Bancroft Prairie-Dog Town
M 535739 NY PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE BRANCH LIBRARIES
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Bancroft Prairie-Dog Town
M 535739 NY PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE BRANCH LIBRARIES
3 3333 08087 4072
'
^^
PRAIRIE-DOG TOWN
THE TWINKLE TALES Six Volumes
MR.
WOODCHUCK
BANDIT JIM CROW PRAIRIE-DOG TOWN PRINCE MUD-TURTLE
SUGAR-LOAF MOUNTAIN TWINKLE'S ENCHANTMENT
in
'
List of Chapters
I
II
The
.....
Picnic
Prairie-Dog
Town
.
III
Mr. Bowko, the Mayor
IV
Presto Digi, the Magician
Y VI VII VIII
The Home
.
.
.
.
.
.
of the Puff-Pudgys
Teenty and Weenty
.
.
of the
The
Reilly
& Brittou
.
.
Earth Again
Copyright, 1906, by
.13 .18
.
Co.
34
.42
The Mayor Gives a Luncheon
On Top
5
2G
.
.
PAGE
.
49 57
OF
PROPERTY CI1I OF
NEW IOBX
Chapter The
ON cause
Picnic
the great western prairies of Dakota
a
is
it is
very big
little
town called Edgeley, be-
on the edge of civilization- -a
word which means some folks
have found a better way folks.
way to
I
to live
than other
The Edgeley people have a good live, for
wooden houses
there are almost seventeen there,
and among them
school-house, a church, a store
smith-shop.
If
is
a
and a black-
people walked out their front
doors they were upon the
little
street;
if
they walked out the back doors they were
Town
Prairie-Dog on the broad Twinkle,
That was why
prairies.
who was
a fanner's
little girl, lived
town that she could
so near the
walk
easily
to school.
She was a pretty, rosy-cheeked with long,
and big round eyes
fluffy hair,
that everybody smiled into
them.
It
was hard
from getting tangled it
in the
to ;
when they saw
keep that
so
back with a
And Twinkle wore
little thing,
fluffy hair
mamma used big,
to tie
broad ribbon.
calico slips for school
days and gingham dresses when she wanted 77
And
to
"dress up
to
keep the sun from spotting her face with
freckles, she
or look especially nice.
wore sunbonnets made
same goods as her Twinkle's
best
of the
dresses.
chum was
a
little
boy
CKUBBINS
Prairie-Dog called
Chubbins,
Town
who was
the only child
Chubbins
of the tired-faced school-teacher.
was about so tall
as old as Twinkle; but he
and slender
n't
for his age as she was,
being short and rather little
was
fat.
round head was cut
The hair on his
close,
and he usu-
wore a shirt-waist and "knickers," with
ally
a wide straw hat on the back of his head.
Chubbins
7
s face
many words when grown
said
He
was very solemn.
never
folks were
around, but he could talk fast enough
when
he and Twinkle were playing together alone. Well, one Saturday the school had a picnic,
On
and Twinkle and Chubbins both went. the
trees
Dakota
at
all,
prairies there are
and very
little
no shade-
water except
what they they get by boring deep holes 8
Prairie-Dog in the ground; so
Town
you may wonder where
the people could possibly have
a picnic.
But about three miles from the town a
little
stream of water (which they called a "river,"
but we would
call
only a brook) ran slow
and muddy across the the road crossed built.
If
it
a
prairie;
flat
and where
bridge had been
you climbed down the banks
of
the river you would find a nice shady place
under the wooden bridge; and so here
it
was
that the picnics were held.
All the village went to the picnic, and
they started bright and early in the morning,
with horses and farm-wagons, and baskets full of
good things
to eat,
and soon arrived
at the bridge.
There was room enough in
its
shade for
Prairie-Dog all to
Town
be comfortable; so they unhitched the
horses and carried the baskets to the river
bank, and began to laugh and be as merry as they could.
Twinkle and Chubbins, however, did care
much
for the
shade of the bridge.
n't
This
was a strange place to them, so they decided to explore it and see if it was any different from any other part of the prairie. Without telling anybody where they were going, they took hold of hands and trotted across the bridge and
away
into the plains on the other
side.
The ground here was rolls to
it,
like big
that as soon as the
n't
flat,
but had long
waves on the ocean, so little girl
climbed over the top of the
To"
and boy had first
wave, or
TWINKLE AND CIIUBBIXS START TO EXPLORE
Prairie-Dog hill,
Town
those by the river lost sight of them.
They saw nothing but grass hollow, but there
was another
in the first hill just be-
yond, so they kept going, and climbed over that too.
And now
they found, lying in the
second hollow, one of the most curious sights that the western prairies afford.
"What
is it?'
asked Chubbins, wonder-
ingly.
"Why,
it 's
a Prairie-Dog Town,'
Twinkle.
12
said
Chapter Prairie-Dog in
LYING the
in
Town
every direction,
filling the little
mounds
II
hollow, were round
each one having a hole
of earth,
center.
and quite
The mounds were about
and as big around as a wash-
two
feet high
tub,
and the edges
of the holes
were pounded
hard and smooth by the pattering feet of the
little
"Is n't at the
creatures that lived within. '
it
funny!
said Chubbins, staring
mounds. 7
"Awful,
replied
"Do you know,
Twinkle, staring too.
Chub, there are an'mals
TT
Town
Prairie-Dog
living in every single one of those holes?
7
"What kind?" asked Chnbbins. "Well, they're something like squirrels,
only they are * '
she explained.
n't squirrels,' '
They 're "
prairie-dogs.
Don't like dogs,' said the boy, looking
a bit uneasy.
"Oh, they're not dogs Twinkle;
"they
're
soft
at
and
all,"
said
fluffy,
and
gentle."
"Do
they bark?" he asked.
"Yes; but they don't bite."
"How
d'
you know, Twink?'
"Papa has times.
He
told
if
about them,
lots of
says they're so shy that they run
into their holes
but
me
when anybody
's
around;
you keep quiet and watch, they
TT
'11
WATCHING
Town
Prairie-Dog
their heads out in a
stick
few minutes.'
"Let's watch,' said Chubbins.
"All right," she agreed.
Very near
to
some
of the
bank, covered with
liaised
children stole softly
down upon
it
up
in such a
mounds was
.soft
to this
way
a
grass; so the
bank and
lay
that their heads
*
just stuck over the top of
it,
while their
bodies were hidden from the eyes of any of the folks of Prairie-Dog Town.
"Are you comferble, Chub?' asked the little girl.
"Yes."
"Then
lie still
and don't
talk,
and keep
your eyes open, and perhaps the an'mals will stick their heads up."
"All right," says Chubbins.
Prairie-Dog
Town
So they kept quiet and waited, and
seemed a long time girl
before a
soft,
to
it
both the boy and the
furry head
popped out
a near-by hole, and two big, gentle
eyes looked at them curiously.
17
of
brown
Chapter
III
Mr. Bowko, the Mayor 1
A EAR me! " said the prairie-dog, speak-
*^* some
ing almost in a whisper; "here are of
those
queer humans
from the
village.'
"Let me
see!
shrill little voices,
me
Let
see!'
cried
two
and the wee heads of two
small creatures popped out of the hole and fixed their bright eyes
upon the heads
of
Twinkle and Chubbins.
"Go down prairie-dog.
naughty
little
at once!
:
said the
"Do you want to things?'
18
mother
get hurt, you
"GO DOWX AT OXCE!
Prairie-Dog
Town
"Oli, they won't get hurt,'
said another
deeper voice, and the children turned their eyes toward a second mound, on top of
which sat a plump prairie-dog whose reddish fur
was tipped with white on the end
He seemed
each hair.
to
least well along in years,
be quite
and would
for the world,'
face.
said the mother.
"True enough; but they children,
're
only
is to
"Why, rie-dog,
human
n't hurt your little ones
the old one said.
"That's so!" called Twinkle. want,
old, or at
and he had a wise
and thoughtful look on his ''They're humans,'
of
"All
we
get acquainted.'
in that case,'
replied the old prai-
"you are very welcome
and we're glad
to see you.'
~20~
in our town,
Prairie-Dog "Thank you,"
Town
said Twinkle, gratefully.
did n't occur to her just then that
wonderful to be talking to the dogs just as
if
it
It
was
little prairie-
they were people.
It
seemed
very natural they should speak with each other and be friendly.
As little
attracted
if
by the sound
of voices,
heads began to pop out of the other
mounds- -one here and one theretown was
-until the
alive with the pretty creatures, all
squatting near the edges of their holes and
eyeing Chubbins and Twinkle with grave
and curious "Let
me
looks.
introduce myself,'
said the old
one that had
first
name
Mayor and Prairie-Dog Town."
is
proved friendly.
Bowko, and
High Chief
of
7
I
m
the
"My
Prairie-Dog
Town
"Don't you have a king?" asked Twinkle.
"Not
in this
town/ he answered. "There
seems to be no place
And
United States. Chief
is
for kings in this free
Mayor and High
a
just as good as a king,
"I think
so, too,"
1
any
answered the
day.'
girl.
declared Chubbins.
"Better!'
The Mayor smiled, as
if
pleased.
"I see you've been properly brought up,'
"and now
he continued; to
you some
of
pointing with
my one
let
me
introduce
fellow-citizens. little
paw
;
'
This,
to the hole
where the mother and her two children were sitting, "is
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy and her family
Teenty and Weenty. regret to say,
town
Mr. Puff-Pudgy,
was recently chased out
for saying his prayers backwards.' ~22~
I
of
WOULD SAY BACKWARD
MR. PUFF-PUDGY
HIS PRAYERS
Prairie-Dog "How
Town much
could he?' asked Chubbins,
surprised.
"He was always with
Mayor,
a
things the same
answered the
1
contrary,'
"and wouldn't do
sigh,
way
that others did.
His
good wife, Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, had to scold
him
all
day long; so we
leave the town, and
he
's
gone
I
finally
don't
made him
know where
to."
"Won't he be sorry not
to
have his
asked Twinkle,
children any more?'
little
regret-
fully.
"I suppose so; but
if
people are contrary,
and won't behave, they must take the consequences.
This
is
Mr. Chuckledorf,'
con-
tinued the Mayor, and a very fat prairie-dog
bowed
to
them most
politely;
~24~
"and here
is
Town
Prairie-Dog
Mrs. Fuzcum; and Mrs. Chatterby; and Mr. Sneezeley, and Doctor Dosem.'
;
bowed gravely and politely, and Chubbins and Twinkle bobbed their All these folks
heads in return until their necks ached, for
seemed as
if
Mayor would never
the
it
get
through introducing the hundreds of prairiedogs that were squatting around. "I
'11 '
other,
never be able to
whispered
look exactly alike.
"Some bins;
'em
of
"but
I
tell
one from the
the girl; " 'cause
:
'
all
:
's fatter,'
don't
they
know
25
observed Chub-
which.
'
Chapter IV Presto Digi, the Magician if
now,
AND
pleased
our houses,'
to
said
you
like,
have you
we visit
will
some
be of
Mr. Bowko, the Mayor,
in a friendly tone.
"But we
"We're
can't!'
too big,'
exclaimed Twinkle.
and she got up and
sat
down upon the bank, to show him how big she really was when compared with the prairie-dogs.
"Oh, that does n't matter in the the
Mayor
replied.
"I
'11
have Presto Digi,
our magician, reduce you to our
26
least,'
'
size.
MR. BOWKO,
THE MAYOR
Prairie-Dog
Town
"Can he?" asked Twinkle,
doubtfully.
"Our magician can do anything, deThen he sat up and put clared the Mayor. both his front paws to his mouth and made 7
a curious sound that was something like a
bark and something like a whistle, but not exactly like either one.
Then everybody waited
in silence until
a queer old prairie-dog slowly put his head out of a big
mound
near the center of the
village.
"Good morning, Mr. Presto
Digi," said
the Mayor.
"Morning!'
answered
blinking his eyes as
ened from
if
the
magician,
he had just awak-
sleep.
Twinkle nearly laughed at this scrawny,
IT
Prairie-Dog
Town
skinny personage; but by good fortune, for she did n't wish to offend
him, she kept
her face straight and did not even smile.
"We ing/
have two guests here, this morn-
continued the Mayor, addressing the
magician, into
"who
are a little too large to get
our houses.
So,
to stay to luncheon, if
it
as they are invited
would please us
you would kindly reduce them
underground rooms. "Is that Digi,
"It
all
to
fit
all
our
7
you want?'' asked Mr. Presto /
bobbing his head at the children.
seems
Twinkle.
to
me
a great deal,'
answered
"I 'm afraid you never could do
it,"
"Wow!'
said the magician, in a scornful
voice that
was almost a bark. "I can do ~29~
Town
Prairie-Dog that with one paw.
Come
don't step on any of
you
're
so big
our
here to me, and
mounds while
and clumsy.'
So Twinkle and Chubbins got up and
walked slowly toward the magician, taking great care where they stepped.
Weenty were heads with
frightened,
little
Teenty and
and ducked
their
squeals as the big children
passed their mound;
but they bobbed up
again the next moment, being
curious to
what would happen. When the boy and girl stopped before Mr.
see
Presto Digi's mound, he began Avaving one of his thin, scraggy
paws and
at the
same
time made a gurgling noise that was deep
down
in his throat.
And
his eyes rolled t/
and twisted around in a very odd way.
MR. PRESTO DTGI
WORKS MAGIC
Prairie-Dog
Town
Neither Twinkle nor Chubbins effect
felt
any
from the magic, nor any different from
ordinary; but they
knew they were grow-
ing smaller, because their eyes were getting closer to the magician.
asked Mr.
"Is that enough?'
Presto,
after a while.
"Just a Mayor;
I
little
don't
more, please,'
want them
to
replied the
bump
their
heads against the doorways.'
So the magician again waved his paw and chuckled
and gurgled and blinked,
until
Twinkle suddenly found she had to look up at
him
as he squatted on his
"Stop!'
mound.
she screamed; "if you keep on,
we won't be anything
at all!'
"You're just about the right ~32~
size,'
said
Town
Prairie-Dog the Mayor, looking pleasure,
them over with much
and when the
she found Mr.
girl
Bowko and
turned around
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy
standing beside her, and she could easily see that
Chubbins was no bigger than
they,
and she was no bigger than Chubbins.
"Kindly follow me," Pudgy, "for to
my
make your
the
first
guests
little
said
Mrs.
darlings are anxious
acquaintance, and as
to discover you,
first of all,
you are
to
and afterward go
Mayor's to luncheon.'
33
Puff-
I
was
be
my
to the
Chapter The Home
V
of the Puff-Pudgys
Twinkle and Chubbins,
SO hands,
trotted
Pudgy mound, and rough the ground
along it
still
to
holding
the
Puff-
was strange how
now seemed
to their tiny
They climbed up the slope of the mound rather clumsily, and when they
feet.
came
them as big Then they saw that it was n't
to the hole it
as a well.
seemed
to
a deep hole, but a sort of tunnel leading
down
hill
knew
if
into
the mound,
and Twinkle
they were careful they were not
likely to slip or
tumble down. ~34~
THE GROUND NOW SEEMED ROUGH TO THEIR TINY FEET
Town
Prairie-Dog Mrs.
Puff-Pudgy popped
like a flash,
was used
for she
the hole
into
to
waited just below the opening to them. floor
So,
Twinkle slipped down
of the tunnel
close after her,
and
it,
guide to
the
and Chubbins followed
and then they began
to go
downward. "It
's
a
little
dark right
said Mrs.
here,'
Puff-Pudgy; but I've ordered the maid to light the candles for you, so
enough when you
're
you
'11
see well
in the rooms.'
"Thank you," said Twinkle, walking along the hall and feeling her
hand upon the smooth
way by keeping
sides of the passage.
"I hope you won't go to any trouble,
put on
airs,
visit von."
just
her
because we
've
come
or to
Town
Prairie-Dog
"If I do," replied Mrs. Puffy-Pudgy, "it
because
know
I
We Ve
pany.
the right
to do, or
way with
isn't the
you, Teenty
Some
how
do
it,
and Weenty- -get out
a good look at our
fortable
to
folks
never
but that Hi!
the Puflf-Pudgys.
and behave yourselves
And now
com-
to treat
always belonged to the 'four
hundred/ you know.
know what
way
's
!
You
'11
of here
soon have
visitors.'
they came into a room so com-
and even splendid that Twinkle's
eyes opened wide with amazement. It
was
big,
and
of a
round shape, and on
the Avails were painted very
handsome
traits of different prairie-dogs of the
Pudgy white
family. clav, /
porPuff-
The furniture was made
baked hard in the sun and ~37~
of
dec-
Prairie-Dog orated with paints
Town
made from blue
red clay and yellow clay.
This gave
table in the middle of the room,
comfortable chairs and sofas. little
it
a
There was a round
gorgeous appearance.
walls were
clay and
and several
Around the
brackets with candles in
them, lighting the place very pleasantly. "Sit down, please," said Mrs. Puff-Pudgy.
"You'll want to rest a minute before
I
show
you around.' So Twinkle and Chubbins sat upon the pretty clay chairs, and Teenty and sat
opposite them and stared
Weenty
with
mischievous round eyes as hard
as
their
they
could.
"What nice
7
furniture,
'
exclaimed the
girl.
"Yes," replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, looking ~38~
MR. PUFF-PUDGY 'S PORTRAIT
Town
Prairie-Dog
at the picture of a sad-faced prairie-dog;
up
"Mr. Puff-Pudgy made
He
all himself.
it
was very handy at such things. shame he turned out so obstinate.
It 's
a
r>
"Did he build the house too?
7
"Why, he dug it out, if that's what you mean. But I advised him how to do it, so I
deserve some credit for the
to
Mayor's,
it
the
it 's
town, which accounts for standing.
myself.
Next
best house in
our high social
Weenty! take your paw out You're biting your
your mouth.
of
claws
again.'
"I 'm not!'
"And "if
now,'
you are
said Weenty.
continued Mrs. Puff-Pudgy,
rested,
11
I
the rest of our house.'
1
show you through
Prairie-Dog So, they got
Town
up and followed
led the children through an
cunningest
ever seen.
archway into
little
They were
as our
own
full
dishes Twinkle had all
made
baked hard in the sun, and were ful shapes,
and she
Here was a cupboard
the dining-room. of the
her,
of
clay,
of grace-
and nearly as smooth and perfect dishes.
41
Chapter VI Teenty and Weenty around the sides
ALLroom wall;
of
the dining-
were pockets, or bins, in the
and these were
the prairie-dogs
Clover-seeds
are
filled
full of
those things
most fond one
bin,
of eating.
and
sweet
roots another; dried mulberry leaves- -that
must have come from a long distance were in another bin, and even kernels of
yellow
place.
field
corn were heaped in
The Puff-Pudgys were surely
in
one
no
danger of starving for some time to come. 11
Teenty! Put back that grain of wheat, 42
7
THE CHILDREN EXAMINE THE DINING-ROOM
Town
Prairie-Dog commanded
the mother, in a severe voice.
Instead of obeying, Teenty put the wheat in his
mouth and
ate
it
as quickly as pos-
sible.
"The
little
dears are so restless,'
Puff-Pudgy said to Twinkle, "that to
Mrs.
it 's
hard
manage them." "They don't
bins, staring
behave,'
remarked Chub-
hard at the children.
"No, they have a share
of their father's
obstinate nature,' replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy.
"Excuse me a minute and It'll
I'll cuff
do them good.'
But before the children
their
mother could reach them,
found trouble of their own.
Teenty sprang at Weenty and fight,
them;
began
to
because his brother had pinched him,
Prairie-Dog
Town
and Weenty fought back with
all his
might
and main.
their claws
and
rolled over
They scratched with with their teeth, and
bit
and over upon the
floor,
bumping
into the
wall and upsetting the chairs, and snarling
and growling Mrs.
all
the while like two puppies.
Puff-Pudgy sat
down and watched
them, but did not interfere.
"Won't they hurt themselves?'
asked
Twinkle, anxiously.
"Perhaps they do,
it
naughty.
I
so,'
said the mother;
"but
if
will punish
them
for being so
let
them
fight
always
it
out,
because they are so sore for a day or two afterward that they have to keep quiet, and
then
I
get a little rest."
Weenty
set
up a great howling,
just then,
Prairie-Dog
Town
and Teenty drew away from his defeated brother
and looked
at
him
closely.
The
them was badly mussed up, and Weenty had a long scratch on his no^e, that must have hurt him, or he would n't fur on both of
have howled
so.
closed tight, but
Teenty's if it
left
eye
was
hurt him he bore the
pain in silence. Mrs. Puff-Pudgy into a little
now pushed them both
room and shut them
up, saying
they must stay there until bedtime; and then she led Twinkle and Chubbins into the kitchen
and showed them a pool
water, in a big clay basin, that
of clear
had been
caught during the last rain and saved for drinking purposes. it,
and found
it
cool
The children drank and 46
refreshing.
of
THE QUARREL
Prairie-Dog
Town
Then they saw the bedrooms, and learned that the beds of prairie-dogs were nothing
more than round hollows made clay.
These animals
selves
up when they
hollows
fitted
just
doubt, they found
There
were
always sleep,
their
in
curl
them-
and the round bodies;
no
so,
them very comfortable.
several
bedrooms, for the
Puff-Pudgy house was really very w^as also very cool
of
heaps
large.
and pleasant, being
underground and not a
bit
It
all
damp.
After they had admired everything in a
way
that
made
and happy,
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy very proud
their hostess took one of
the
lighted candles from a bracket
and said she
would now escort them
house of the
to the
Honorable Mr. Bowko, the Mayor.
"IF
Chapter VII The Mayor Gives we have
DON'T out of halls
to go
upstairs and
doors?" asked Twinkle.
all
connecting
they had gone
follow
have been
little girl
me,
through
They turned
several
this
many underground 49
lost with-
thought, after
winding
way and
in quite a bewildering manner,
were so
different
lost.
easily
out their guide, the
"we
'
and you can't get
They might
the
Just
houses of importance.
passages.
Luncheon
replied the prairie-dog,
;
"Oh, no/ have
a
that,
and there
tunnels going
Prairie-Dog in
every direction that
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy
it
Town was a wonder
knew which
Avay to go.
"You ought to have sign-posts,' said Chubbins, who had once been in a city. 7
"Why, as for that, every one in the town knows which way to go,' answered their guide;
"and
it
isn't often w^e
have
visitors.
Last week a gray owl stopped with us for a couple of days, and we had a fine ball in her honor.
But you are the
that have ever
first
been entertained
humans in
our
town, so it's quite an event with us.'
A
few minutes later she said: "Here we
are,
at the
Mayor's house,' and as they passed
under a broad archway she blew out her candle, because the Mayor's house brilliantly lighted.
50
was
so
THE LUNCHEON AT THE MAYOR'S
Town
Prairie-Dog
"Welcome!" said Mr. Bowko, greeting
"You
the children with polite bows.
are
just in time, for luncheon is about ready
and
my
He
guests are waiting for you.
them
led
'
at once into a big dining-
room that was
so
painted
magnificently
with colored clavs that the walls were as /
bright as a June rainbow.
"How
cried Twinkle, clapping
pretty!'
her hands together in delight. "I 'm glad you like
much
pleased.
lacking in
good
7
it,
"Some taste,
said the Mayor,
people,
think
who
it 's
a
are little
overdone, but a Mayor's house should gorgeous,
I
think,
the community.
be
so as to be a credit to
My
grandfather, w^ho de-
signed and painted this house, ~52~
was a very
Town
Prairie-Dog fineartist.
But luncheon
is
*
ready, so pray
be seated.'
They
sat
down on
little
were placed at the round sat
on one side
Pudgy on the
of
clay chairs that
table.
The Mayor
Twinkle and Mrs.
other,
Puff-
and Chubbins was
be-
tween the skinny old magician and Mr. Sneezeley.
Also, in other
chairs sat
Dr.
Dosem, and Mrs. Chatterby, and Mrs. Fuzcum, and several others. It was a large company, indeed, which showed that the Mayor considered this a very important occasion.
They were waited upon by several sleek prairie-dog maids in white aprons and white caps,
who looked
neat and respectable, and
were very graceful in their motions. Neither Twinkle nor Chubbins was very
Prairie-Dog
*
Town
hungry, but they were curious to
kind
know what
food the prairie-dogs ate, so they
of
watched carefully when the different dishes were
passed
around.
Only
and
grains
do
vegetables were used, for prairie-dogs
not eat meat. at first sliced
;
There was a milk-weed soup
and then yellow
thin.
and
Afterward they had a salad
of thistle leaves,
barley.
corn, boiled
and some bread made
The dessert was a dish
of
of the sweet,
dark honey made by prairie-bees, and some cakes flavored with sweet and spicy roots that only prairie-dogs
The children tasted to
eat
show
know how
to find.
of several dishes, just
their politeness; but they couldn't
much.
Chubbins spent most
time watching Mr. Presto Digi,
who
of his
ate
up
MRS.
FUZCUM SINGING
Prairie-Dog everything that was near to
Town him and seemed
be as hungry after the luncheon as he
had been
before.
Mrs. Puff-Pudgy talked so
much about
the social standing and dignity of the Puff-
Pudgys that she couldn't
find time to eat
much, although she asked
for the recipe of
the milk-weed soup.
present paid
and
But most
strict attention
of the others
to the
ate with very good appetites.
56
meal
Chapter VIII On Top
of the Earth Again
A FTERWARD they all went into the * big drawing-room, where Mrs. Fu/-* cum sang
a song for them in a very
shrill
and Mr. Sneezeley and Mrs. Chatterby danced a graceful minuet that was much voice,
admired by
"We
after
"I'm
over.
us.
"We
present. to
ought
Twinkle,
about
all
be going
this
home,'
said
entertainment
was
our folks will worry
afraid
'
regret to part
the Mayor; "but,
if
w ith r
you,'
replied
you really think you
~57~
Town
Prairie-Dog ought to to urge
"You
go,
you
we
to stay."
find
'11
will not be so impolite as
we have excellent manners,'
added Mrs. Puff-Pudgy. "I
want
"Very
1
to get big again,'
said Chubbins.
well; please step this
way," said
the Mayor.
So they
all
followed
him through a long
passage until they began to go upward, as if
climbing a
hill.
And
then a gleam of
daylight showed just ahead of them, and a
few more steps brought them to the hole in the middle of the mound.
The Mayor and Mrs. Puff-Pudgy jumped up first, and then they helped Twinkle and Chubbins light
to scramble out.
made them blink "~58~
The strong suntheir
eyes for a
"DO YOU THINK WE'VE BEEX ASLEEP?"
Town
Prairie-Dog but when
time,
were able
they
to
look
around they found one or more heads
"Now, Mr. Presto
when
from every mound.
sticking
prairie-dogs
of
7
Digi,
said the Mayor,
the party were standing on the
all
ground, "please enlarge our friends to their natural sizes again.
"That
is
7:
very easy,'
with a sigh.
said the magician,
"I really wish, Mr. Mayor,
that you would find something for
that
is difficult.
So
the
gurgled, before,
to
do
77
"I will, some time,
"Just now, this
me
7
is all I
promised the Mayor. can require of you.
7;
waved his paw and the same way he had done
magician
much
in
and Twinkle and Chubbins began
to
grow and swell out until they were as large 60
Prairie-Dog T own as ever, and the prairie-dogs again seemed
very small beside them. said
"Good-bye,"
thank you
the
little
very much,
all,
for
girl,
''and
your kind-
ness to us/
"Good-bye!' answered a chorus of small voices,
and then
into their holes
all
the prairie-dogs popped
and quickly disappeared.
Twinkle and Chubbins found they were sitting
on the green bank again, at the edge
of Prairie-Dog "
Town.
Do you think we 've been
asked the
r
that,
Chub?"
girl.
"'Course big yaw n.
asleep,
not,'
"It's
replied Chubbins, with a
easy
'nough
to
Twink, 'cause I'm sleepy now!" T H E END
know
PRINTED BY R. R. DONNELLEY AND SONS COMPANY, AT THE LAKESIDE PRESS, CHICAGO, ILL.