Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Aunt Lus City Home | Page 3

though it were a real baby, "but I'll take you down to see the fish now. You like fish, don't you, dollie?"
"She wouldn't like 'em if they bit her," said Bunny.
"I won't let 'em bite her!" retorted Sue.
At the fish dock Bunny and Sue saw a tall, good-natured, red-haired boy coming out of their father's office.
"Oh, Bunker Blue!" cried Bunny. "Are any fish boats coming in?"
Bunker Blue was Mr. Brown's helper, and was very fond of Bunny and Sue. He had been to grandpa's farm, in the country, with them.
"Yes, one of the fish boats is coming in now," said Bunker. "You can come with me and watch."
Bunny took hold of one of Bunker's hands, and Sue the other. They always did this when they went out on the dock, for the water was very deep on each side, and though the children could swim a little, they did not want to fall into such deep water; especially with all their clothes on.
Soon they were at the end of the dock. Coming up to it was a sailing boat, that had been out to sea for fish.
"Did you get many?" called Bunker to the captain.
"Yes, quite a few fish this time. Want to come and look at them? Bring the children!"
"Oh, can we go on the boat?" asked Bunny eagerly.
"I guess so," said Bunker Blue.
He led the children carefully to the deck of the fish boat. Bunny and Sue looked down into a hole, through an opening in the deck. The hole was filled with fish, some of which were still flapping their tails, for they had only just been taken out of the nets.
"Oh-o-o-o! What a lot of fish!" exclaimed Sue. She leaned over to see better, when, all at once, her doll slipped from her arms, and fell right down among the flapping fish.
"Oh, dear!" cried Sue.
"I'll get her for you!" cried Bunny, and he was just going to jump down in among the fish, too, but Bunker Blue caught him by the arm.
"You'll spoil all your clothes if you do that, little man!" Bunker said.
"But I want to get Sue's doll!"
Bunny himself did not care anything about dolls; he would not play with them. But he loved his sister Sue, and he knew that she was very fond of this doll, so he wanted to get it for her. That was why he was ready to jump down in the hold (as that part of the ship is called) among the flapping fish.
"I'll get her for you," said Bunker. With a long pole Bunker fished up the doll. Her dress was all wet, for there was water on the fish.
"And oh! dear! She smells just like a fish herself!" cried Sue, puckering up her nose in a funny way.
"You can take off her dress and wash it," said Bunny.
"Yes," said Sue, "I can do that, and I will." She took off the doll's dress, and then looked for some place to wash it.
"Here, Sue, give it to me," said the captain of the boat, for he knew Bunny and Sue very well indeed. "I'll soon have the dress clean for you."
"How?" asked Sue, as she gave it to Captain Tuttle.
He tied the dress to a string, and then dipped it in the water, over the side of the boat. Up and down in the water he lifted the doll's dress, pulling it up by the string.
"That's how we sailors wash our clothes when we're in a hurry," said Captain Tuttle. "Now when your doll's dress is dry, it will be nice and clean. You can hang it up here to dry, while you're watching us take out the fish."
He fastened Sue's doll's dress on a line over the cabin, and then he and his men took the fish out of the boat, and packed them in barrels in ice to send to the city.
Bunny and Sue looked on, and thought it great fun. Sometimes a big flat fish, called a flounder, would slip from one of the baskets, in which the men were putting them, and flop out on deck, almost sliding overboard.
Soon all the fish were out, and as Sue's doll's dress was now dry, she and Bunny started back home.
"Well, we had fun then, Sue," said the little boy. "Didn't we?"
"Yes," agreed his sister. "But what can we do this afternoon?"
"Oh, we'll go down to Charlie Star's house and have some fun. He's got a new swing and a hammock."
"Oh, that will be fine!" cried Sue.
The children had a good time playing with Charlie that afternoon. Others of their playmates came also, and Bunny and Sue told of the jolly fun they had had in the country, on grandpa's farm.
After a while the sun, that had been shining brightly all day, began to get ready