TWADDLES' GRASSHOPPER
Apple Tree Island was the main topic of conversation at the table
that night. The four little Blossoms were wildly excited at the
prospect of going on an island to live, and Twaddles had a secret
idea that one swam out to it from the mainland.
"I haven't told you the very nicest part of the plan," said Mother
Blossom, as she served the pudding. "If we go, and mind you,
children, nothing is definitely settled yet, Daddy will drive us
in the new car and we'll stop at Brookside to see Aunt Polly!"
They were all in bed long before Father Blossom came home, and the
next morning Meg and Bobby hurried off to school, leaving the
twins to talk about the proposed trip.
"I'll tell you the story of Apple Tree Island to-night," Father
Blossom had promised them at breakfast. "I think I can safely say
that we will go in a week or so, or as soon as Mother can get you
ready and make her plans. I have to get some equipment for the
car, too."
So there was a story connected with this island which had such a
pretty name! No wonder the four little Blossoms thought it must be
a wonderful place. They were so anxious to be off that it seemed
to them they simply could not be patient for two long weeks.
"But school doesn't close--not until the middle of May!" Meg
voiced this distressing thought when she and Bobby were at the Oak
Hill school door. "Oh, Bobby, wouldn't it be awful if every one
went to Apple Tree Island except us!"
Bobby insisted that such a dreadful thing wasn't to be thought of,
but the idea troubled him all through the morning session. At
noon, for he and Meg went home to lunch, he asked Mother Blossom
whether she thought he and Meg would be left out of the island
plan because of the fact that school would still be in session
when the Blossoms started.
"Why, my dear little son, what a notion!" cried Mother Blossom,
kissing him warmly. "As if we could be happy two seconds without
you and Meg! Daddy and I talked it over, and we decided, before I
told you children of the plan, that if we had to go before school
closed it wouldn't be such a serious matter, because you both have
had excellent reports and the last school month is given over to
review work. If you and Meg have been attentive throughout the
term, and Miss Mason says you have, you can afford to miss a few
weeks."
Bobby was immensely relieved and looked over at Meg to see if she
did not share his pleasure. Meg, however, was scowling at
Twaddles, who seemed decidedly uncomfortable.
"Mother!" Meg had been waiting for her mother's attention.
"Mother, you ought to see what Twaddles did to me this morning."
Bobby suddenly snickered.
"Oh, Mother," he giggled, "it was the funniest thing you ever saw!
It hopped right across Bertrand Ashe's foot and Meg went to pick
it up and it went, plop! into Palmer Davis's inkwell. Miss Mason
thought Meg did it on purpose."
"What hopped?" asked Mother Blossom, mystified. "And Meg, why are
you frowning so at poor Twaddles?"
"He knows, all right," declared Meg wrathfully. "He put that
jumping grasshopper Aunt Polly sent him in my middy blouse pocket.
And it mortified me very much, Mother."
"I don't doubt it, Daughter," said Mother Blossom sympathetically.
"Twaddles, I think that was rather a mean trick."
"Paid her up for calling me silly," muttered Twaddles, his face
scarlet.
"It was funny, though," insisted Bobby smiling.
Meg tried not to laugh and then she gave in.
"Yes, it was," she admitted, dimpling. "The ink splashed all over,
Mother, and when Miss Mason made Palmer take it out it gave
another jump and landed way over on the window seat."
"Miss Mason has it now," said Bobby. "She wouldn't give it back."
"But it's mine," wailed Twaddles. "I want it to play with. Make
Meg get it, won't you, Mother?"
"I won't!" announced Meg stubbornly.
"Don't speak that way, Meg," said Mother Blossom gently.
"Twaddles, it seems to me that since the grasshopper got Meg into
such trouble, and you put it in her pocket, that you're the one to
get it back. If you want it badly enough to ask Miss Mason for it,
well and good; otherwise I fear you have lost your grasshopper."
Poor Twaddles knew there was no way out of it. Either he must lose
his beautiful green grasshopper, or else go and ask Miss Mason to
give it to him. Mother Blossom never allowed the children to coax;
when she said a thing she always meant it.
"Will you go ask, Dot?" Twaddles said to his little sister, after
Meg and Bobby had gone back to school.
"I'll go with you," offered Dot "But I won't go all by myself
without any one with me."
So it happened that Miss Mason was much surprised to receive a
visit that afternoon a few minutes after she had dismissed her
class. She had met Twaddles and Dot before, when they had paid
their first visit to the school, and she remembered them at once.
"I'm very glad to see you," she assured them. "Won't you come in
and sit down? Meg and Bobby have been telling me about Apple Tree
Island."
"Yes, I guess we're going," murmured Twaddles, his eyes fixed in
fascination on his mechanical grasshopper reposing on the top of
the teacher's desk.
"Will Norah and Annabel Lee and Philip go with you?" asked Miss
Mason, who knew all about the Blossom family and their pets.
"I don't know about Norah and Annabel Lee," returned Dot politely,
"but Sam Layton took Philip to Canada with him; he was really like
Sam's own dog 'cause he mostly fed him. Of course," she added,
"that makes Twaddles very lonesome."
"Yes?" said Miss Mason, as though she did not quite understand.
"You see," explained Dot bravely, "now he hasn't any dog or any
grasshopper!"
Miss Mason stared at the little girl for a moment. Then she leaned
back in her chair and laughed.
"Is that your grasshopper, Twaddles?" she asked merrily. "What was
it doing, then, in Meg's pocket?"
Miss Mason had at first refused to use any nicknames in her class
and she had insisted on calling Bobby and Meg by their true names,
"Robert" and "Margaret." As for Twaddles and Dot, the teacher had
declared that never, never, could she consent to calling children
by such "queer" names. But, after a while, she had grown used to
the queer names and, like every one else in Oak Hill, forgot that
the four little Blossoms had any others.
Dot sensibly thought that Twaddle should make his own explanation,
and that small boy did, rather shamefacedly. Miss Mason gave him
his grasshopper and advised him not to play tricks on his sister
again.
"I won't," promised Twaddles earnestly, "at least, not pocket
ones."
Down in the hall, on their way out, Twaddles and Dot met Mr.
Carter, who also remembered them from their earlier visit. He
shook hands with them and very naturally asked them what brought
them to school.
"Meg and Bobby went home at least half an hour ago," he said
kindly.
"We came for my grasshopper," explained Twaddles, and that brought
out the whole story.
"Dot," remarked Twaddles thoughtfully when they were walking home,
"it wouldn't be so bad being bad if you didn't have to tell about
it, would it?"
Dot understood at once.
"N--o," she drawled slowly. "But we'd feel worse if we never did
tell."
Twaddles was so glad to get his grasshopper back that he made it
hop all the way home. And at home the twins found Miss Florence,
the Oak Hill dressmaker, talking with Mother Blossom.
"I'll come to-morrow, then," Miss Florence was saying as Dot and
Twaddles came up the path. "Here's Dot now. Come here, child,
while I measure your skirt. Did you know you were going to have a
new dress to wear to Apple Tree Island?"
"I hope it's pink," said Dot with interest. "Pink with a white
organdie sash. And I can wear my white shoes and stockings."
"When can we begin to pack?" demanded the practical Bobby. "We can
do most of that for you, Mother."
Miss Florence folded up her measure.
"Your mother's going to have her hands full," she observed,
rising. "Well, it's most supper time and I must run. I'll be over
early in the morning, Mrs. Blossom. Here comes Mr. Blossom now."
"Tell us the story!" cried the four little Blossoms, falling upon
their father before he had brought the car quite to a stop. "Tell
us the story about Apple Tree Island, Daddy! Please!"
"With fresh asparagus for supper?" asked Father Blossom in great
surprise. "I couldn't think of it! After supper you shall hear all
about the island, chicks."