert, that day, had gone over to play with Ned Barton and Ellen Moore, children who lived near them, and they had a good time.
“We want to have all the fun we can while we’re at home here,” said Nan, “for school will soon open.”
“Yes, and I’ll be sort of glad,” said Bert. “We’re going to have a football team this year.”
“We’ll come to see you play; won’t we, Ellen?” said Nan.
“Yes, but I like baseball better than football.”
As Nan and Bert reached home, after visiting with their little friends, they heard screams from the side porch where Flossie and Alice had been playing dolls.
“Oh, make him come back with it! Make him come back!” cried Flossie.
“Something has happened!” exclaimed Bert, running around to the side of the house, followed by Nan.
CHAPTER VI
School Days
Bert saw his sister and her playmate, Alice Boyd, standing on the porch, looking very much frightened. Alice had her doll held tightly in her arms, but Flossie’s doll could not be seen.
“What’s the matter?” Bert asked.
“It’s a dog! A strange dog!” cried Flossie. “Oh, dear! He—”
“Did he bite you?” Nan asked quickly. “If he did—”
“No, he didn’t bite me,” answered the little girl. “But he ran up on the porch and took my best doll away in his mouth. Now he’s gone around to the back yard, and I’m afraid he’ll bite her. I called to him to come back, but he wouldn’t.”
“Was it some dog Snap was playing with?” asked Bert.
“No, it was a new dog. I’d never seen him before. Oh, dear! He’ll bite my doll!”
“It won’t hurt her to be bitten a little,” said Bert with a laugh. “You can’t hurt dolls.”
“You can so!” sobbed Flossie, who was crying real tears now. “And I don’t want my best doll bitten.”
“Don’t laugh at her, Bert,” said Nan in a low voice. “Try to get her doll back for her.”
“I will,” promised Bert. “Which way did the dog go, Flossie? Tell me.”
“He went around back of the house.”
“Maybe he thought your doll was a bone, and he’s going to bury it,” Bert said. “Was she a thin doll, Flossie; thin like a bone?”
“No, she wasn’t! She was a nice fat doll, with red cheeks! And I want her back. Oh dear!”
“I’ll get her for you,” Bert said again.
“I’m glad the dog didn’t take my doll,” broke in Alice. “I’ll let you play with mine, Flossie.”
“Thank you, but I—I want my own dear doll!” and Flossie sobbed harder than before.
“Never mind, Brother Bert will get her from the dog,” said Nan. “Don’t cry.”
“I—I can’t help it,” Flossie said, though she did try to stop crying. Bert ran around the corner of the house. Then he laughed so loudly that Nan knew it must be all right and she said:
“Come on, Flossie and Alice. We’ll go and see what Bert has found.”
They found Bert looking at the strange dog, who was standing in front of Snoop. And Snoop had her back arched up round; her tail was as large as a sausage, and her fur stuck out all sorts of ways, while she made a hissing sound like a steam radiator.
“What’s the matter, Bert?” asked Nan.
“Why, I guess the strange dog was running through our yard with Flossie’s doll in his mouth when Snoop saw him and ran at him,” said Bert. “Snoop doesn’t like strange dogs, and she must have made quite a fuss at this one, for he dropped the doll. I’ll get her for you, Flossie.”
The little twin’s doll lay on the grass where the dog had dropped it when the cat chased after him. For all I know he may have thought it was a bone and have wanted to bury it.
Bert picked up the doll from the grass.
“There she is, Flossie,” he said. “Not hurt a bit, and as good as ever.”
“Thank you,” Flossie answered, hugging her doll close in her arms. “Now we can go on playing, Alice.”
They went back on the porch, and the strange dog gave a bark. This seemed to make Snoop angry, for she hissed louder than ever and made her tail even larger than before. Then she walked toward the dog. But he did not wait even to rub noses with her, as Snap did. With a howl the dog ran back and jumped over the fence.
“Snoop drove him away,” laughed Nan. “She is as good at driving strange dogs away as Snap would be. Wasn’t it funny the dog should go up on the porch, and take Flossie’s doll?”
“It was better to do that than bite her,” said Bert.
When Freddie came back from the lumber yard that day he told of Tommy’s visit, and Mrs. Bobbsey told of having helped his grandmother. Mrs. Bobbsey also told what Mrs. Todd had said of her missing son, who was shipwrecked.
“Bert, please hand me down my bank,” said Freddie to his brother after supper.
“What for?” Bert asked.
“I must count my money and see if I have enough to help buy a ship for Tommy Todd. He and I are going off in a ship to look for his father.”
“Now look here, Freddie,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “I want you to have all the fun you can, and play with Tommy whenever you can, and I want you to be kind and to help people. I also wish, as much as you, that we could find Tommy’s father, if he is still alive. But you must not run off to sea without telling us.”
Sometimes Freddie, and Flossie too, used to get funny ideas about what they wanted to do, and once or twice they had run away together. Once it was to go to the circus, away on the other side of the city, and again it was to follow a hand-organ man and a monkey. Freddie’s father, hearing him talk so much about getting a ship in which to search for Mr. Todd, thought the little boy might be too much in earnest and would really go off where he ought not.
“So don’t start off on any voyage without telling us,” said Mr. Bobbsey.
“I won’t,” promised Freddie. “First I must see how much money I have saved up.”
His bank was a kind that could be opened and closed, and for some time Freddie and Flossie were busy counting the pennies.
“Well, how much have you?” asked Bert.
“Flossie says there are only fifty-six cents,” Freddie answered, “but I counted seventy. Flossie can’t count as high as I can, anyhow.”
“I can so!” cried the fat little girl.
“Now children, be nice,” begged Mother Bobbsey.
“I’ll count the money for you,” offered Bert.
“Seventy-nine cents,” he told Freddie, after he had finished. “And here’s a penny of mine I’ll give you. That makes eighty cents.”
“Is that ’most enough to buy a ship, Daddy?” asked the little fellow.
“Oh no, my dear boy. You’ll need lots more money than that. So keep on saving, and don’t go off without letting us know.”
“All right,” Freddie said with a sigh. “Do you think I’ll have enough saved in a week?”
“I can tell you better when the week is up,” laughed Mr. Bobbsey.
“School begins in a week,” said Nan. “You can’t go off on a ship when you have to go to school, Freddie.”
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“That’s so. Well, I’ll keep on saving, and when school is out again Tommy and I will go off in the ship to find his father.”
The Bobbsey twins had as much fun as they could in the week of vacation that remained. They and their playmates met together and went on little walks in the woods, or rowed on the river. Bert and Nan were allowed to go out in a safe boat, near their father’s lumber dock, and Flossie and Freddie were allowed to go also, for they sat very still, and never tried to change seats when the boat was out in the water. This is very dangerous to do, and often boats are upset that way.
Then, one morning, as Freddie awoke in his little bed, he heard his mother calling:
“Come on, little fireman. Time to get up!”
“Is there a fire?” asked Freddie, eagerly.
“No, but school begins today and you don’t want to be late. Come on then, get up. You too, Flossie.”
“Aren’t Nan and Bert going?” asked Freddie.
“Yes, but they were up long ago. I let you two little twins sleep longer. But now it is time to get up.”
After breakfast Flossie and Freddie started for school together. They were in the same class, and had just left the kindergarten. So Flossie and Freddie set off together, ahead of Nan and Bert. The smaller twins had to do this because their legs were shorter than either Nan’s or Bert’s and they could not walk as fast.
“Ding-dong!” rang the school bell, calling the Bobbsey twins and other children back to their lessons, after the long, Summer vacation.
“Oh, there’s Susie Simmon!” cried Flossie, as she saw a girl she knew. “I’m going to walk with her, Freddie.”
“All right. I see Jimmie Brooks. I’ll go with him.”
The four little ones hurried along together, talking of the fun they had had that Summer.
A little behind came Nan and Bert. With them walked Ellen Moore and Ned Barton, who lived near the Bobbsey house.
There were merry times in the school yard before it was time for the last bell to ring. The boys and girls played tag, and ran about. Some boys had tops and spun them, or played marbles. The girls did not bring their dolls or toys to school, and the reason for this is that girls don’t have pockets in their dresses. Or, if they do have a pocket, it is too small to hold more than a handkerchief. I think the girls ought to get together and insist on having pockets made in their dresses. It isn’t fair for the boys to have so many.
“Ding-dong!” rang the bell again.
“Come in, children!” called the teacher, and in went the Bobbsey twins and the others.
“Oh look, Freddie! There goes Tommy Todd!” whispered Flossie to her brother, as they marched to their room. The teacher heard Flossie, and said:
“You must not whisper in school.”
“I won’t any more,” promised Flossie. “I haven’t been in school for so long that I forgot,” and all the other children laughed.
Tommy Todd was in a class ahead of Flossie and Freddie. He looked across at them and smiled, for the teacher did not mind any one’s smiling in school. But when one whispered it disturbed those who wanted to study their lessons.
It was almost time for the morning recess, and Flossie and Freddie were saying their lessons, when from the next room, where Bert and Nan sat, came a sound of laughter. Then sounded a loud bark—“Bow-wow!”
“Oh, it’s a dog!” exclaimed Flossie aloud, before she thought.
“That sounds like our Snap!” said Freddie, almost at the same time.
“Children, you must be quiet!” called the teacher.
Just then the door between the two rooms was pushed open, and in walked Snap, wagging his tail. He looked at the teacher, he looked at the other children, and then, with a joyful bark, he ran up to Flossie and Freddie.
CHAPTER VII
The School Play
“Snap! Snap!” cried Freddie, as he left his seat and put his arms around the dog’s neck. “Good dog, Snap!”
Snap liked to be petted, and he wagged his tail faster than before and barked. Flossie saw a strange look on her teacher’s face, and the little girl said:
“Snap, you must be quiet. You musn’t bark in school any more than we must whisper. I didn’t want to speak out loud,” she said to the teacher, “but I had to, or Snap wouldn’t hear me.”
“Oh, that part’s all right, my dear,” the teacher said kindly. “But how did your dog get here?”
“I—I don’t know,” answered Flossie, while Freddie kept on petting Snap.
Just then the door of the other school room, in which Nan and Bert studied, opened, and the teacher from there came in. She was a new one.
“Is that dog here?” she asked. Then she could see that Snap was there. The children in Flossie’s room were laughing now. Some of the pupils from the other room were standing in the doorway behind the teacher, looking in.
“Whose dog is that?” the new teacher asked.
“He’s ours, if you please,” said Bert.
“Did you bring him to school?”
“No, ma’am. He must have got loose,” answered Nan. “He was chained up when we left for school this morning, and he must have got lonesome and come to find us.”
“Well, he found you all right,” said Flossie’s teacher with a laugh. “The doors are open, because it is so warm,” she said to the new teacher, “so Snap had no trouble in getting in. He never came to school before, though.”
“He’s like Mary’s little lamb, isn’t he?” asked Freddie.
“Well, he must be put out,” said the new teacher, smiling. “Of course it wasn’t the fault of you children that he came in. But you had better take him home I think, Bert. And see that he is well chained. I’ll excuse you from class long enough to take your dog home. Now, children, go back to your seats.”
“Say, Bert,” whispered Ned Barton, “I’ll help you take Snap home if you want me to.”
“No, indeed!” laughed the new teacher. “One boy is enough to have out of the class at a time. I think Bert can manage the dog alone.”
“Yes ma’am, I can,” said Bert. “Come on, Snap!”
Snap barked and wagged his tail again. He was happy as long as he was with one of the children.
“Our dog can do tricks,” said Freddie. “Make him do a trick, Bert, before you take him home. Snap used to be in a circus,” Freddie told the teacher, “and he can turn somersaults. Don’t you want to see him do a trick, teacher?”
“Oh, yes, please let him,” begged Flossie.
The other children looked eager, and the teacher smiled. The new teacher had gone back to her classroom with her pupils, except Bert, who had stayed to look after Snap.
“Well, as it is almost time for recess, I don’t mind if Bert makes Snap do one or two tricks,” Flossie’s teacher said, smiling. “But only two. School isn’t just the place for dogs.”
“Ready Snap!” called Bert. “March like a soldier!”
“You may take my blackboard pointer for a gun,” the teacher said.
Snap stood up on his hind legs, and in one paw he held the long pointer. Then he marched around the room as nearly like a soldier as a dog can march. The children laughed and clapped their hands.
“Now turn a somersault!” ordered Bert. This Snap did, too. This was one of his best tricks. Over and over he went around the school room, outside the rows of desks. This made the children laugh more than before.
“I think that will be enough, thank you, Bert,” the teacher said. “You had better take the dog home now.”
Bert did so, and saw to it that Snap was well chained.
“We like to see you,” said Bert as he was leaving to go back to his class, “but you must not come to school after us, Snap.”
At recess, which was nearly over when Bert got back to school, the children talked and laughed about Snap’s visit.
“I wish your dog would come to school every day,” said Alice Boyd to Flossie.
“Yes, wouldn’t it be fun to have him do tricks,
” cried Johnnie Wilson.
But Snap did not get loose again, and he soon got used to having the children away most of the day. But how glad he was when they came home, and he could romp and play with them!
One day Flossie’s teacher said to the class:
“Now, children, you have been very good this week, and you have known your lessons well, so I think it is time we had a little fun.”
“Oh, are you going to let Snap come to school again?” asked Edna Blake.
“No, hardly that,” the teacher answered with a smile, “but we shall have a little play. I’ll fix some curtains across the platform where my desk stands, and that will be the stage. You children—at least some of you—will be the actors and actresses. It will be a very simple little play, and I think you can do it. If you do it well perhaps we may give our play out on the large platform in the big room before the whole school.”
“We had a play in Uncle Dan’s barn once in the country,” said Flossie.
“I was in it, too,” spoke up Freddie, “and I fell down in a hen’s nest and got all eggs.”
Even the teacher laughed at this.
“Well, we hope you’ll not fall in any hen’s nest in our little school play,” said the teacher.
She picked out Flossie, Freddie, Alice Boyd, Johnnie Wilson and some others to be in the play, and they began to study their parts.
The play was to be called “Mother Goose and her Friends,” and the children would take the parts of the different characters so well known to all. The teacher was to be Mother Goose herself, with a tall peaked hat, and a long stick.
“And will you ride on the back of a goosey-gander?” Freddie asked. “It’s that way in the book.”
“No, I hardly think I shall ride on the back of a gander,” answered the teacher. “But we will have it as nearly like Mother Goose as we can. You will be Little Boy Blue, Freddie, for you have blue eyes.”
“And what can I be?” asked Flossie.
“I think I’ll call you Little Miss Muffet.”
“Only I’m not afraid of spiders,” Flossie said. “That is I’m not afraid of them if they don’t get on me. One can come and sit down beside me and I won’t mind.”
“I guess for the spider we’ll get a make-believe one, from the five-and-ten-cent store,” said Miss Earle, the teacher. “Now I’ll give out the other parts.”
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