GREEN-PEA BOATS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 17, 25 April 1891, Page 19

GREEN-PEA BOATS.

‘ Dolly ! Ned !’ called grandma. ‘ Who wants to shell the |>eas for dinner ?’ ‘ Oh, I do, I do '.' cried two little voices, while four little feet came scampering down the path from the orchard. ‘ I got here first!’ cried Ned, all out of breath. ‘ Well, you're a boy. I can shell peas fastest.’ ‘Give them to us in two pans, grandma, and well try,' said Ned. The twins were always trying to see who could be the quickest, but they loved each other dearly all the same. ‘ Here they are,’said grandma. ‘Take them out under the willow-tree. And here is a cake for each of you.' ‘ And, grandma,’ said Dolly, ‘ can’t we go down to the big ocean and sail boats when were through?’ The ‘big ocean was Neil s name for the watering trough that stood just outside the barnyard gate. ‘ Yes,' said grandma, ‘ you may each have six peas. Take Baby Meg along and see who can take the best care of her.' Ready, now,' said Ned, as soon as they were seated. ‘ Begin !’ How the fingers flew ! The pile of shells grew large, and the pan began to get empty. ‘ Here s my big ship !’ cried Dolly, holding up a shell that looked as though it would hold seven peas. ‘ Here smy row-boat !' said Ned. * Let's take out eight peas, so if any of our six break we can put the peas in the pan and try another." ‘Lets,’ answered Dolly. So when all the peas except eight good ones were shelled, Ned got out his penknife and began to cut the pea-shells, very carefully, open along the top. While Ned was doing this, Dolly ran in to the house for some burnt matches and a few straws from grandma’s broom. After Neri had poked out the peas, he put two half-ineh pieces of match into each boat tor seats. These held the sides apart : and then the boats were all done—except the sail boat. That needed a little mucilage to hold its tissuepaper sail on to the mast. There was always danger that the mast might make too big a hole in the bottom of the boat, and it never would stand up very straight, so the children seldom made more than one sail-boat and that, they sometimes had to play, was shipwrecked. M hile Ned worked at boat building, Dolly made j>eamen. took six pieces of broom straw for each one; one for his neck, two for arms, and three for legs. Then the twins got Meg and ran away, with an apron full of boats and dolls, to the big ocean. A hat a good time they did have? The trough made a splendid ocean, except that the boats kept drifting down toward the spout and had to be towed back. The children had one fine race. Both boats started at the same time. Ned blew his with all his might, and Dolly blew hers. Dolly's was a little ahead, when all of a sudden Baby Meg cried out, ‘Oh my man's fallded in ! Tate him out, tate him out !' Both little folks tried to get the poor man, but he couldn't swim, and down to the bottom he went in spite of Meg's tears. And the two little racers—what became of them ? • •n, on they went. Nobody saw them—nobody reached out a hand to save them. Over they went—Dolly's boat ahead —and the race was ended. Ding-a-ling ling went the dinner-bell. Dolly and Ned gathered up the boats, put them away behind "the big flat stone that they call their closet, and each taking a hand of Baby Meg's they ran away to the house—never once thinking of the [>ooi little racers. At night a big black hen came ami gobbled them up, and no one could ever know which of them beat the race.

Grace Brownell Peck.