Part 6 (2/2)
The spelling was rather a trouble to her; but Toddles quite approved of it, and both children were satisfied with the programme when it was finished, though perhaps any one else might have found difficulty in understanding it. It looked something like this:
”4 TEA AFTER TEA JUMPING THREW HOOPS BALLUNCING t.i.tE ROPES.”
”Won't they be surprised?” said Toddles.
”Now we will practise,” said Trot. ”As we can't have any horses, I will hold the hoop, and you shall jump through it.”
”That is much too easy,” said Toddles. ”Couldn't you stand on a chair, and let me jump off another chair through the hoop?”
Trot looked doubtful--”Nurse doesn't like us to stand on the chairs,”
she said.
She fetched her big wooden hoop and held it up.
”Higher!” shouted Toddles, getting ready to make a spring.
Trot raised the hoop and Toddles jumped; then somehow Toddles and the hoop got mixed up together, and Toddles fell down on the ground.
”Oh dear!” said Trot. ”I am sorry; we must try again.”
Toddles picked himself up, and rubbed his elbows.
”Don't you think it will look stupid to jump through hoops when we can't ride on horses?” he said. ”Of course if we had horses it would be easy enough. I think we had better leave that part out.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”'LET US TRY WALKING THE ROPE.'”]
”Perhaps we had,” said Trot; and she slowly drew her pencil through ”JUMPING THREW HOOPS.”
”We can both balance things,” said Toddles, ”I know;” and he jumped up quickly and ran across the room. ”I will lie on my back, and put the footstool on my feet--”
”And throw it up in the air, and catch it,” cried Trot. ”Like the man with the tub the other day. That will be fine!--What shall I do?”
”Walk about with that pot on your head,” suggested Toddles.
”That old thing,” said Trot; ”that will be very easy.”
Toddles lay down on his back, and stuck the footstool on his feet, and Trot put the jar upon her head.
”It is quite easy,” said Toddles, ”and I am sure the party will like it.”
”Quite easy,” said Trot.
There was a sound of something falling, a cry, a little scream, and a smash.
”Oh!” cried Toddles.
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