The Curlytops and Their Pets | Page 4

to loosen the rope from the dog's neck. But as soon as Trouble
started to do this, Skyrocket, who loved the children, began to lick
William's face with a red tongue.
"'Top it! 'Top it!" commanded Trouble, but Skyrocket only licked the
more.
"Oh, Ted, unfasten Sky, or he'll eat Trouble up!" laughed Janet.
"Are you going to sail that big box for your ship, Trouble?" asked Ted,
as he loosed the dog.
"Yep! Dis box my s'ip," announced the small boy. "I sail it!"
"Well, don't sail it near ours or you'll upset our ships--yours is so much
larger, dear," begged Janet.
"I be ca'eful!" Trouble promised. "I find this big box for my s'ip in
kitchen, an' Sky drag it here for me!"
"Yes, Skyrocket is a good dog," said Ted. "Hi there! Don't wag your
tail so near my ship, or you'll upset her before I beat Jan in the race!"
shouted Teddy, as the dog, in his joy at being with the Curlytops,
nearly spoiled their plans for having fun.
"Here! Go chase that!" cried Ted, tossing a stick far down the brook.
And as Skyrocket splashed into the water after it, a loud whistle was
heard across the field on the other side of the brook.
"There's the postman!" called Janet.
"Yes, he's coming here, and he's got a letter in his hand," announced
Teddy. "He's taking the short cut."
Sometimes the mail carrier came across the lots near the Martin home,
as he was doing on this occasion. The Curlytops ceased the loading of

their ships long enough to run and meet the carrier.
"There's a letter for your mother," the postman said, as he handed the
missive to Ted. "Don't drop it in the brook."
"I won't," promised the boy. "I wonder who the letter is from?" he went
on, as the postman continued over the lots to his next stopping place,
blowing his whistle on the way.
"Any mail, children?" called a voice.
"There's mother, now!" said Janet.
"Yes, here's a letter," called Ted. His mother had walked down to the
brook from the house, along the back path, to see what her Curlytops
and Trouble were doing.
Mrs. Martin opened and read the letter as Ted and Janet went back to
their play, and as she turned the pages she gave an exclamation of
wonder.
"What is it?" asked Ted, looking up as he placed the last pebble on his
ship.
"This is a letter from your Uncle Toby," said Mrs. Martin, "and there is
strange news in it. I wonder what it means? This is very queer!"
She started to read the letter again, but at that moment Janet cried:
"Oh, look at Trouble! Just look at him! He's sailing away down the
brook! Oh, he'll be drowned!"
CHAPTER II
AN AUTOMOBILE RIDE
Mrs. Martin dropped the letter from Uncle Toby. It fluttered to the
ground as she hastened down the bank of the brook in which Trouble
was sailing away, aboard the small box he had brought to play with as

his "s'ip."
"William! William Anthony Martin! Come right back here!" called Mrs.
Martin. "Come back!"
Poor William would have been glad enough to do this, but he could not.
He had stepped into the box, shoved it out from shore with a pole as he
had seen Janet poling her tiny ship along, and then the current of the
stream had carried poor Trouble away. He was floating down the brook,
which was quite deep in some places.
"Oh, Trouble! Trouble! What shall I do?" cried his mother.
"I'll run up to the house and get the rake, and we can hook it on the
edge of his box and pull him out!" shouted Janet.
"I'll get him myself!" called Ted, and, not thinking that he had on his
shoes and stockings, into the water he dashed, following after the
floating box in which Trouble was riding. As for the little fellow
himself, he had been overjoyed, at first, when he found that he was
afloat. But as the water came leaking through the cracks in the box
Trouble became frightened.
"Oh, Momsie! Come an' det me! Come an' det me!" he wailed.
"Mother's coming!" called Mrs. Martin, as she caught up a long stick
and, running along the edge of the brook, tried to reach out and hook it
over the side of the box-ship in which William was sailing away.
And while the mother, brother and sister of the little chap are going to
his rescue, I will take just a moment or two and tell you something
about the Martin children, and why they are called the "Curlytops."
The reason for the odd, pretty name is not hard to find. It was in their
hair--they had the