Curlytops

“ Much pleased that he did not have to stay away altogether from the fire, the Curlytop lad followed his mother and the others. The engines were already on hand, and it [37] was their puffing and tooting of whistles that had made some of the noise.
“It isn’t Mr. Cardwell’s house, though,” said Mrs. Martin, when she and the Curlytops, with Trouble, had gone far enough down the street to see just where the fire was. “It’s next door to him.”
“I wouldn’t want a fire next door to me,” sighed Janet.
“I would!” cried Ted. “You could see it fine!”
“A fire is a terrible thing,” said Mrs. Martin. ”

“ It was not that the Curlytops were bad—that is, any worse than perhaps you children are sometimes, or, perhaps, some boys or girls you know of. They were just playful and full of life, and wanted to be doing something all the while.
"Do you want to take Trouble with you?" asked Mrs. Martin, as Ted and Janet started away from camp, and down a woodland path.
"Yes, we'll take him," said Janet. "Come on, little brother," she went on. "Come with sister and have some fun." ”

“ Of course the Curlytops did not expect their dog to answer in words, but whenever they spoke to him he always either barked softly, whined or thumped his tail on the floor. That was all the answer they expected.
But this time there was neither bark, whine nor thump of tail. All was quiet within the woodshed.
“Hi, Skyrocket! Are you all right?” asked Teddy, speaking louder.
“Maybe he’s asleep,” suggested Jan.
“If he is he’d wake up when I called him,” returned Ted. “Dogs don’t mind being woke up. Sometimes they sleep with one eye open anyhow. I’ll call him again. Hi, Skyrocket!” ”

“ This, however, did not worry the Curlytops. They liked it, and, a little later, they were on their way back toward Cresco. The Curlytops liked their new pets, and they also loved those they had had for a longer time—Skyrocket and Turnover.
"We'll try to get home early," said Mr. Martin to his wife, as he steered the automobile through the streets of Pocono. "We'll have to fix up a place for these pets."
"Yes," agreed his wife. "They are going to be quite a care. But the children will love them." ”

“ Of course those at the bungalow must be told of what had happened to Ted in the hollow log, and he was warned not to try such a dangerous thing again.
Many times the Curlytops visited the general store, which was now running well under the direction of Mr. Martin. The lumbermen and their families bought their supplies at the store, and so did some of the near-by farmers. Once Silas Armstrong, on whose load of hay Trouble had gone to sleep, came to buy groceries, and he had a pleasant chat with the Curlytops. ”

“ Mr. Martin gave his consent, and so, for the second time, the Curlytops faced the camera. Or, rather, they didn’t exactly face it, for if you will notice in moving pictures, the players hardly ever gaze directly at you, which means that they don’t peer straight at the lens of the camera.
But Ted threw in his baited hook and waited for a bite, while the flip-flop man, hidden in the grass around the bend in the bank, fastened on a rubber boot. ”

“ Hal flashed his light, and by its gleam the Curlytops could see that the cave was large, larger even than it had seemed when they were in it with their grandfather.
"Look on the floor for the rocks," suggested Hal. "That's where the tramp-man would put 'em if he brought 'em here." ”

“ The children hid in the bushes where they could look at the hole in the ground. For some time they waited, and then they began to get tired. The Curlytops were not used to keeping still.
"I'm going to sneeze!" ”

“ The only trouble will be to sell them before they all spoil. I’m afraid I have too many—the price will be very low. I won’t get much for them. But don’t you little Curlytops bother about me. I guess I’ll be all right, even if I can’t give money to the Home as I’ve done before. Don’t worry about me.”
But Ted and Jan did worry, even when Grandma Martin not only promised to make a big chocolate cake for the Home but also one for Hal. Still the Curlytops did not see what they could do to help.
“But when cherry-picking time comes we can help cart ’em from the grove in the goat wagon,” said Ted. ”

“ Mr. Martin took the end of the rope from Ted and let it drop back into the black [26] depths where it fell on the bucket, already on the bottom.
Then the ladder was pulled up, and as Mr. Martin walked back toward the house with his wife and children Patrick got a shovel and began tossing dirt and rocks into the well, to fill it up level.
“There’ll be no more Curlytops down in you!” said the man, as he labored away. The wooden curbing was torn loose and the windlass broken. It was the end of the old well. ”

“ He stowed away, on board the Pine Tree, the box of old albums which had been intrusted to him. They were still wrapped up as they had come by express from Mr. Portnay in New York. The movie actor, it was said by Mr. Birch, had been ill and would [210] not resume work for a time. Then he expected to go West to complete the film, part of which the Curlytops had seen made.
“All aboard!” called Mr. Martin, on the morning when a fresh start was to be made in the touring plans of the Curlytops. “All aboard!” ”

“ The Curlytops laughed when told of Trouble's attempt to make a cake, and for a long time after that whenever they were telling any of their friends about the queer things their baby brother did, they always told first about the cake he made in his hat one day.
"Oh, Ted, I know what let's do!" cried Janet one day, about a week after Trouble had played with the flour and water.
"What?" asked her brother. "Go fishing?"
"No, I don't like fishing. Anyhow we went fishing once, and I don't like to see the worms wiggle. Let's make a little play tent for ourselves in the woods." ”

“ The Curlytops were playing a little game with Uncle Frank, and Aunt Jo, Daddy and Mother Martin were talking about the good times they used to have in winter when they were children, when Mrs. Martin said:
"I feel a cold wind blowing, don't the rest of you?"
"It is chilly," agreed her husband. "The wind must have sprung up suddenly and is coming through the cracks of the windows."
"There's more wind than comes through a crack," said Mrs. Martin. "I think a door is open. ”

“ It was quite dark outside by this time, and Ted and Janet, hurrying from the woodshed where Mrs. Martin had a light, could not see very well. You know how it is when you go into a dark moving picture place from the bright outdoors—you can’t see very well, at first.
Well, this happened to Ted and Jan, and the first Mr. and Mrs. Martin heard, after the Curlytops ran out, was a cry from one of them.
“Did you find Skyrocket?” asked Mr. Martin, hurrying out of the shed. ”

“ Mr. and Mrs. Martin also thanked Mr. Weldon that night, after they had heard how he had gotten Trouble out of danger. The Curlytops and their friends were now well settled at the farm, where they would remain about a week.
“Though if Mr. Portnay sends back that box of albums any sooner, we might travel on,” said Mr. Martin.
“Oh, let’s stay here!” pleaded Jan. “It’s lovely here!”
“We can have lots of fun,” added Ted.
“Well, since we started this tour mainly to give you children a good vacation time, and since you like it here, we might as well stay for a while,” said their father. ”

“ Martin, and she began casting her eyes about, hoping she might see either the ring or the keys. But neither was found, even though the Curlytops, Trouble and Mr. and Mrs. Keller also aided.
“I shall have to do as I said I would, and get some men with shovels and sieves to look over all this sand around here,” said Mr. Keller, pointing to the ring of stones and sticks made by Ted.
“It will be the only safe way,” agreed Mrs. Martin.
“Don’t you folks bother any more,” went on Mr. Keller. “I’ll go and see if I can hire some men. ”

“ It will make a funny scene, Weldon, with you climbing out of a cabin window chased by bears.”
“All right—I’ll go through with it,” said the cowboy with a sigh and another funny face which made the Curlytops laugh. “But [197] if they tear my clothes you’ll have to buy me a new suit.”
“I will,” promised the movie director.
By this time the moving picture actors and actresses had quieted down and were getting ready to take their parts in the film. They were to remain in the lumber camp several days, and the Curlytops were glad of this, for they liked to see the work being done. ”

“ Martin or grandpa saw the children starting out with hoe and shovels they probably thought the Curlytops were only going to dig fish worms, as they often did. Grandpa Martin was very fond of fishing, but he did not like to dig the bait. But Trouble was fretful that day, and his mother had to take care of him, so she did not pay much attention to Jan or Ted, feeling sure they would come to no harm. ”

“ Ted, meanwhile, had traded off a battered top for another rusty hook and tangle of line to Harry Kent, and this second line he gave to Janet.
So they each had a pole and line, though the hooks were more rusty than at first. They were not very sharp, either, for which Mrs. Martin was glad, for she did not wish the Curlytops to get a hook caught in their hands. However, she said little, for she knew that the best way to make children careful is to let them do some things for themselves, after warning them how to look out for danger. ”

“ Often there is a strong sea puss when there are only small waves. You Curlytops want to be careful. And if you find there is a strong sea puss, or undertow, don’t stay in bathing.”
“We won’t,” promised Janet. “I’m glad Trouble wasn’t caught in the sea puss.”
“I rather be caught by a nellifunt,” murmured William.
Mr. and Mrs. Dent laughed, and then, telling Ted and Janet to keep careful watch over their little brother, the lighthouse keeper and his wife went back to the beacon while the Curlytops started down the beach for the cottage. ”

“ Oh, ho!" he cried. "Hot waffles do I sell. Hot waffles I love well!"
"Did you bring any with you?" asked Ted eagerly.
"Indeed I did, my little Curlytop. They may not be hot now, but maybe your mother can warm them on the stove," and picking up a package he had laid down near the tree to which he had tied Trouble, the lollypop man gave it to Mrs. Martin with a low bow.
"Waffles for the Curlytops," he said laughing. ”

“ Martin, “and you can drive home in the car.”
“That’s a good idea,” said the father of the Curlytops.
You can imagine how delighted Ted, Janet and Trouble were as they sat on the little deck of the Pine Tree and looked at the scenery along the Rockaway River, up which they were puffing their way to reach Crystal Lake. Mr. Martin knew how to run and steer a motor boat. In quiet stretches of the river he allowed Ted and Janet to hold the wheel for a time.
[211] “It’s just lovely here,” said Mrs. Martin with a happy sigh as she leaned back against a cushion. “It’s much nicer than the auto.” ”

“ But the birds had seen the Curlytops and, fearing that Jan and Ted might take out the eggs in the nest, the wise little birds had pretended to be willing to let the boy and girl catch them instead of robbing the nest.
Of course, Jan and Ted wouldn't have done such a thing as that! But the birds, knew no differently. Not all birds act this way—pretending to be hurt, or that they can't fly—to get people to chase after them, and so keep far away from the little nests. But this particular kind of bird always does that. ”

“ He had had his supper before the Curlytops and Hal came from their digging.
"There's the pile of dirt," called back Ted, who was running on ahead. He pointed to the mound of yellow sand that he, Hal and Jan had dug out of the hole.
"And some one is there, digging!" cried Jan. "Oh, maybe it's Trouble!"
"I only hope he hasn't fallen in and hurt himself!" murmured Mrs. Martin.
By this time Grandpa Martin and Hal had caught up to the others. They could all see some one making the dirt fly on top of the yellow mound of sand at one side of the big hole. ”

“ One day the Curlytops, taking Trouble with them, set off for a little ride in the new goat wagon. Grandma Martin stuffed in many, many cushions, so if anyone fell out or the cart overturned no one would be hurt. In spite of the number of pillows, there was still room for at least five small children.
“If we see anybody who wants a ride we can give it to them,” explained Ted, as he saw the extra room in the wagon. ”

“ Ted answered. "I'd just like to have seen it up in a tree, where the bear couldn't get me."
"Bears can climb trees," remarked Janet.
"Well, I'd go up in a little tree too small for a bear," her brother answered.
"I guess you'd all better go to your little beds!" laughed Mother Martin. "It's long past your sleepy time."
And the Curlytops and Trouble were soon sound asleep. ”

“ THE SNOW BUNGALOW
"Who's that?" asked Mrs. Martin, without thinking, for, of course, there was no way of telling who was at the door until it was opened.
"I'll go to see," offered Daddy Martin.
"Oh, maybe it's that queer lame boy," suggested Ted.
"Don't let him get away until you talk to him," cautioned Mother Martin. "I'd like to know who he is."
"Whoever is there doesn't seem to be going to run away," remarked the Curlytops' father. "They're stamping the snow off their feet as if they intended to come in." ”

“ At last the Curlytops were at Sunset Beach, and they loved it very much. It was a wonderful place to spend a summer vacation.
Ted was working away at his sand mill, Janet was playing with her dolls, and Trouble was at work digging a well for a “nellifunt,” far enough up the beach to be out of the reach of the waves.
“Well, children, I see you’re here!” called a pleasant voice.
For a moment Janet thought it might be Mr. and Mrs. Randall, but a glance showed her and Ted that it was Mr. and Mrs. Keller. They were strolling along the shore, smiling and happy. ”

“ The sawdust pile continued to be a place of much fun for the Curlytops. Sometimes they would start at the top and slide to the bottom of the big heap, getting their curly hair full of the dust, to the despair of their mother and Lucy. ”