pond, looking at the old hen, who was fluttering up and down,

d not go, for chickens don't like to get wet you know, paddling up and dow

them out, Bunny. Take off your shoes and stockings and wade in

ground, and began to

egan to

Bunny's laughter. "Don't you want to save the little chicks for the hen?" S

ickens, Sue!" exclaimed

hey aren't? Then

he water. They know how to swim when they're just

wly hatched chickens. But as she watched them she saw they were swimming about, and, as one little baby duck

d it doesn't hurt them to go in the water,

She doesn't know they are ducks and can s

ind Bunny and Sue. They looked around to see th

g in swimming," he went on. "You see, we put ducks' eggs under a

kstritches' eggs?"

n. "I guess a hen could only cover one of those at a time. But

eggs under a hen. And every time, as soon as the little ducks find water, after they are

l the little ducks from chickens. And when they go into the water she thinks, just as you

s over it now

ings all fluffed up. She seemed to know that the little family she had hatched out, even if they were not like any others she

nd whistled (as baby ducks always do) and had a perfectly love

and they came out on dry land, waddling from sid

n is to see them safe on

once more. She clucked over them, and tried to hover them under her

of oil in them. So the little ducks did not need to get dry. They ran about in the sun, quacking in their baby voi

o into the water the old hen mother won't be at all frightened, for she will know

ens were drowning!" laughed Sue

en thought," said Grandpa Brown. "Bu

r a circus," answ

claimed grandp

n't hurt. And he's going to paint his half of our dog Splash, so Splash will look like a tiger,

l Sue could thi

aking off his straw hat, scratched hi

circus; eh? Wel

id Bunny. "That is

thought for

I don't mind. I s'pose it's only

red Bunny. "

n you like, but don't get hurt. Are

. "We're going to have To

ce and Sallie S

. "Well, have a good time. I used to have a train

e do?" Bunny

rs, make believe he was dead, he could

ad him for our ci

dog now, Gran

you can get your dog Splash to do some tricks.

ster Sue. And they really meant what they s

Grandma Brown, as well as father and Mother Brown, said she did not mind if a circus

in the hay," said the l

e to put stripes on your half

guess,"

'll mix you up some starch and water, with a little blui

doesn't have blue stripes, and my ha

of tiger," said Grandma Brown, a

ng children to tell them about the circus. Nearly all the child

rown that night when they were all sitting on

have to come and see you

andma Brown. They all listened, and he

pa. "Maybe it's a tramp. There

k before this one. Perhaps those tramps had gotten out of jail and had come to get more cake. Bunny and Sue sat cl

king to some one. And the a

u want?" as

very hungry. I haven't had any dinner or supper. I'm will

as though the stra

ndma Brown, getting up. "It's just

uld see a boy, not quite as big as Bunker Blue, standing beside grandpa. The boy had on clothes that were dusty, and s

?" asked Gr

oy!" said grandpa. "I guess we'll have to feed