Edith Francis Foster

“ XII. One bright, frosty, October morning Jack went up to the walnut in the pasture to gather . Jimmy Crow went too. Jack drew his little , and rode on the . picked up all the nuts on the ground, then climbed the tree and shook down more, still in their thick, green .
hen he came [Pg 79] down, was busily picking up the nuts and dropping them into a in the tree. "Stop that!" cried Jack. "These are my . The can pick for themselves." "Caw, caw!" said Jimmy Crow. ”

“ Then they all went in and had their dinner together.
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"When my lamb is big enough" said Mary to little Aunt Hannah, "my father will shear him with the , like the old and Mother will teach me to spin, and knit the wool; and so my little lamb will give me my and ." "Let's shear him now." said . "I can teach you to knit." "Well." said Mary. "He is very little—but we will only take a little of his ." So she got the , and they cut some wool from his . But they found it must first be spun into —and they didn't know how: so they went to ask Mary's . ”

“ Jimmy Crow hopped about him and chuckled softly, "Caw, caw!"
hen giggled and cried out, "Jimmy-Jimmy wants a !" "Oh, yes," said Jack, "let's give Jimmy a , and see where he takes it." [Pg 39] Jimmy carried the cookie to the top of the . "That's the place. I'll get the ," Jack laughed. When he had climbed to the top, he shouted, "Grandma! Here are the —and all the other things we have lost—your , and the , and my —and—lots of things!" As he came down with both hands full, Jimmy fluttered about his , and Pepper giggled and shrieked.
[Pg 40]
APRIL FOOL! ”

“ The was shut, but he squeezed through a gap in the , and tore Dollabella's on a . Mary squeezed through the gap, too, and her caught on the , and tore a great big three-cornered . The ran across a field and jumped over a into the and Mary ran after him, laughing. 55 Dollabella's fell off her , and so did Mary's . The of the caught her and tangled them and almost pulled the from the lamb's back. At last they came out into a field and saw Farmer Clover at work with his . "Hello!" said he. "Who's running away—you or your lamb?" "Oh, we aren't running away," said , all out of breath. ”

“ They put an old on his head and the over his shoulder. Then Jack rang the , and Mama came to the door. "Here is a man with a shovel," he said. "Don't you want him to shovel paths for you?" [Pg 26]
might," laughed , "but somebody has been ahead of him—and here are four hot for that smart somebody." Jack gave the other boys , and they all sat down on the to eat them. sat on the . He begged till each boy gave him a .
hen they made a pile of to throw at the snowman. Just as Bob threw one, Jimmy Crow lit on the shoulder of the , [Pg 27] and the knocked him off into a deep drift! ”

“ It wasn't deep enough to be over his , but he waded the wrong way and scrambled out on a little in the 49 middle of the . They couldn't coax him to wade ashore;—he didn't like water, and would only shake his and say "Ba-a-a! No-o-o!" "We must build a for him" said . "No," said "we will get the boat. ”

“ JACK'S CIRCUS MONEY.
[Pg 48]
VII. The circus was coming! Jack wanted to go, but he had spent all his for and a .
hall I give you twenty-five cents now," asked as she took out her , "or will you earn it?" "I'll earn it, with my own ," said . "It's more fun to spend money you have worked for." "Then you [Pg 49] may weed the and for me," said Mama.
ack put on his and went into the garden. Jimmy Crow went too. ate and a , and then perched on the and watched work.
hen the job was done Mama paid him his quarter. First he sat on the and spun the coin like a . ”

“ She laughed at the poor little with the big bare spots in his pretty white . "If you are in such a hurry for and ," she said, "we will begin them 43at once. First, you must learn to spin." So she brought out the big and some tiny soft of wool and showed her how to spin the rolls into . Mary liked to walk backward and forward, and twirl the great with a ”

“ Please let me have him!"
he got a and climbed up the elephant, but kept out of his reach, and everybody laughed. So [Pg 57] he came tumbling down again, and told Jack to try it. climbed up and crept along to the elephant's head—and then Jimmy flew up on his shoulder, and the clapped louder still.
hen Jack came down, the fished a penny out of his pocket, and offered to buy Jimmy Crow. "No, sir!" said . "Not for a hundred dollars! I'd rather have my crow than this whole circus."
[Pg 59]
A WHOLE BUNCH OF CRACKERS! ”

“ But there were two big tears in her —she did so want that dear —and the kind old saw them. "Well, yes," he said, "that's my lamb—but it's an extra one, that I haven't any room for. If I knew anybody who would be willing to take it and treat it well—" "Oh, Mr. Clover!" cried , her eyes dancing, now, and her dancing, too. "I'd be willing! I'd treat it well! May I have it?" So Mary and the little went dancing home together. And kind old watched them and laughed till his danced in his , and his danced on his .
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"Mother! ”

“ JIMMY'S CIRCUS.
[Pg 54]
VIII. Such a fine circus! Jack and Bob went, but was left at home. The bought and fed the and . Jack put his full of nuts between the bars, and a little brown pulled his open and picked out the .
hen they saw the grand parade in the big —the [Pg 55] , the , the , the , the with , and , the and the . Then a pretty rode a white , standing up on the and waving a . Other horses ran races, and jumped, and walked upright. The funny tried to ride a little , and kept tumbling off. ”

“ Mama had trimmed it with and , and hung everywhere. When she went with a to light the candles, they were gone! "Where are the candles?" cried . "Somebody has carried them off, and I can't light the ." ”