Part 9 (1/2)
”I thought maybe you had decided to go after books instead.”
Anna looked at Hans. Could he have been playing a joke on them at Vosborg? Was it Hans who had taken the book and then put it back? But how could he have gotten into the library? And anyway, she and Greta had both seen him start down the river in the opposite direction.
Just then Greta's mother called from the door. ”Anna, you have a letter from your mother.”
”It's too bad you didn't take Chouse with you today, Greta,” said Hans, when Anna had gone into the house.
”Why? What happened?”
”He was naughtier than he's ever been before. He chased the young turkeys all over the place and injured three or four of them.”
”Did Father see him?”
”Yes. He came along just as Chouse caught one of the turkeys and he was terribly angry. You know how proud Father is of those turkeys.”
”Oh, Hans, what _am_ I going to do?” sobbed Greta. ”We can't seem to break Chouse of his awful habit of chasing things. And yet I can't bear to part with him.”
Just then Anna came running out of the house. ”Greta, I have the grandest news. Mother wants you to come to Copenhagen with me when I go home.”
For a moment Greta forgot her worries about Chouse. ”Oh, Anna, that will be wonderful. Let's ask Mother if I may go.”
CHAPTER IX
CHOUSE SEEKS THE SPOTLIGHT
It was soon decided that Greta would go back to Copenhagen with Anna. At dinner that evening the girls talked about nothing else, for Greta had never been in Copenhagen before.
”While you are away, Greta, I'll look around and find a new home for Chouse,” her father announced suddenly.
At last it had come--this terrible thing that she had been dreading.
”But I thought that Chouse had been a very good dog lately.” For the moment Greta had forgotten Hans's report about the turkeys.
”I had hoped he would learn to behave better,” said her father, ”but today he injured several of the young turkeys, and I just _can't_ have it, Greta. So we must find another home for him. I know how you love Chouse, and I hate to do this, but I don't see any other way out.”
”Why can't Chouse come to Copenhagen with us?” asked Anna, hoping that maybe this would solve the problem, at least for a while.
”Do you think your mother would want him?”
”Oh, yes, I'm sure it would be all right with Mother,” said Anna. ”We don't have any chickens or turkeys, so Chouse couldn't very well get into mischief at my house.”
Greta's father hesitated a minute or two before he answered, while Greta watched him anxiously. ”All right, Anna, Chouse may go to Copenhagen with you and Greta.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: A TYPICAL VILLAGE SCENE]
Greta sank back in her chair with a deep sigh. By the time she came home from Copenhagen, the whole matter would probably be forgotten. At any rate, the evil day had been postponed.
When the day came for Greta and Anna to leave for Copenhagen, the whole family went to the train with them.