Part 30 (2/2)

”What a hard question,” groaned Edna. ”What shall I say? If we teakettled up there, perhaps we could find out.”

”I can't guess it yet,” said Eunice, thinking over this answer.

”Cricket, if you weren't a girl, what would you rather be?”

”I know--a boy,” said Archie, quickly. ”Wouldn't you, Miss Scricket?”

”No, I wouldn't, Mr. Archie. I would rather be a pig than a boy. A nice fat pig, and then n.o.body would laugh at my 'knitting-needles.' That's what papa calls my legs, always, auntie, you know, because they're _not_ fat, I know. He always wants mamma to knit with them, and all that nonsense. It seems to amuse them very much,” added Cricket, with a bored air.

”You haven't teakettled once, child,” said Eunice. ”Oh, auntie, I must just stop to tell you a funny story about Cricket. It was such a joke on her. Once we were playing 'She comes, she comes.' You know that, don't you? Somebody says, 'What does she come with?' and then you give the first letter of the thing you've thought of. It was Cricket's turn, and she--well, she _was_ rather a little girl--gave 'N. N.' for the initials. We guessed and guessed, and had to give up, finally, and then she piped up, 'It's what papa calls my legs,' and she meant 'knitting-needles.'”

”I was _very_ little,” said Cricket, blus.h.i.+ng and apologising. ”It was as much as three years ago. I haven't answered your question yet, Eunice. I b'lieve I don't want to be a pig, after all, for in the fall the farmer has a teakettle, and sells his pigs, and I'd have to go to the butcher and be killed, and be cut up for sausage.”

”I don't seem to get hold of it, yet,” said Eunice, wrinkling her forehead. ”Hilda, how do you like Marbury?”

”I think it's perfectly lovely,” declared Hilda, enthusiastically. ”Oh, I forgot to teakettle. I think teakettling is lovely, even if you do get becalmed.”

”Teakettling--sailing! Sail is the word,” exclaimed Eunice, instantly.

”You gave it away, Hilda. I guessed it on you, so you'll have to go out.”

”I'll never be able to guess it in the world,” said Hilda, looking disappointed.

”I'll take your place,” said Will, instantly. ”It's about time that Archie sculled. Take hold, old boy, and keep at it.”

”Choose a hard one,” said Eunice, when Will had duly stopped up his ears. ”How would _steal_ do?”

”Yes, or we might have _oar_ and _ore_,” said Hilda.

”Scull and skull,” said Archie, pensively.

”That's good,” said auntie. ”Or else bough, and bow of the boat, and bow, to make a bow.”

”Let's take that, for there are so many meanings,” said Cricket.

”All right. Ready, Will,” said Archie, kicking him.

Will uncovered his ears and began.

”Edna, how many sandwiches did you eat for luncheon?”

”I ought to make you a teakettle for asking me such an easy question,”

laughed Edna, ”I ate two--I think.”

”Whopper!” said Will. ”Eunice, why is a crocodile like the North Pole?”

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