The Bobbsey Twins at the County Fair | Page 9

cried Freddie.
"I'm going to get on the lion's back!" exclaimed Flossie.

"No, I want the lion, you can have the cow!" yelled Freddie. "I want the
lion!"
"I had him first! I choosed him first an' he's mine! Daddy, can't I have
the lion?" begged Flossie.
"Hush, children!" said Mr. Bobbsey, as Freddie opened his mouth to
wail that he wanted the king of beasts. "The merry-go-round isn't going
to be set up here. No one is going to get a ride."
"That's what, mister!" exclaimed the red-faced man. "I'm not going to
stop here. I'm on my way to the Bolton County Fair with this
merry-go-round outfit. I'm going to be there for a week or more. Just
had a little trouble with this engine. I got steam up on it while on the
road to see what the matter was."
"Is it fixed now?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.
"Yes, seems to be. Here, Bob," he called to the lanky boy, "haul the fire
now, and we'll let her cool down. I guess she'll work now. Got up a
good steam pressure, anyhow."
The ragged boy did something to the engine, when suddenly a burst of
melody struck on the ears of all, and from an organ there was ground
out a gay dancing tune.
"Oh, music!" cried Flossie.
"Where's the hand organ monkey?" Freddie wanted to know.
"I'm going to get Grace and we can dance!" exclaimed Nan, for she and
her chums did simple little dances at school.
"I want to see the monkey!" wailed Freddie again.
"There isn't any monkey," Bert said. "It isn't exactly a hand organ. It's
one that works by steam, I imagine," he said. "It's part of the
merry-go-round."

"That's right. It's a good organ, too," said the ragged, lanky boy, who
was working away at the engine, while the red-faced man had started
for the front of the truck. Hearing the melody the red-faced man turned
to the boy and angrily cried:
"Here! I didn't tell you to turn that music on! Shut it off, do you hear!"
"My, what a cross man!" said Flossie, in what she meant to be a
whisper.
"Hush!" her father said.
"Shut that organ off! What'd you turn it on for, Bob?" grumbled the
man.
"I didn't turn it on, Mr. Blipper. It turned itself on--too much steam, I
guess."
"Well, shut it off, do you hear! I don't want to play music when I don't
get any money for it. Shut it off!"
The boy did something to the engine and the organ music died away in
a sad wail.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Flossie.
"Now we can't have any dance," lamented Nan.
"How long are you going to stop here, Mr.--er--did I understand your
name was Blipper?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, thinking he might arrange to
have the organ played a little while for the children.
"Blipper is my name--Aaron Blipper," answered the man. "Sole owner
and proprietor of Blipper's Merry-Go-Round which will exhibit for a
week, and maybe more, at the Bolton County Fair."
"My name is Bobbsey," went on the father of the twins. "Your name
and mine have the same first letter, anyhow. I was going to say that if
you were going to remain here a while I'd give you a dollar to let the

organ play for the children. This is a Sunday school picnic."
"I guessed it was," said Mr. Blipper. "Well, if you was to give me a
dollar I'd have Bob turn the music on again. I think a dollar will pay for
what coal I burn in the engine. The organ is worked by the engine. I
can't turn it by hand, or I'd let Bob do that. But I'll play for a dollar."
"Here you are then," said Mr. Bobbsey, and he passed over a bill.
"Turn the organ on, Bob!" ordered Mr. Blipper. "And while we're
waiting here get a pail and water the horses. Might as well make
yourself useful as well as ornamental."
To the Bobbsey twins it seemed that Bob had been making himself
busy, if not useful, ever since the merry-go-round had halted near the
picnic grounds.
The boy turned a handle and once more the organ began grinding out
music of one kind or another. It was not very good, of course, but it
pleased the children. Soon Flossie and Freddie were dancing on the
green grass beside the road, and Nan and many of the other children
were also enjoying themselves in this way. Though it was a Sunday
school picnic, such simple dances as the children did could not be
found fault with by any one.
Bert and his especial chums did not dance. They walked about the
trucks of the merry-go-round, looking at the wooden animals. Mainly,
however, they