Now Mary and the big [boy] with the [gun] became great friends. He
used to bring her [candy] in his [satchel]; once he took her out in
his [boat] to gather [flowers]; and he promised to take her to the
County Fair. Early on that day he came for her with his [horse] and
[carriage]. Mary was all ready, in her new [hat], with [bows] on her
[shoes]. "Where is the [lamb]?" he asked. "[Father] says he mustn't
go," said Mary sadly, "so I shut him up in the [barn]". "Oh but he
must go!" cried the [boy]. "He's entered--they expect him." [Mary]
didn't understand that, but she was very glad to take her dear [lamb]
with her. They walked about the Fair grounds and saw the [horses] and
[cows] and [sheep] and [pigs] in the [pens]; and visited the [tent]
where the [rabbits] and [chickens] were, in their [cages]. And
everywhere that [Mary] went the [lamb] kept close beside her; and
all the [people] looked at them and smiled. At last the [boy] said,
"Now we are going into the [exhibit hall] so we will leave our [lamb]
in this nice little [pen] beside all the other [lambs] to wait for
us." They looked at the [fruits] and [flowers] and the [quilts] and
[preserves] in the [exhibit hall]. Then they found Marys [father] and
[mother] and had dinner together; and afterward they saw the [horse]
race, and the [hot-air balloon] go up, and heard the [marching band]
play. It was a long time before they went for the [lamb]. Some
[people] were looking at him, and just as Mary ran up they fastened a
blue [ribbon] on his [head]. "Oh, thank you! How pretty!" she said.
"Hurrah!" cried the [boy]. "Our [lamb] has won first prize! That means
he's the best [lamb] in town!" "Of course!" said little [Mary]. "He's
the best [lamb] in the whole [world]!"