The Adventures of Joel Pepper

The Adventures of Joel Pepper

Project Gutenberg's The Adventures of Joel Pepper, by Margaret Sidney #5 in our series by Margaret Sidney
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Title: The Adventures of Joel Pepper
Author: Margaret Sidney
Release Date: February, 2005 [EBook #7434] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 30, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER
By MARGARET SIDNEY

[Illustration: "'WHY, IT'S THE MAN WHO STOLE POLLY'S BREAD!' HE ALMOST SCREAMED."]

CONTENTS
I. JOEL AND THE SNAKE
II. WHAT DAVE HEARD
III. DEACON BROWN'S NAIL PILE
IV. THE MUFFIN MAN AND THE TRAMP
V. ON BANDY LEG MOUNTAIN
VI. AB'M'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
VII. JOEL GOES A-FISHING
VIII. WHY THEY SAID NO
IX. THE BAG OF RYE FLOUR
X. MAMSIE'S SURPRISE
XI. DR. FISHER'S VISIT
XII. AT GRANDMA BASCOM'S
XIII. PASSENGERS FOR THE BOXFORD STAGE
XIV. DEACON BLODGETT'S BONFIRE
XV. OLD MAN PETERS' CENT
XVI. THE STAGE-COACH RIDE
XVII. THE FIGHT AT STRAWBERRY HILL
XVIII. IN THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE
XIX. CIRCUS PLANS
XX. CIRCUS OR MENAGERIE?
XXI. JOEL'S CIRCUS
XXII. THE MINISTER'S CHICKENS
XXIII. THE BLACKBERRIES AND THE BULL
XXIV. HOW JOEL STARTED THE FIRE
XXV. JOEL SELLS SHOES FOR MR. BEEBE
XXVI. Miss PARROTT'S COACH AND THE COASTING
XXVII. PRINCES AND PRINCESSES

THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER

I
JOEL AND THE SNAKE
"Come on, Dave!"
It was Joel's voice, and Polly pricked up her ears. "'Tisn't going to hurt you. Hoh! you're a 'fraid-cat--old 'fraid-cat!"
"No, I'm not 'fraid-cat," declared little Davie, trying to speak stoutly; "I'm coming, Joel," and his little rusty shoes pattered unevenly down the rickety board walk.
"Jo-_el_!" called Polly, thinking it quite time now to interfere.
Joel scuttled behind the old woodshed, and several smothered grunts proclaimed his disapproval at the interruption.
"Now I know you're up to some mischief," declared Polly, "so you just come into the house, Joel Pepper, and tell me what it is."
"'Tisn't," said Joel, loudly insisting. "_Don't go, Dave_," in a loud whisper. Thereupon ensued a lively scuffle, evidently, by the noise they made.
"I must," said little Davie; "Polly called us."
"No, she didn't call _you_," declared Joel. "You stay here. She said 'Joel.'"
"Bo-_oys_!" sang out Polly's voice, not to have any doubt in the matter.
"There, she did call me," cried Davie, wriggling to get free from Joel's clutch; "she said 'boys!'"
"She's always calling us," said Joel, in an injured voice, dragging himself away from the charms of the woodshed to straggle slowly back to the house.
There sat Polly on the big stone that served as a step for the back door, with her hands folded in her lap. Little Davie skipped by Joel, and ran up to her, with a flushed face.
"Now I should like to know what you've been up to, Joey Pepper?" said Polly, her brown eyes full on him.
"Haven't been up to anything," mumbled Joel, hanging his chubby face.
"Yes, you have, I know," declared Polly, in her most positive fashion; "now tell me what it is, and right straight off, Joel. Begin." She kept her hands still folded in her lap. "What were you going to do?"
Joel squirmed all over the little patch of ground before the flat doorstone, and dug the toes of his shoes into the dirt.
"Don't do so," cried Polly. "You'll get bigger holes in 'em. Oh, Joel, to think how naughty you are, and Mamsie away!"
At that Joel gave a loud howl, nearly upsetting Polly from her stone; then, digging his two fists into his eyes, he plunged forward and thrust his black head on the folded hands in her lap. "I ain't naughty," he screamed. "I ain't, and Mamsie won't care. O dear--ooh--ooh!"
"Tell me what you were going to do, before I can say you are not naughty," said Polly, dreadfully frightened at his outburst, but not unfolding her hands.
"I was only going to--going to--going to--" mumbled Joel, trying to burrow past her hands, and get into the comforting lap.
"Going to do what?" demanded Polly, still not moving.
"I was going to--going to--" said Joel, in smothered tones.
"Stop saying you were going to," commanded Polly, in