Here's a Penny (8 page)

"And precious jewels," cried Patsy. "Here's a stick."

Patsy stooped down to take a long stick from the water. As she reached for the stick, her foot slipped off the rock and down she sat, right in the stream.

In a moment Patsy had scrambled up. The seat of her overalls was very wet.

"Hey, you ought to be careful," said Penny, reaching toward the boat with the cargo of gold, spices, and precious jewels. As he stretched his arm out, his penknife fell out of his pocket.

"Oh, there goes my penknife!" shouted Penny.

Penny quickly took off his shoes and stepped into the stream. He could see his knife lying on the bottom of the stream among the pebbles. He stooped down and picked it up. But his foot slipped and with a splash Penny sat down in the stream, too.

"You ought to be careful," laughed Patsy.

Penny laughed as he got up. "Now my overalls are wet, too," he said. "But I'm glad I didn't lose my knife."

Penny decided that now that he was in the water he might as well wade over to the boat with the precious cargo. He picked up the piece of wood and placed it in the current of the stream. He put a leaf on it and away it went, down the stream to be caught by another rock.

When Penny and Patsy reached the other side of the stream, Patsy said, "My overalls are awful wet. They stick to me."

"So do mine," said Penny.

"Maybe if we go up to that big rock in the sun and lie on our tummies, our pants will dry," said Patsy.

"Okay!" said Penny.

The children climbed up the side of the little ravine to the big rock.

"Say, it's hot!" said Penny, putting his hand on it.

"We ought to get dry pretty quick," said Patsy.

The two children lay down flat on their stomachs. The hot sun shone down on their wet overalls.

"I'm going to eat some of my lunch," said Penny.

"So'm I," said Patsy.

The children opened their baskets and began munching sandwiches.

"I'm going to save some of mine for after while," said Patsy.

"So'm I," said Penny.

When Penny finished his sandwich, he put his head down on his arm. Patsy did the same. The hot sun felt soothing on their backs. Soon they were both fast asleep. They slept soundly for a long time.

Suddenly Patsy was awakened by screams from Penny. She rolled over and looked up. There was Penny, dancing up and down. He was screaming, "O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o," and slapping his leg.

"What's the matter?" cried Patsy, sitting up.

"Something's up my pants! Something's up my pants!" screamed Penny.

Just then a bee flew out of the bottom of Penny's trouser leg. "It was that bee," he said.

"Did it hurt you?" said Patsy.

"No, it didn't hurt," answered Penny. "But it tickled something fierce. Come on, let's get over to the meadow. I'm all dry."

"I'm dry, too," said Patsy.

The children got down off the big rock and went over to the meadow. The meadow was yellow with buttercups. The children set to work picking them. Soon they both had a big bunch. As they picked the flowers, they got nearer and nearer to the far edge of the meadow.

Before very long they had reached the new houses that were being built on the edge of the meadow. The workmen had gone for the day. The children walked around, picking up curls of wood that the carpenter had left. Soon they came upon a big barrel.

"Oh, look!" cried Penny. "Look at the smooth, shiny black stuff in this barrel."

"Oh," said Patsy, feeling the top of the barrel. "I wonder what that is."

"I'm hungry," said Penny. "I'm going to sit on the top of this barrel and finish my lunch."

Penny put his buttercups on the ground and climbed up on the top of the barrel. He sat down.

"I want to sit on the barrel, too," said Patsy.

"There isn't any room for you," said Penny. "You sit on that box."

Patsy sat down on the box. The children ate the rest of their sandwiches while the hot sun beat down upon them. Penny kicked his feet against the barrel.

When the children finished their sandwiches, Patsy went back to picking buttercups. Penny

sat on the barrel, cutting a piece of wood with his penknife.

After some time, Penny heard the church clock strike,
Bong! Bong!

"It's two o'clock," he shouted. "We have to go home."

"All right," shouted Patsy. "Come on."

Penny started to get up but to his surprise he found that he couldn't get up. He tried again but his overalls were stuck fast. He pulled a little harder but he felt the barrel begin to tip over. He didn't want to upset the barrel and be underneath it when it went over. The barrel was very, very heavy.

"Hey! Patsy!" he cried.

"Come on," Patsy called back.

"Patsy!" cried Penny. "Pat-t-t-s-e-e-e!"

Patsy was halfway across the meadow. She turned around. "Come on," she cried.

Penny wriggled, trying to get free. The barrel almost upset again.

"Patsy!" he shouted. "Come here!" Penny waved his arms in the air.

"What's the matter?" shouted Patsy.

"I'm stuck," yelled Penny.

"What did you say?" shouted Patsy.

"Come here," shrieked Penny, ready to cry. For Patsy was walking farther and farther away from him. "Come back," he shrieked, kicking his heels against the barrel.

Then, to Penny's great relief, he saw Patsy turn back. When she reached him, she said, "What's the matter with you?"

"I'm stuck," said Penny.

Patsy took hold of one of Penny's arms and tried to pull him off the barrel, but she almost pulled the barrel over.

"Don't upset the barrel," cried Penny.

"Well, how are you going to get off?" asked Patsy.

"I don't know," said Penny. There were tears in his eyes.

"Shall I run home and get your daddy?" asked Patsy.

"Yes," said Penny. "Get him, quick."

Patsy started off as fast as her legs could carry her. Soon she was halfway across the meadow. Then she disappeared between the trees. It was only about ten minutes before Penny saw his daddy coming across the meadow with Patsy. But it seemed a much longer time to Penny.

When Daddy reached him, he laughed. "Well,
young fellow, no wonder you're stuck. You picked an awfully hot day to sit on a barrel of pitch."

Daddy tried to lift Penny off, but he was stuck very tight.

"Well, I don't see anything to do, Penny, but to get you out of those overalls," said Daddy.

"But, Daddy, I can't go home without my overalls," said Penny.

"I'll put my coat around you," said Daddy, "and carry you."

Daddy unfastened the straps that held up Penny's overalls and unfastened the strap at the waist. Then, after some time, he managed to pull Penny out of them. Daddy took off his coat and put it around Penny. He lifted him up in his arms.

The empty overalls hung limp on the barrel. "Guess we'll have to leave the overalls," said Daddy. "They're all full of pitch, anyway."

"I wonder what the workmen will think, when they come back on Monday morning and find my overalls stuck in the pitch," said Penny.

"I'm glad I didn't sit on top of the barrel," said Patsy, as they crossed the meadow.

When Penny reached home, he got washed and dressed. His mother was out for the afternoon.

When she returned, Penny said, "Mummy, I'll have to have new overalls."

"I told you this morning that I would get you new overalls when the others were worn-out," said Mother.

"Well, they're worn-out, Mummy," said Penny.

"They are?" said Mother. "What happened to them?"

"Oh, they were the most awful overalls," said Penny.

"Is that so!" said Mother. "What was the matter with them?"

"Well, you see, Mother," said Penny, "those overalls were always having trouble."

"Having trouble!" said Mother. "What kind of trouble?"

"Oh, like getting wet when I slipped in the water," replied Penny.

"I see," said Mother.

"And then bees got inside of 'em," said Penny.

"Bees got inside of them!" said Mother. "Anything else?"

"Oh, yes! They were terrible when they got stuck in the pitch," said Penny.

"Oh, they got stuck in the pitch, did they?" said Mother.

"Uh-huh!" said Penny.

"And where are they now?" asked Mother.

"They're still stuck in the pitch," said Penny.

Mother looked across the table at Daddy. "Well," she said, "I can see we'll have to get you some overalls that won't do things like that."

"That's what I think," said Penny.

One day Penny said to his mother, "Mummy, I wish I had a brother."

"Do you, Penny?" said Mother.

"Yes," said Penny. "Then I would have somebody to play with."

"You and Patsy play nicely together," said Mother.

"Oh, Patsy's all right," replied Penny. "We have a lot of fun. But if I had a brother, he would play baseball and football with me. And we could play with my trains. Patsy never knows what to do with electric trains except watch them. And she can't throw a baseball. And you should see her catch. She can't catch at all."

"Well, Penny, Daddy and I have been talking about getting a brother for you for sometime," said Mother.

"You have!" exclaimed Penny. "And are you going to?"

"Yes, I think we will," said Mother.

"Oh, Mummy! How soon will he come?" asked Penny.

"I don't know, dear," replied Mother. "Daddy has written to the place where we found you, but they haven't any baby boys at present."

"Baby!" cried Penny. "I don't want a baby brother, Mother! A baby brother couldn't play baseball!"

"But he could when he grew bigger," said Mother.

"That would take too long," said Penny. "I want a big brother, Mummy."

"Oh, you do?" said Mother. "How big? As big as you?"

"Bigger," said Penny. "Do you know what, Mummy?"

"What?" asked Mother.

"I would like to have a brother just like Peter," said Penny.

"How old is Peter?" asked Mother.

"He's eight," replied Penny. "He's wonderful, Mummy. You ought to see Peter pitch balls. And he can bat 'em, too. Peter says he's going to be a baseball player when he grows up. He says his daddy was a baseball player a long time ago."

"Is that so?" said Mother.

"Yes," replied Penny. "Peter plays ball so good that the big boys in the fifth grade ask him to play with them. But he plays with me, too," said Penny. "Sometimes he plays with me all through recess."

"Well, Peter must be a nice boy from what you have told me about him," said Mother.

"Oh, he's swell!" said Penny. "You know what, Mummy? Next to you and Daddy, I like Peter more than anybody else."

"Well, I would certainly like to see Peter sometime," said Mother.

"You mean maybe we could 'dopt Peter, just the way you 'dopted me?" said Penny, his eyes shining.

Mother laughed. "Good gracious, no!" she said. "You can't adopt little boys who have fathers and mothers."

"Maybe his mother and father would let us have him," said Penny.

"Oh, no, darling!" replied Mother. "Mothers and fathers don't give up their little boys. Especially when they are as nice as Peter or as nice as you. Can you imagine Daddy and me giving you up to someone else?"

Penny shook his head. "No," he said. "And I wouldn't want you to."

"Well, Peter wouldn't want his mother and daddy to give him up, either," said Mother.

"Do you suppose we can find a brother just like Peter?" asked Penny.

"No two little boys are exactly alike," said Mother, "but we will begin to look around. I am sure we will find the right brother for you."

One day Penny's daddy said, "Penny, how would you like to go with me to see a real baseball game?"

"Oh, Daddy, that would be great," said Penny. "You mean the kind of baseball game you always listen to over the radio?"

"That's the kind," said Daddy.

"Oh, boy!" cried Penny. "Mother, did you hear that? Daddy's going to take me to a real baseball game. The kind you hear over the radio."

"How wonderful!" said Mother.

"When are we going, Daddy?" asked Penny.

"Next Saturday afternoon," replied Daddy.