Five Little Friends by Adams, Sherred Willcox

Then Bob made a showman's bow and went behind the school-house. Soon a drum began to beat--_tum, tum, tum_. The parade was coming! First marched Showman Bob beating the drum. Behind him was Betty carrying a big American flag. On her shoulder was Arrow, the living airplane. Next came brave old Hero pulling a little cart. In the cart were Snowball, Fluff, and Muff and what was left of Daddy's hat. Dot marched beside the cart. After them came Dandy. Paul was walking by his side and holding something on his back. It was Polly's cage with the black cover off.

Pretty Poll was peeping from behind the wires. She looked surprised and a little bit frightened. Suddenly she rolled on her back at the bottom of the cage. The last thing the children heard as the parade passed out of sight was, "Come quick! Come quick! Polly's sick! Polly's sick!"

I wish the children who read this book could hear about the blind man and his new dog but that is another story.

THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS IN VACATION

I

Soon after the Pet Show, school closed for the summer vacation. The children said good-bye to each other and to Miss West.

For weeks everybody had been busy making plans for the summer.

Paul went to the seashore and you may be sure brave Hero was taken along.

Bob and his family went to the seashore too; and, what was best of all, they took a cottage not far from where Paul lived.

Dandy was sent out to the country.

Betty's mother said, "I want to have my little girl spend a summer on a farm--a real farm," so they went to Mr. White's.

See if you can guess who went with them!

No, it wasn't Arrow. The living airplane was left with Uncle Fred at Grandmother's. It wasn't Miss West. She went away on a long trip across the ocean. It was a very nice little person whose name begins with _D_, and it was another very nice little person whose name begins with _P_.

Peggy's mother went too, but Poll was sent to a bird shop. Little Dot's mother stayed in the city with Dot's father and the cat family to keep them from getting lonely.

Dot promised to be a good girl and to do just what the other mothers told her.

It was a bright June afternoon when the three little girls and the two mothers got off the train at a little country station. Mr. White came to meet them. He and Billy, the hired man, piled all the trunks and bags in a wagon. Then Billy climbed up on the high seat and cracked his whip, saying, "Get-up! Get-up!" The horses pulled, the dust flew, and away the wagon went. Then Mr. White packed the mothers and the little girls into his automobile and away they also went to the farm.

The farm was the very nicest place in the whole world. At least that is what the three little girls thought. Everything about it was nice. The rooms were big and cool and low. The wide side porch was a lovely place to eat dinner. The big low attic was splendid for rainy-day play; but the very, very nicest of all the nice things at the farm was Mary White.