Half-Past Seven Stories

nking of anything in particular, just looking aro

an' play

uke only g

t wan

Cross Tag' then," J

ated his brother agai

moment, then he suggest

at, let's play 'D

n America--knows, that is a wonderful gam

had gobbled down his oatmeal too fast--in great big gulps--when he should have let the Thirty White Horses "champ, champ, champ," all

that, and the tart juice puckered his mouth all up, a

of his toys, tired of all the games, even such

ng to do but si

ed feeling. Of course, the big elm was a better perch, or the roof of the barn, and Marmaduke often wondered what it would be like to see

sted it was a barn, for he liked horses best, and the Sun must drive horses. There was a real hill there, not little like the one where he sat on the fence, but a bi

ooked at them very carefully, with one eye shut to see them the better. Then he decided that the big

on them, he was pretty sure the men

wire and clippers in his hand. He was on his

!" replied the Toyman, "what are you doing there? Se

were doing." And the boy waved his hand t

e Toyman. "The rich folks, having no

ke was

he asked. "I thought maybe the

nded, "I'm sorry to disappoint yo

le boy exclaimed. "Why

long way off because his head was covered with red hair as thick as a thatc

yman said it wa

e explained, "it's Re

"Does it take all those big

oyman returned, "but that

isted Marmaduke. "Those men ar

perfectly good one. You see, the big boys in school used it when they thought anyone was pa

ut they don't give little Reddy half a chance--and he's so small! Now i

ld have said "were," as the teacher in the Red Schoolhouse was forever telling him,

y, and you'll see t

, the Toyman went on his

orses were leaping the fence of the Miller Farm, and the dogs were crisscrossing over the field, making lots of letter W's as they ran--hundred

lls! Now they were near the Brook, and yes, he c

One of the "ole hunters" had fallen in the Brook. And Marmaduke hoped that red coat would get soaked and soaked and run like the stockings Mother had bought from the pedlar. And he hoped that "ole hunter" would get wet to the skin, and shiver and shiver, and

e were patches of red, here and there, in the bushes, but he hear

. And Marmaduke liked all-of-a-sudden t

ng pretty hat brush, galloped across the Apgar field, the

hey were two fields farther back. Reddy, you see, had foo

Reddy wa

d up on the fe

, go it

e fence and shouted:--

view la

econd. He was frightened, too, but he forgot all about the bump on his forehead, and picked himself up, a

nd him from the throats of the dogs. They were only one f

t. But he didn't do that today, oh no! You see his family has a great reputation for wisdom, and Reddy must have been just as wise as the man in Mother Goose, for he neither stopped nor stayed, but jumped right in those bra

ar the barn and flew towards it so fast

ked better to eat than nice fat goose. Still, he didn't wait, but left them beating their wings and stretching their long

ht every day of the week, there were always places of sanctuary, where any man could be sa

little yellow doggie wasn't there now. He had dug it that morning to catch the big rat hiding somewhere below the floor of the barn. He had started to build a tunnel under the wall, and had been a long time working at it when Mother Green came from the house. S

e same time. Now Marmaduke could have cried because the hunter dogs would reach the hole before he could get there an

too, coming on with their big mouths open and their tongues hanging out as if they wanted to swallow Reddy down in one gulp. And J

r the hole. Then he looked around again. It wasn't quite safe yet. But there was the big rock which they used for "Duck-on-the-rock." The very thing! It was almost mo

king and yelping and bellowing, and now all they co

rushed over from the field; and Father came out of the barn; and Mother flew out of the house; and Ro

mping up on them with their paws and growling most terribly. It was a wonder that the boys weren't frightened enough to ru

ts had dismounted from his horse

touch Reddy,

, too, not for him

s cap. He was very polite

amages, Madam, but l

ood called her "Mis' Green." And what did he want a brush for? To brush his fine cap and red c

il. That's what hunt

t hold of the Toyman's hand on one side an

t them ge

ysen," and both the boys wondered if all people with fine horses and sh

mour-Frelinghuysen," Father was saying, "b

at little boy relieved and happy, and his brother, too

s, but the men had to get on their horses and call off their dogs and ride away. "I guess they knew they were in the wrong," s

ed in the hole

Toyman had gon

re!" he

ay was Reddy, all muddy from the brook and torn from the bri

baby wolf. But that hand came towards him so quietly, and the voice sounded so gentle, that Reddy lay still. You see,

ow?" Mother had said once

d to tame him. Perhaps it was because the Little Lost Fox was wounded and sore and hurt all over. Anyway, he se

It was great fun to see him poking his sharp nose through the

r one day he was gone, through some little hole he had dug under his fe

about this, but when the Toyman explained

's happier in the woods and fie

ght about that

e began, "a

ther, trying t

aved him from the ole

ain some day. Stranger things than