Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 15, 2025
Mother, that is Mrs. Green, is not too thin nor yet too plump. She is just what a mother ought to be, with kind, shining eyes, and soft cheeks. She is always cooking things or doing things for Jehosophat and Marmaduke and little Hepzebiah. Father the neighbours call him Neighbour Green is very strong. He can lift big weights and manage bad horses.
Putting his hand on Hepzebiah's sunny curls, he asked that little girl: "What name do you think would be nice for the boat?" Now Hepzebiah really didn't know just what it all was about. But she had heard Marmaduke say "Peacock," so she took her finger out of her mouth just long enough to point at the Guinea-hen, who was screeching horribly out in the barnyard. "The Guinea-hen! Ha, ha!
The little Orioles were certainly noisy little birds, and when they cried sometimes the children saw funny little heads and beaks poking out of the nest. Then more days passed and Father and Mother Oriole taught them to fly, just as Father and Mother Green had taught little Hepzebiah to walk. Marmaduke remembered how his Mother had held Hepzebiah and Father stood a little way off.
Under the big oak by the brook sat the three happy children with Rover, Brownie, and little yellow Wienerwurst. They were watching the Toyman cut the ripe corn. "Isn't that funny?" said Jehosophat. "What's funny?" asked Marmaduke. "Wot's funny?" repeated Hepzebiah. "Oh! I was just thinking," said Jehosophat, "how he seems just Frank when he's ploughing or harrowing or cutting the corn.
And Jehosophat and Marmaduke looked as if they knew just what he meant. But Hepzebiah was too little yet to understand. "See, Mr. Jim Crow is long and black. He has a bad eye." So he buried Mr. Jim Crow under the oak tree while the children watched. After that the Toyman said: "I reckon Mr. Scarecrow has fainted." "Who's Mr. Scarecrow?" asked the three happy children. "Is he Mr.
"Of course you have," his good old chum replied, "and a heap of wonderful things you saw." The Toyman never laughed at the wonderful things they had done, nor at the marvellous things they had seen no never, for he understood little children. Now Jehosophat had to believe him. He asked lots of questions, while Hepzebiah listened, her eyes growing as round as big peppermint drops.
"Now the youngest ones all together now!" and Jehosophat, Marmaduke, Hepzebiah, and little Johnny Cricket sang, without the grownup people this time: "Alone in the manger, No crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus Lay down his soft head." And that song sounded even prettier and sweeter than the other, with those little voices singing it around the tree and all its candles.
"Pleased to meet you," he said, just like grownup folks. Then Marmaduke piped up, "Make me acquainted, too." "To be sure," said the Toyman, "Mr. Marmaduke Green meet Mr. Jack Lantern." "Very glad to know you," said Marmaduke, bowing even lower than had Jehosophat, while Hepzebiah, dancing in her eagerness, shouted, "Make me 'quainted, make me 'quainted!"
It was a fine one, you may be sure, but we are not going to tell you about it, when something even more interesting happened that night. At half-past eight the last horn sounded and the party was over. Mother and Hepzebiah climbed in the surrey, and, with them, two great-aunts, Sophronisba and Abigail.
"I'm sorry that Jehosophat and Hepzebiah are not along," said Marmaduke to himself, "they're going to miss some fun" He looked ahead through the trees Up over the hill the snow path stretched up to the dark blue sky and the stars. Millions of them there were and they were all twinkle-winking at him. And the Old Man-in-the-Moon, just over the hill, kept winking at him too.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking