Part 19 (2/2)

”It's very hard to climb a hill, But when you're at the top, You feel so very fine and good Because it's there you stop.

If you should still keep on and on, I wonder where you'd land?

By sliding down the other side With sandals full of sand?”

Then Buddy tried to do a little dance, but what do you s'pose happened?

Why, he lost his balance, and toppled over, and then he grabbed hold of Brighteyes, who was looking at the fine view, and she toppled over, and then, wiggily-waggily, woggily-wee! they both tumbled down that steep hill, head over heels like Jack and Jill.

And they went down faster, and faster, and faster, rolling over and over, and they saw stars, and several different lakes, and lots of clouds and ever so many things. They were both frightened, and they thought surely they were going to be hurt, for they were nearing the bottom, when all of a sudden what should come along but a big load of hay!

Buddy and Brighteyes. .h.i.t a stone, bounced up in the air, and then came down, flippity-flop! right on top of the soft hay, and they weren't hurt the least bit. Then they slid down off the hay, before the man who was driving it saw them, and ran home. And they didn't climb a hill again for ever and ever so long.

Now, if I hear a potato bug whistle a tune on a cornstalk fiddle, I'm going to tell you next about Buddy and Brighteyes going in bathing.

STORY XXVII

BUDDY AND BRIGHTEYES GO BATHING

”Oh, dear!” exclaimed Buddy Pigg one day. ”Oh, dear! Oh, dear me suz dud!”

”Why, Buddy, dear, whatever in the world is the matter?” asked his mamma, and Brighteyes, who was mending some stockings, looked up at her brother in much surprise.

”Oh, dear!” cried the little guinea pig boy again, ”I wish I had something to do. It's so hot and dry and dusty here. I wish some of the fellows would come around or--or I even wish school would begin again, so I would have something to do.”

Now when a boy wishes for school, in the middle of vacation, you may be sure something serious is the matter. Mrs. Pigg knew this at once, so she asked:

”What would you like to do, Buddy?”

”I don't know,” he answered, rather cross and fretful-like, which wasn't very nice, I suppose.

”All the boys have gone to Asbury Park or Ocean Grove,” said Brighteyes, ”and I guess you are lonesome, Buddy. It must be lovely at the seash.o.r.e,” and Brighteyes sighed the least bit, and took such a big st.i.tch in the stocking she was mending that she had to rip it out and do it over again.

”Well, we can't go to the seash.o.r.e this season because the salt air doesn't agree with your father,” said Mrs. Pigg. ”If all goes well, we shall soon be in the country, however. But now, what do you like best about the seash.o.r.e, Buddy?”

”Going in bathing,” he answered.

”You can do that right here at home,” said his mamma. ”I will get out your bathing suits, and you and Brighteyes can go swimming in the pond back of our house.”

”That will be lovely!” cried Brighteyes, and she jumped up so quickly that she dropped the basket of stockings, and her pink hair ribbon came off, and she was all confused-like.

”There are no waves in the pond, like down in the ocean at Asbury,”

complained Buddy. ”It is no fun to go in bathing where there are no waves.”

”Ha! What's that?” cried a voice, and then Percival, the old circus dog, who was staying with the Piggs while the Bow Wow family, with whom he lived, was away for the summer--Percival, I say, got up from where he had been sleeping under a mosquito net to keep off the flies. ”No waves, eh? So you want waves, do you, when you go in bathing, Buddy?” asked Percival.

”Yes,” answered Buddy Pigg, ”I do, Percival.”

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