Boy Blue and His Friends | Page 9

ought to have known better than to let Jack and Jill go for a pail of water," said Tommy.
"I've broken the cookies," said Jill.
"Let's go and ask Mamma for some more."
So they all went up the hill for more water and cookies.
This time Mary and Tommy carried the water down the hill.
The pies were baked, and the cakes ready to put into the oven in a very few minutes.
When Jill's mother called the children to dinner, there was a long row of cakes and pies and, cookies.
"We ought to eat our dinner here," said Mary.
"I like mother's pies and cookies best," said Jack.
So Jack and Jill ran up the hill once more, and Mary and Tommy climbed over the fence and ran across the garden to see what Grandma Hall had for their dinner.
Little Jack Homer?Sat in a corner,?Eating his Christmas pie;?He put in his thumb?And pulled out a plum,?And said, "What a big boy am I!"
JACK HORNER'S PIE
I am going to tell you about another one of Boy Blue's friends.
His name was Jack Horner.
At least, Boy Blue called him Jack Horner.
And I'll tell you why he called him Jack Horner, too.
His real name was Jack Horne.
Jack was a very jolly boy.
He had round red cheeks and twinkling eyes, and he was always running and jumping about and laughing at everything.
One morning when he waked up he was happier than ever.
In fact, he was the happiest boy in town.
I know he was, for he said so, and he ought to know.
His birthday was coming.
Indeed, it was the very next day.
And the very next day was Christmas, too.
Think of having a birthday and Christmas on the same day!
How would you like that?
Jack was going to have a birthday party.
Or was it a Christmas party?
Jack couldn't tell which it was.
All the children were coming,--Boy Blue, and Mary, and Alice, and Tommy Tucker, and ever so many more.
There was a secret about the party.
Jack's mother had told him, but he would not tell.
Boy Blue tried to guess.
"Is it a Christmas tree, Jack?"
"Are we going to make candy?"
"Is Santa Claus coming?"
"Are we going on a sleigh-ride?"
"No, no, no!" said Jack. "You will never guess."
At last Christmas Day came.
Jack could hardly stop to look at all of his presents.
He was thinking of the party and of getting the secret ready.
At two o'clock the children came to the party.
They each brought Jack a present.
Mistress Mary brought him some roses.
"They grew on the rose-bush you gave me," she said.
At first the children played games.
They played "blind man's buff," and "hide the thimble," and "button, button, who has the button."
At four o'clock Jack's mother came into the room.
"I think you must all be hungry by this time," she said.
"Will you come and see what I have for you?"
So the children followed Mrs. Horne through the long hall into the dining-room.
Oh, there were such good things for hungry children!
There were pretty little cakes with pink and white frosting, and oranges, and nuts, and raisins, and apples, and candy.
Boy Blue's father had heard about the party and had sent the apples from the farm.
Boy Blue's mother had sent some candy made of maple sugar and nuts.
Oh, it was so good!
When each one had eaten some of the cakes, and some of the nuts, and some of the candy, Mrs. Horne went out into the kitchen.
Jack began to laugh and his eyes looked very big and wise.
"The surprise is coming!" cried Boy Blue. "The surprise is coming!"
And sure enough! In came Mrs. Horne, carrying a huge pie in her hands.
"This is Jack Horner's pie," she said. "I think it is full of plums."
[Illustration: "Then he had put in his hand and pulled out something."]
Then she put it on the table in front of Jack.
He stood up and said:--
"Little Jack Horner?Stood near a corner?Cutting his birthday pie.?He put in his thumb?And pulled out a plum,?And said, 'What a big boy am I!'"
How the children laughed!
Jack had cut the paper crust of his birthday pie.
Then he had put in his hand and pulled out something.
It was surely too big for a real plum.
"For Boy Blue," said Jack, giving him the package.
Boy Blue took off the white paper and there was a tiny horn, tied with a blue ribbon.
Then Jack pulled out another plum.
It was a book about flowers for Mistress Mary.
Tommy Tucker had a knife.
"That's to cut your bread with," said Jack Horner.
Mary found a woolly lamb in her plum.
The lamb's head would come off, an inside was a tiny bottle of cologne.
Jack and Jill each had a little pail filled with candies.
Jack's plum was in the very bottom of the pie.
It was a dear little watch.
"Now, I shall not be late to school again," he said.
It was Jack, you know, who let Mary's lamb into school.
He was late that morning and did