Part 8 (2/2)

”Don't let him jump on me and get my dress muddy!” cried Sue. ”He's been in the mud just awful!”

”So he has,” said Bunny Brown. ”Down, Splas.h.!.+ Down!” he called, as the dog neared Sue. Splash made all the signs he knew to show how glad he was to see Bunny and Sue, but he did not get up on his hind legs and put his paws on Sue's shoulders, as he sometimes did.

”Oh, Splash, you're awful dirty!” cried Sue. ”You must run in the brook, where the water is clean, and where there are white pebbly stones instead of mud on the bottom, to wash yourself. You've got to go in too, Dix.”

Dix barked ”bow-wow,” to show he did not mind, I suppose.

”Go on in, Splas.h.!.+” cried Bunny, snapping his fingers and pointing at the brook. ”Go in and was.h.!.+”

But though the Browns' dog was usually ready for a frolic in the water he did not seem to be so just now. He ran back and forth, down to the edge of the stream and back again, getting his paws wet, but nothing else.

”Oh, you must go in and have your bath if you are to come with us!”

cried Sue. ”Go on in, Splas.h.!.+”

But not even for Sue would Splash go in, until finally Bunny cried:

”Oh, I know a way to make him!”

”How?” asked Sue.

”Just throw a stick into the water, and he'll go after it and bring it back. We'll throw it far out.”

”Oh, that's right!” cried Sue. ”We'll do that.”

No sooner had the children picked up sticks than the two dogs, who had started to play ”tag” themselves, knew what was up. They both loved to go into the water after sticks.

”Throw 'em far out now!” cried Bunny. He tossed his to the middle of the brook, and Sue flung hers nearly as far, for she was a good thrower--almost as good as Bunny.

Dix swam after Sue's stick, and Splash went for Bunny's. In a minute they had brought them ash.o.r.e and dropped them at the children's feet, looking up into their faces as much as to say:

”Do it again! We love to chase sticks!”

And then, just as dogs always do when they come from the water, they gave themselves big shakes.

”Look out, Sue!” called Bunny.

But he was too late. A shower of drops from Splash went all over Sue's dress, and some of the drops were not clean water, either.

”Oh dear!” she cried. ”Now I'll have to change my dress!”

”Never mind,” said Bunny. ”You run up to the house and get that done, and I'll throw the two sticks into the water. Then Splash and Dix will go in again, and when they come out they'll be cleaner. I won't come back to the house with them until they are good and clean.”

Once more Bunny tossed the sticks, as Sue went up to change her dress.

When her mother saw her she cried:

”Oh dear, Sue! How did that happen?”

Sue told her.

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