Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 6, 2025
"Tell Uncle Frank of Trouble's trying to hide Nicknack away so we wouldn't leave him behind," suggested Mrs. Martin. "Ha! Ha! That was pretty good!" exclaimed the ranchman when Ted and Janet, by turns, had told of Trouble's being found asleep in the goat -wagon. "Well, it's too bad you couldn't bring Nicknack with you.
George put in the boat as much as could safely be carried, with the goat as a passenger, and then he and Grandpa Martin began rowing toward Star Island. At first everything went very well. Nicknack seemed a little frightened when the boat tipped and rocked, but Ted patted him and fed him more grass, which Nicknack liked very much. "I knew he'd be good!"
It did not take Grandpa Martin long to pull back to the mainland in the boat which was empty save for himself and Ted. The lake was smooth, a little wind making tiny waves that gently lapped the side of the boat. "I think we'd better bring Nicknack over this trip," said Grandpa Martin, when a second farm hand met him on shore and began to help load the boat for the second trip.
The Curlytops and Hal saw what had happened. A lot of the dirt they had shoveled out had slid back into the big hole, almost filling it. And caught under this dirt was Nicknack, their goat. Only the black tip of his nose stuck out, and it is a good thing this much of him was uncovered, or he might have smothered under the sand. "How did it happen?" asked Ted.
"I wonder where he is," murmured Teddy, and he was beginning to feel afraid that something had happened to Trouble. "Let's go down the back street," suggested Bob. "You know there's quite a lot of wagons and automobiles go along this main street where we've been looking. Maybe if Trouble hitched up Nicknack and went for a ride he'd turn down the back street 'cause it's quieter."
I expect your mother will be along any minute now. She won't wait at home long for us if we don't come back with Trouble." So the two parties started on the search, one up and the other down the street. Bob, Teddy and Mrs. Newton inquired at a number of houses, but no one in them had seen Trouble and Nicknack that day. Nor did Janet and her father get any trace of the missing ones.
You won't lose your goat," said her father with a laugh. But when they went out to the stable to harness Nicknack to the wagon, Ted and Janet rubbed their eyes and looked again. "Why, Nicknack is gone!" exclaimed Ted. "He is," agreed his sister. "Maybe Bob came and got him." "No, he wouldn't do that without telling us," went on Ted. "I wonder where that goat is?"
Trouble was bad!" The little fellow had really taken a knife from the table, and had sawed away with it on Nicknack's rope until he had cut it through. Then Nicknack had wandered over to the green bower to get something to eat, and Trouble, dropping the knife, had followed. Mrs.
"All right, Nora, give them the lemonade and crackers to take with them," said Mrs. Martin, smiling at the Curlytops. "I'll go and make the cool drink now," said the cook. "And I'll get the crackers," said the children's mother. "And we'll go and get Nicknack and harness him to the cart," added Ted.
"I know he will. Won't you, Nicknack?" and he put his arms around his pet. The goat had been driven down near the dock whence the boat started for Star Island. "Well, unharness him and we'll get him on board," said the farmer. "Then we'll see what happens next." Nicknack made no fuss at all about being unharnessed. His wagon was first wheeled on the boat, which was a large one and broad.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking