Little Fred went to spend his long vacation with his grandpa and
grandma in the country. Fred's grandpa had an old white horse named
Betsy. He had owned her ever since mamma was a little girl, and Fred
and Betsy soon became great friends.
Every day grandma would give Fred two biscuits, two apples and two
lumps of sugar in a little basket and he would take them over to the
pasture. Betsy soon learned to expect him, and waited for him at the
bars. She knew that half of what was in the basket was meant for her.
A very pretty path came in at one end of the pasture. Fred often
wondered where it went, but he never dared to go in very far alone.
One day his two cousins, Alice and Frank, came to make grandma a
little visit. Grandma told Fred he must show them all over the farm.
The next morning, after he had taken them out to lunch with Betsy, he
thought it would be a good chance to go down the little path. Alice
and Frank said they would like to go very much. Fred was still a
little afraid, and kept very near Alice. But he forgot everything
else, when, at the end of the path, they came upon a lovely little
pond. It was all covered with great white lilies and their green pads.
They wanted to get some lilies to take home. They tried to reach them
from the bank, but lilies have a provoking way of growing just out of
reach. Then they tried to hook them in with sticks, but got only three
or four, without stems. Then they looked for a board to use as a raft.
At last Frank said they must wade for them. He and Fred took off their
shoes and stockings, pulled up their trousers, and went in. Fred used
a long stick to feel the way before him, so as not to get into water
too deep.
This time they were successful, and got just as many lilies as their
hands would hold.
Grandma was delighted with them; she said she had not had any lilies
from that old pond since grandpa used to bring them to her years and
years before.