United States or Syria ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
There were long fine days, when the six small creatures Milly, Olly, Becky, Tiza, Bessie, and Charlie followed John Backhouse and his men about in the hayfields from early morning till evening, helping to make the hay, or simply rolling about like a parcel of kittens in the flowery fragrant heaps.
"Why doesn't Tiza come down?" asked Olly, looking hard up into the tree. "I want to see her." Thump! What was that rattling down on Olly's head? He looked down at his feet very much astonished, and saw a bunch of green cherries which Tiza had just thrown at him. "Throw some more!
Backhouse," began Milly, coming in with a bright flushed face, "just look here, what I've brought. Tiza found them just after dinner to-day. They were under the hayrick right away in the corner, and she wanted to make up, so she showed me where they were, so I brought them in, and there's two for Mr. Backhouse, and one for you, you know. And, please, won't you let Tiza come to tea with us?" Mrs.
"Well, mother," said Milly, slowly, "I don't want to have anybody to tea. I want to go out to tea with somebody. Now can you guess?" "With Aunt Emma?" "Oh no, Aunt Emma's coming over here all day. She promised she would." "With Becky and Tiza?" Milly nodded, and screwed up her little lips tighter than ever. "But I don't expect Mrs. Backhouse will want the trouble of having you two to tea.
"Becky," said Tiza, sitting down beside her sister, as if nothing had happened, "here's some strawberries. Wheeler gave me some. You can have some if you want." "Just one," said Becky, in her weak shaky voice, smiling at her; and Tiza knelt on the bed and stuffed one softly into her mouth. "You'll have to nurse baby now, Tiza," said Becky presently; "he's been under mother's feet terrible.
"Swish!" went something past them as quick as lightning. It was Tiza running to the house. Olly set out to run after her as fast as he could run, but he came bang up against his mother standing at the farmhouse door, just as Tiza got safely in and was seen no more. "Ah, you won't catch Tiza, master," said Mrs.
Tiza, are you coming down? I am going to get baby out, I heard him crying just now." "May you take baby out all by yourself?" asked Milly. "Why, I always take him out, and I put him to sleep at nights; and mother says he won't go to sleep for anybody as quick as for me," said Becky proudly. Milly felt a good deal puzzled. It must be funny to have no Nana.
Each of the children had their gift for Milly too: Becky had plaited her a basket of rushes, a thing she had often tried to teach Milly how to make for herself, and Tiza pushed a bunch of wild raspberries into her hand, and ran away before Milly could say thank you; Bessie shyly produced a Christmas card that somebody had once sent to her; and even Charlie had managed to provide himself with a bunch of the wild yellow poppies which grew on the wall of the Ravensnest garden, and were a joy to all beholders.
Aunt Emma had got Tiza and Milly by the hand, and was trying to comfort them. "We hope she is not much hurt, darlings; the wheel did not go over her, thank God. It was just upon her when her father backed the horse. But it must have crushed her I'm afraid, and there was something hanging under the cart which gave her that knock on the temple.
Norton, patting her curly head, I declare I think you beat Olly for mischief. Olly never spoilt my dinner yet, that I remember. What should I do to him do you think, if he did?" "Beat him," said Tiza, looking up at Mr. Norton with her quick birdlike eyes. "Oh dear, no!" said Mr. Norton, "that wouldn't do my dinner any good. I should eat him up instead."
Word Of The Day