Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Big Woods | Page 5

Mr. Brown had come home from the city with the two queer big bundles, and the children were so excited thinking what might be in them that they watched every mouthful of tea Mr. Brown sipped.
"When will you be ready to show us?" asked Sue.
"Please be quick," begged Bunny. "I--I'm gettin' awful anxious."
"Well, I guess I can show you now," said Mr. Brown. "Bring me the heaviest package, Bunny."
It was all the little boy could do to lift it from the chair, but he managed to do it. Slowly Mr. Brown opened it. Bunny saw a flash of something red and shining.
"Oh, it's a fire engine!" he cried.
"Not quite," said his father, "though that was a good guess."
Then Mr. Brown lifted out the things in the paper, and all at once Bunny saw what it was--a little toy train of cars, with an engine and tracks on which it could run.
"Does it really go?" asked the little boy, eagerly.
"Yes, it really goes," said Mr. Brown. "It's an electric train, and it runs by electricity from these batteries," and he held up some strong ones. "I'll fix up your train for you so it will run. But you must be careful of it, Bunny."
"Oh, I'll take fine care of it!" cried the little boy. "And I won't let Splash bite it."
"Didn't you bring me anything, Daddy?" asked Sue slowly. "Or do I have to play with Bunny's train?" and she looked at the little boy who was trying to fit together the pieces of the track.
"Oh, I have something for you alone, Sue," her father said. "Look and see if you like this."
He held up a great big Teddy bear.
"Oh! Ah!" murmured Sue. "That's something I've been wishing for. Oh, Daddy! how good you are to us!" and she threw her arms around her father's neck.
"I love you, too!" called Bunny Brown, leaving his toy train and track, and running to his father for a hug and a kiss.
"Well, now, how do you like this, Sue?" and Mr. Brown handed the big Teddy bear over to his little girl.
"Oh, I just love it!" she cried. "It's the nicest doll ever!"
"Let me show you something," said Mr. Brown. He pressed a button in the toy bear's back and, all of a sudden, its eyes shone like little lights.
"Oh, what makes that, Daddy?" asked Bunny, leaving his toy train and coming over to see his sister's present.
"Behind the bear's eyes, which are of glass," explained Mr. Brown, "are two little electric lights. They are lighted by what are called dry batteries, like those that ring our front door bell at home, only smaller. And the same kind of dry batteries will run Bunny's train when I get it put together.
"See, Sue, when you want your bear's eyes to glow, just press this button in Teddy's back," and her father showed her a little button, or switch, hidden in the toy's fur.
"Oh, isn't that fine!" cried Sue with shining eyes. She pushed the button, the bear's eyes lighted and gleamed out, and Splash, seeing them, barked in excitement.
"Oh, let me do it," begged Bunny. "I'll let you run my toy train if you let me light your bear's eyes, Sue," he said.
"All right," agreed the little girl.
So Bunny played with the Teddy bear a bit, while Sue looked at the toy engine and cars, and then Mrs. Brown said:
"Well, children, I think it is about time for my surprise."
"Oh, have you something for us, too?" asked Sue, quickly.
"Well, I'll have something for you if you will go and get something for me," said Mother Brown. "I want you to go to the farmhouse and get me a pail of milk. Some one took what I was saving to make a pudding with, so I'll have to get more milk."
"We took it to play soldier and nurse with," confessed Sue. "I'm sorry, Momsie----"
"Oh, it doesn't matter, dear," said Mrs. Brown. "I like to have you drink all the milk you want. But now you'll have to get more for me, as there is not enough for supper and the pudding."
"We'll go for the milk," said Bunny. "And when we get back we can play with the bear and the toy train."
"I'll try to have the toy train running for you when you come back with the milk," said Mr. Brown. "Trot along now."
Mrs. Brown gave Bunny the milk pail, and soon he and Sue, leaving Splash behind this time, started down the road to the farmhouse where they got their milk. The farmer sent his boy every day with milk for those at Camp Rest-a-While, but this time Bunny and Sue had used more than usual, and Mrs. Brown had to send for some extra.
It did not take Bunny and Sue long to reach the