Stuyvesant: A Franconia Story

Ca

ville, who was then about eight years old, was sitting upon a stone outside of the gate, by the roadside, in a sort of corner t

e was leaning upon this stone, looking the kitten in the face. The kit

ory,-a story about a mouse. I read it in a book. Once there was a mouse, and he was

he had three white mice,

as interrupted by Phonny,

Beechnut,

, "I'm telling a story to Kitty

mped down from the

, "see what you have done;-yo

e her go away

le, "you interrupted my stor

rious. Phonny then repeated that he did not make the kitten go away, and besides, h

o hear stories. Phonny, at this, laughed again, and then Malleville, appearing to be

ing a cart. The cart was loaded with wood. The wood consisted of smal

are you going into the woo

said Be

o with you?"

said Be

said Ma

said Be

e. Beechnut began to throw off the wood. Phonny climbed up into the cart to

to get hold of the largest. He had three motives for doing this, all mingled together. The first was a pleasure in exercising his ow

own off, Phonny stopped his work, straightened himse

m childish; do you t

ay so." She began to be a little fr

honny, "you c

aid Mal

ou say?" as

childish myself, a

the same thin

was a different thing, but she did not kn

Beechnut went on

childish at all, Be

things it is necessary for a boy to do, in order to be considered as childish i

and a little confused at this, an

one of them

asked

ng on t

an that. You have done things a gr

" said

dispute with Malleville, by appealing to

ldish," said Phonny, "so that if

to know my opinion in order to correct yourself of the fault, you would have asked me so

hnut!" sa

at Beechnut had said was true. He was silent a moment, and then he asked w

ttle ones, and thus worked to great disadvantage. Men take the smaller ones off first, and so clear the way to get at the larger ones

I will throw off the l

nto the house and brought out a small chair; this he placed in the middle of the cart, for Malleville. He also placed a board across the cart in front, in such a manner that the ends of the board rested u

said "Jump!" Malleville jumped-Beechnut at the same time lifting to help her. Sh

e," said

nt a little higher this time than

e," said Beechnu

nce, try

more, and that

t rose almost to a level with the top of the seat, and then, as she came down gently upon the floor of the cart, Beechnut released his hold

OUT TH

ce, Phonny asked Beechnut if he re

pose that that is to be expected, since you are really a boy. But you are growing older

nths," said Phonny. "That is

, "but then I suppose I must expect

you know that my cousin Wallac

Beechnut. "F

his vacation. He is coming

said Beechnut. "I l

yvesant is coming

my brother,"

s he?" ask

y nine," s

so old as you ar

te," sai

he will be more of a boy

know," sa

see," said

wheels behind him. He turned round

. "I am going to whip up, so

o one side of the road, and walk

asked

said Beechnut, "after the

hy he was not willing to have him whip up and keep ahead was, that he wanted to use the strength of th

s was where Beechnut was going, and so he turned in. The road was rough, and Malleville had to hold on very carefully to the side of the cart as the

ut, "you can have your cho

that I had better

her think,"

would say wor

order to keep Mallevill

id Phonny,

o get a new load of wood, Phonny

oot of it. The top of the precipice was crowned with trees, and there were also a great many bushes and trees growing amo

re whether he had any matches in his pocket. He sai

"I have. Come here and

e returned, she gave Phonny the matches, and told him that Beechnut said that they must make the fi

"I will look about an

e rocks, and all the nooks and corners which seemed to promise well, as places of encampment. Mal

to her in tones of great delight. She hastened on. In a moment she saw Ph

le! come here quick!-

form a sort of roof, beneath which was an inclosure which Phonny called a cavern. He might perhaps have more properly called it a grotto. There was a great flat stone at the

ould see the cavern, "that is what I call a discovery. We w

for andirons. Then he began to bring in logs, and sticks, and branches of trees, such as he found lying upon the ground dead and dry. These h

ply of wood was gathered, Phonny laid some of it across

tely kindled. Phonny looked at the blue flame a moment, and then, as

go and ask Beechnut. W

d thence along by the way that they had come, thro

very loud, "we have found a cav

said Be

Malleville that Beechnut had said y

very convenient for seats. When the fire began to burn, Phonny sat down upon one of these seats, and gave Malleville the other. The fire blazed up very cheerily, and the

all comfortable. If we only now had som

's pause, "we will send home by Beechnut, when he g

Malleville,

en his cart was loaded he went away, leaving Phonny and Malleville in their cavern. While he was gone the children

Malleville. It was too heavy for Phonny to lift easily, and so Beechnut drove his cart along until it was nearly opposite

separate paper. There were also two crackers. These crackers were in a tin mug, just big enough to hold them, one on the top of the

the other for you, Malleville. I mean to sp

f the box there

CA

told the children that Mrs. Henry said that they need not come home to dinner that day, unless they chose t

toes in the fire, and their apples in front of it. They toasted their crackers and warmed their pie, by placing them

decline, their thoughts were suddenly turned away from it altogether, by the news which Beechnu

Stuyvesant come to

s a boy with him, about as large as Phon

he!" said Mallevill

, and rode home. They ran into the house, while Beechnut went to unload his wood. Just

has really com

ut, "and what doe

Phonny, "that he is go

proper time for it. I have no great opinion of th

ut drove away, an