Daddy Takes Us to the Garden | Page 4

were waiting for the cake to be baked, after which the
chocolate would be spread over it. "It was fun, wasn't it?"
"I--I guess so," answered Mab, not quite sure. "Did I hurt Roly when I
stepped on him?"
"I guess not. He splashed water all over me when I put him in the bath

tub, though. I pretended he was a submarine ship and he swam all
around."
"I wish I had seen him."
"I'll make him do it again," and Hal started toward the stairs with Roly
in his arms.
"No, please don't!" laughed Mother Blake. "One bath a day is enough.
Besides, I think it's time to take the cake out, Mab."
When the chocolate had been spread on, and Hal had scraped out the
dish, giving Mab a share even though she had said she did not want any,
the front door was heart to shut.
"Here comes Daddy!" cried Mab.
"Oh, I wonder if he brought anything?" said Hal, racing after his sister.
Daddy Blake did have a package in his arms, and he was smiling. He
put the bundle down on the table and caught up first Mab and then Hal
for a hearty kiss.
"Well, how are you all to-day?" he asked.
"I just baked a cake," answered Mab.
"And the dough went all over Roly-Poly, and I made believe he was a
submarine ship in the bath tub," added Hal. "We had lots of fun."
"Before that we didn't thought," spoke Mab. "We wanted to play
something new but we didn't know what. Did you bring us anything,
Daddy?"
"Yes, I brought you and Hal a new game."
"A new game? Oh, goody! May we play it now?"
"Well, you can start to look at it now, but it takes quite a while to play

it. It takes all Spring, all Summer and part of the Fall."
"Oh, what a long game!" cried Hal. "What is it?"
"It is called the Garden Game," said Daddy Blake, smiling. "And after
supper I'll tell you all about it."
"The Garden Game," murmured Mab.
"It must be fun," said Hal, "else Daddy wouldn't laugh around his eyes
the way he does."
"Yes, I think you'll like this new game," went on Mr. Blake. "And
whoever learns to play it best will get a fine prize!"
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" cried Hal and Mab in delight. They could hardly wait to
find out all about it.

CHAPTER II
MAKING A GARDEN
"Now children," began Daddy Blake, as the table was cleared of the
dishes, when supper had been finished, "I'll start to tell you about the
garden game we are going to play."
"Oh, are YOU going to play it, too?" asked Hal in delight "Won't that
be fun, Mab?"
"Lots of fun!"
Anything Daddy Blake did was fun for Hal and Mab, whether it was
playing a game, or taking them somewhere.
Eagerly the two children watched while their father opened the package
he had brought up from down town when he came home to supper.

"Is it some kind of a puzzle?" Hal wanted to know.
"Does it go around with wheels?" asked Mab, as she heard something
rattle inside the paper.
"How many can play it?" asked Hal.
"Oh, as many as care to" answered Daddy Blake. I'm going to play it,
and so is your mother, I think; and Uncle Pennywait, and Aunt
Lollypop, and--no, I guess we can't let Roly-Poly play the garden game,
but you two children can."
"Oh, it must be a fine game if so many can play," laughed Hal. "Hurry,
Daddy, and show us what it is."
"Do you play sides?" Mab inquired.
"Yes, you can play sides," her father answered with a smile. "As I told
you I'm going to give a prize to whoever plays the game best. I'll tell
you about it. Now here's the first part of the garden," and, as Mr. Blake
opened the paper fully, out rolled a small parcel. The string came off it,
and Hal and Mab saw a lot of beans.
For a moment they looked very much disappointed.
"Oh, Daddy Blake!" cried Hal. "This isn't a new game at all! We've got
a bean-bag one!"
"And we got tired of playing it to-day," went on Mab, in disappointed
tones.
"This isn't exactly a bean-bag game," said Mr. Blake with a smile,
"though you can make it one if you like. It's ever so much more fun
than just bean-bags, for there are many other different parts to the
garden game. Now if you'll sit down I'll tell you about it."
Hal and Mab saw some brightly colored pictures, among other things,
in the big bag that had held the beans, and they thought perhaps they
might have fun with the