DOT SQUEAKY'S SUMMER SCHOOL
The spot which Dot chose for her schoolroom was down in a lane behind Wild
Rose Cottage.
Uncle Squeaky helped Scamper and Limpy-toes set four strong corner posts
and made a roof of green boughs to shelter the kiddies when it rained; but
there were no walls to shut out the fresh air and sunshine. There were
rows of green mossy seats and a desk in which Dot could keep her books and
papers.
Tiny, Teenty and Buster gathered wild flowers to decorate their pretty
school-room.
Pete and Dickie Grasshopper stopped on their way home from the Lake.
"May we come to school, Miss Dot?" asked Dickie.
"Surely; any one who wishes to learn to read and write may come. But you
must obey your teacher."
"We could not come every day," said Pete.
"I shall not teach every day," smiled Dot. "One day is lesson day; the
next is play day."
"I brought this stick for you," said Dickie, presenting Dot a smooth
willow stick. "If Bobsey Rabbit or Tony Spider play any tricks, just give
'em a walloping."
"Thank you, Dickie. I will hang it over my desk, but I think I shall not
need to use it."
"She may wallop you, Dickie," laughed Pete as they hopped home.
At last the school-room was finished. Limpy-toes and Buster rode around
the village in the automobile and invited the children to come to Miss
Squeaky's school. Limpy-toes got quite angry with Grandpa Bull Frog.
"He was ever so impolite, Mammy," he complained. "He said he'd never send
his family to a Graymouse school. He said that Uncle Squeaky's band
couldn't play as good as the Frog Orchestra, and that Uncle Squeaky didn't
know anything about the Lake, if he did make a raft and float around. Ah,
Grandpa Bull Frog thinks he is a wonderful fellow!"
Granny Whiskers was interested in the pupils' names which Dot wrote in her
school book.
"Pete and Dickie Grasshopper and Sammie Cricket!" she exclaimed. "Why, Dot
Squeaky, they are too old to begin school! Baby Wee Field-Mouse and little
Squealer won't do a thing but play and squeal."
"I think I can teach them all something, Granny," laughed Dot.
"There's a good many Spider and Grasshopper kiddies," said Silver Ears.
"Pete and Dickie have two sisters, Molly and Dolly. Hopsy Toad is a cute
little fellow. Topsy Toad must be his twin sister. Webbie, Spinnie, Tony,
and Patty Spider! You will have a big school, Cousin Dot."
"Fidelia Cricket is going with Sammie," added Granny. "Ah, I see that Mr.
Jack Rabbit is sending his two boys--Bunny and Bobsey. I fear you will
have your paws full, Dot."
"If I can manage my two small brothers, I'll not fear the others."
"Tiny and Teenty are great gigglers," said Silver Ears. "It takes Mammy
Graymouse to teach them their lessons. If they don't mind, just tell
Mammy."
School began upon a lovely summer morning. Dot found many pupils waiting
upon the green moss seats.
"What a splendid school! I am proud," she exclaimed as she tossed her pink
sun hat upon her desk. "I shall soon teach you some pretty songs, but this
morning Fidelia Cricket has promised to fiddle for us."
Fidelia tripped smilingly up to the desk and stood beside Miss Dot while
she fiddled a cheery little tune.
Then Dot gave them all some paper and pencils and taught them to write A,
B, C. Even Dickie Grasshopper bent over his work, scowling eagerly as he
tried to make the pretty letters.
To be sure, little Squealer would squeal every time little Wee pinched
him, which was quite often, for Wee loved to hear him squeal.
And Bunny Rabbit had to keep trotting out to his lunch basket to nibble
the nice yellow carrot that Mother Rabbit had put in for Bunny and
Bobsey's lunch.
"They are only babies after all," excused Dot. "They haven't learned
school ways and rules."
"Now we will do something else," said Dot by-and-by. "Put away your
pencils and I will teach you some numbers. Listen. One and one are two.
Everybody say it."
The noisy chorus was almost deafening as they all shouted, "One and one
are two!"
"If I should give Hopsy Toad one piece of candy and Dickie Grasshopper
should give him one piece, how many would he have?" asked Dot.
Buster waved both paws.
"Well, Buster, how many?"
"Not any; he'd eat 'em up," said Buster.
"But if he did not eat them?" laughed Dot.
Webbie Spider raised his paw.
"You may tell us, Webbie."
"One and one are two pieces of candy," answered Webbie.
[Illustration: _Webbie Spider raised his paw_.]
"Right. You are a smart scholar, Webbie."
"Then please, Miss Dot, don't give the candies to Hopsy--give 'em to me."
"Now here is a harder problem," went on Dot. "If Bunny Rabbit had two red
apples, and I took one away from him, how many red apples would he have?"
"You couldn't do it, Miss Dot!" cried Bunny. "I wouldn't give it to you,
so you better not try."
Wiggle Squeaky hopped up excitedly.
"Bunny was saucy. Why don't you get the willow stick, Dot?" he cried.
Bunny turned around and wrinkled his funny pink nose and stuck out his
tongue at Wiggle. All the kiddies shouted and laughed.
"Hush! hush!" said Dot sternly. "You must learn not to laugh in school.
Wiggle must not meddle. And Bunny--if I had my looking-glass here, so he
could see how he looked, I know he wouldn't make such a silly face again.
Bunny did not mean to be saucy. He just said what he thought was the
truth.
"Now," continued Dot with a smile, "if I had two apples and Bobsey Rabbit
took one away from me, how many apples would I have?"
Molly Grasshopper stood up quickly.
"Not any apple, Miss Squeaky!" she cried, "'cause Bunny would grab the
other one."
"Now once more; how many are one and one?"
"One and one are two!" they recited in a shrill chorus.
"Right. You all remember very nicely," praised Dot.
So the lessons went merrily on all that long summer day.
"I shall need you to help me, Silvy," said Dot after school when the
cousins were strolling together among the wild blossoms. "I have a big
class and they are such lively youngsters that it will take some time to
tame them. But it is real fun."
"I'll love to come if Doctor Grand-daddy doesn't find any patients for me
to nurse," agreed Silver Ears. "Let's ask Limpy-toes to take us over to
Gray Rock Bungalow in the automobile tonight. Mammy and Aunt Squeaky will
wish to hear about your school."
"I must ask Pa Squeaky to fetch his fiddle and teach the kiddies some new
music. Mrs. Cricket wants Sammie and Fidelia to have lessons on their
fiddles."
Dot entertained the whole family that evening with her school stories.
They laughed heartily over Bunny and Bobsey.
"They must be real baby clowns!" chuckled Uncle Squeaky. "Never mind, Dot,
keep at 'em until they all learn their A, B, C's and remember to keep your
willow walloping stick handy."