Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Ford's Part 21

"Out of the ocean!" exclaimed d.i.c.k. "Well, if you got her out of the ocean I suppose I can get her out of a snow bank. For I guess that's where your doll is now, Margy. Don't cry! I'll try to find her."

d.i.c.k loved children, and, as it was rather lonesome at Great Hedge, he was very glad the six little Bunkers had come with their father and mother to stay until Spring.

"Where did you lose your doll, Margy?" asked d.i.c.k, stooping down and leaning over the little girl, who was crying so hard now that she could hardly see on account of her tears.

"Oh, I--I--don't know," she sobbed. "I--I had her in my arms, and I was giving her a nice ride and, all of a sudden, I didn't have her any m-more."

"I guess she slipped out when you went over a b.u.mp, or something like that," said d.i.c.k. "But, as I said, if you found her in the ocean, I guess we can find her when she's only in a snow bank. I never saw the ocean. Is it very big?"

"Terrible big," answered Rose. "We were down at Cousin Tom's, and a box was washed up on sh.o.r.e and some j.a.panese dolls were in it. We each have one--all except Russ and Laddie, 'cause they're too big to play with dolls. But now Margy's is lost. But we've two more home, Margy, 'cause there were half a dozen in the box, and you can have one of them."

"Don't want them!" exclaimed Margy. "I want my own doll that I had on the sled. Where is she?" And Margy cried harder than ever.

"We'll look," said d.i.c.k.

He went into the barn and came out again with a big wooden rake. In summer the rake was used to clean the lawn. But now it was to be used in the snow.

"You little girls go up to the top of the hill and sit down on your sleds," said d.i.c.k. "Or, better still, go into the barn, like the robin in the song, and keep warm. Then I'll look for your doll, Margy."

Then, with the long, wooden rake the man began "combing," as Vi called it, the snow along the hill. There was no need to look in the middle, where the sleds slid down, for there the snow was packed hard, and anything, even smaller than a good-sized j.a.panese doll, could be seen easily. But d.i.c.k raked on each side in the soft snow.

Pretty soon he cried:

"Hurray!"

"Did you find it?" asked Vi.

"Yes, this time I have it!" replied d.i.c.k, and he held up to view Margy's lost doll. She had fallen into the soft snow, and was not hurt a bit.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Margy.

After the snow had been brushed off the j.a.panese doll, Margy hugged her close in her arms.

"I'm never, never, never going to lose you again!" cried the little girl.

"And we're much obliged to you for finding her," said Rose to d.i.c.k.

"Oh, yes, I forgot. Mother said I was always to say thank you, and I do!" exclaimed Margy. "I could give you a kiss, too, if you wanted it,"

she went on, "and so could my doll."

"Well, I'd rather have one from you," laughed d.i.c.k. "But I haven't shaved to-day, and my face is rather whiskery."

"My father's face is like that lots of times--I don't mind," said Margy, so she kissed d.i.c.k and was very happy.

Then, after some more coasting, during which time the dolls were left in the barn, the three little Bunker girls went back to the house.

"Ready for bread and jam?" asked Grandma Ford. "That was always what I used to want when I came in out of the cold, and I think you want the same.".

"Yes, please, we do," said Rose.

"Oh, yes, please!" added Vi.

"I lost my doll," said Margy, "but d.i.c.k raked her up and I did give him a kiss."

"That was nice!" laughed Grandma Ford.

As she was spreading the bread and jam for Rose, Margy and Vi, in came Russ, Laddie and Mun Bun, leaving, of course, the snow man outside. And you can easily guess what the boys wanted.

Bread and jam!

That's just it, and you may go to the head of the cla.s.s. I wish I had some bread and jam to give you for guessing right, but I haven't.

The next day when Daddy Bunker, who had come back from business, and Grandpa Ford went out to the barn to look at one of the horses that had a cold, Russ and Laddie followed. On the way they pa.s.sed a small house, or pen, such as chickens are kept in, and from it came a loud:

"Gobble-obble-obble!"

"What's that?" asked Mun Bun. "Is it a hand-organ monkey?"

"Oh, no!" laughed Grandpa Ford. "That's our prize turkey, and do you know what he says?"

"Did he say anything?" asked Russ.

"Oh, indeed he did!" said Grandpa Ford with a laugh. "You see I understand turkey talk, and this bird just said: 'Thanksgiving is coming, and then I'll be gobbled-obbled-obbled!' That's what he said, and it's going to come true. That's going to be part of our Thanksgiving day dinner."

"I like turkey," said Russ. "Is Thanksgiving coming soon?"

"Next week," his father told him. "You want to get up good appet.i.tes between now and then."

"I'm hungry now," said Laddie, though how he could be, having only had breakfast a little while before, I don't know. But lots of children are that way.

There was plenty to see and do around Great Hedge Estate, and after the six little Bunkers had peeped in at the big Thanksgiving turkey, they played around the barn a bit and then romped in the snow.

In the afternoon Grandpa Ford hitched a team of horses to a big sled--the same one that had brought them from the station--and took them all for a long ride, the bells merrily jingling all the way. They stopped in the city of Tarrington on the way home, and bought some things Grandma Ford wanted for the Thanksgiving dinner.

Coming home in the afternoon, the children went up to the attic to play again, taking some apples with them to have a play party.

"Oh, Grandpa Ford's is just a lovely place!" exclaimed Rose that night as she and the others were going to bed.

"And we didn't hear any more funny ghost noises," said Russ in a low voice. "I guess the ghost has gone, Rose."

"I guess so, too. I didn't hear Daddy or Mother or Grandpa or Grandma say any more about it."

That night Mun Bun awakened, and called to his mother to give him a drink of water. As it happened Rose and Russ were also awake, and Margy, hearing her brother ask for water, wanted some, too. So there were several of the Bunkers awake at once.

Just as Mrs. Bunker was giving Mun Bun his drink, there suddenly sounded through the dim and silent house the loud ringing of a string of sleigh bells.

"What's that?" called Grandma Ford from across the hall. "Is some one stopping out in front?"