A WISE WHIM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 85, 20 October 1928, Page 15

A WISE WHIM

Winnie and-her little ;brolh'er Frank were to spend a fortnight's holiday at the farmhouse, which belonged to their beloved Uncle Joe. The two children looked forward to their visit with the keenest joy, but when Daddy look them and their .luggage to the station they found that it was harder than they had thought it would be to say ''Good-bye' to Mother. •. ;V .; ' .' . . '.'■ However,,when kind Uncle Joe met them'at the end of their journey, - "which was not: a long one, and they were driven in his little pony-cart through the sweet-scented country lanes to the farm, they felt happy. Soon after a. lovely lea Aunlie Alice tucked them up in lavender-scented beds, and.it was not long before both children were in. the land of dreams. • Next morning Winnie was sitting up in bed, gazing around the pretty room, when little Frank awoke. He, too, looked about him for a moment. "Oh, Winnie!" he cried, when he was quite awake, "I had forgotten ■where.l was! But isn't it lovely to be" here?. Let's get up now!" "I think it's very early," said Winnie, dangling her fat legs.over the edge of the bed. ; - ' ■ v "Well, all the cows, and chickens and ducks are awake—l can hear them," answered; Frank.. ••.■;. ; "We'll get up, then," decided Winnie, andplumped on to the floor. ' She had been at the farm with her mother several years before, but did' not Temerhber much about it, as she was only a very tiny tot at the time!: So. she was quite as anxious to see everything as Frank was. She washed and dressed herself very quickly, and assisted her small brother ■with his toilet; for she Avas a motherly little person for len years old, and. Frank was only six. ... "they rail "downstairs together to the big red r tiled kitcheu, where Aunt, Alice was already bustling about. .'..''You are early,.my chicks,""she said, kissing theni. ''Now'would you like to run straight through the farmyard to that field beyond—look—and gather some mushrooms for breakfast?" .:.. ... ... .-"Yes, Auntie," cried.both children at once. 'They.wefe provided with a big basket, and Irotled off very willingly.^ 'Auntie! called after, them: "Don't gointothefield across the. road!" and she added something else as they ran across the yard. "What did Auntie say?" inquired Frank. . ; ''"She^said, 'Don't go into the field across the road'—and something else, about a 'stool,' I thinkJ. I expect she was telling us not to gather toadstools instead of mushrooms. As if I shouldn't know a mushroom from atoadstool!". Winnie was quite indignant. "Well^ I-hope" you do," said little Frank,'''cos I donl." "I'll sbon'shdw you, then," said Winnie, confidently. They opend the big gate and wandered into the field, searching as they went, and finding several nice large mushrooms. "I wonder how many Auntie wants?" remarked Winnie. '"There don't seenvto be very many here." "There's a gate a little way along; let's see where it leads to,' suggested Frank.. : ' . They clambered on the gate and looked about them. .1 he gate led into a road, and on the other side of the road, exactly opposite, was another gate, leading into a field. ! "Oh!" cried Winnie. "Oh!" gasped Frank. , . " . For the field opposite seemed to be almost carpeted with mushrooms or^ at any rate,.there looked to be a great many—from their point of vantage on the gate. , "We'll get into this field and fill the basket,:' said Winnie decidedly. "But didn't Auntie say we were not to go into a field across the road, Win?" objected Frank. , ..- ' . ■-^Yes, she did say something of die sort. But I expect there arc toadstools'tliere'as well as mushrooms, and she thought we would gather them. Anyway I'm going."•-..■.-:..:- : '.;.r. " .^ ' ' , mi tv "Then I'm going, too," said Frank, who always followed where. Winnie led. And in a minute they were over the gate and across the road. ■. Thei'gate'of the opposite field was locked; but that didn't matter; die children scrambled over, and at once started.to fill their basket. They wandered'further into the field; and then Frank, looking about him, said: "There's 'such ;a;big. cow at the other end of the .field, Win, and it's looking'at us* I clo'n't like cows." ' •..'. -; ■ . "Silly^answered Winnie without glancing up. "Cows don t hurt '•^uHt%.such:a? hiige : one.":exclaimcd the little boy. "and, oh—it's starting; to ruri'this way!" - . Theti Winnie did look up, and what she saw made her turn very pale. "It's a bull!" she cried: "Run, Frank!" She caught her little brother's hand, and they ran as they had never run in their lives before, just managing to scramble over the gate and land safely in the road before the angry animal dashed up. "Oh; what an escape!": said: Wmnie, mopping her moist brow. _ "YesV■ ;I"wisli wd hadn't gone into that silly field!" parUed.Frank. 1 expect Auntie Was telling us about the bull when we ran off." "Yes," answered Winnie, soberly. "She must have said bull' when I thought she said 'stool.'" ,„,,,,,. j j The two children sat down to rest in the field by the farmyard; and, after they had recovered from their startling adventure, they gathered a few more mushrooms, as they had lost most of'them in their rush for They went in to breakfast then, arid tolfl Auntie-Alice of the scare they had had;": '"•.>■■-« -^'«ri-i i , "But, my dears," said Auntie, very distressed,; I did warn you about 'Solomon.'" ;,. ,'■'.■.■„''\ , , „ "Yes," answered Winnie, hanging her head. "We heard you tell us not to gointo that field, but we didn't hear why not." _ "I see," said Aunlie. "So you thought it was just a whim of mine.'' Well, dears, that was a bad beginning for a holiday. But I know you won't disobey me again. I'm only very, very thankful that no real harm came of it." ■ . . , v' . The children, who had both recovered from their fright by now, kissed their Auntie and settled down to an ample farmyard breakfast. '■■-. The rest of •their? holiday was quite perfect.. The children fed the chickens and pigs, and dear lilllc calves, everyday; they helped to make the butter;'they romped in the hay—and, to fact, did every delightful thing that it is possible to do on a farm. And, a.t the1 end of a fortnight, two very happy and very sunburnt children were deposited in a homewardbound train." -...,. : .,. :.:■ ■ ■„,.,-,'•. Though-they had had such a,perfectly lovely holiday, they were not very sorry to leave the farm; and I thinkyou can guess the reason! Ihey were going home to Mother! ..