CHAPTER IX
MARY FRANCES GETS BREAKFAST
MARY FRANCES was a long time getting to sleep that night for thinking about breakfast.
She had her little cook book, and Mother's last letter under her pillow.
"Billy writes your lunches are 'scrumptious,'" ran her mother's letter. "I cannot tell how much comfort my little girl is to me."
"I've 'most a mind to tell Mother about the cook book," thought Mary Frances, "but won't she open her eyes when I tell her I've made everything—if I can keep the secret! I do hope I wake up in time. Father said he'd call me to breakfast, when he said "Good-night," but I want to slip down, and have everything ready when he comes."
So she fell asleep, and dreamed she made an Angel Cake as big as a mountain, and that Jubey stole it, and fed all the hungry cats in the World.
She had fixed the curtain so that the first sunlight would fall on her face, and it seemed only a breath of time until she felt it call her.
How sleepy she was!
"I'll get down before the Kitchen Folks are awake," she whispered.
She carried her little shoes in her hand and stole softly downstairs, stopping in the dining-room to put them on.
"Nonsense, you!" she recognized the voice of Tea Kettle.
"Just wait till I read it out of my little book," mimicked a new voice.
"For shame, you saucy Pan!" exclaimed Big Iron Pot.
"Just wait until I read it!"
Mary Frances peeped into the kitchen. In the middle of the floor stood little Sauce Pan, pretending to read out of a book:
"'How to Make Potato Pie Out of Sauer-kraut.'"
"Silly!" exclaimed Potato Masher.
Sauce Pan repeated:
"To Make Potato Pie Out of Sauer-kraut:
"1. Fill eight potatoes with Sauer-kraut, and peel them.
"2. Make a crust of the left-overs.
"3. Bake the parings well, and serve very hot on ice."
Just then Mary Frances sneezed.
How Sauce Pan ran, and jumped up to his place on the rack!
He looked so shamefaced when Mary Frances went in, that she hadn't the heart to scold him.
Instead, "Boiled Eggs," she called.
He pretended to be asleep. Then she took him by the arm and shook him.
"Boiled Eggs!" she shouted. "Doesn't that mean you?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly; "I'm such a 'sleepy-head!' Do you know," con-fi-den-ti-al-ly, "I often talk in my sleep." At this the Kitchen People grinned.
"Ahem!" said Mary Frances, "It's a dangerous habit. Sometimes people tell stories when they're awake, too," she added as she stepped out to get the milk.
"Is 'Old Puff-away' ready?" asked Sauce Pan of Coffee Pot.
"If you mean Tea Kettle, Saucy," answered Coffee Pot excitedly, "I hope so, for I can scarcely wait till I'm needed."
Tea Kettle gave two extra puffs of steam, but otherwise took no notice.
"How do you know you'll be used?" Sauce Pan asked of Coffee Pot, nudging Pie Plate who was near him.
"I come next in the book—and, besides, I'm always used for breakfast." Coffee Pot was beginning to get angry.
"Bet we have eggs,—eggs, and toast, and—tea! Yes, I bet it's tea for B. this morning."
Sauce Pan kept on saying, "Tea for B." so long that Coffee Pot began to cry:
"Eggs and toast and tea,
That doesn't mean me.
Coffee is better—
Though not wetter—
For breakfast
Than tea, tea, tea."
"Tee-hee—Tee-hee—Tee-hee!" giggled Sauce Pan, pointing to Coffee Pot tan-ta-liz-ing-ly, who began to cry in earnest.
"Why, what's the matter with Coffee Pot?" Mary Frances asked when she came in. "Is it possible Aunt Maria forgot to dry you last night?"
Nobody said anything—and Sauce Pan hastily ran toward the stove.
"Wait," called Mary Frances, "wait a minute until I can look in my book——"
"Oh, I can say it without any book—we all know our own tricks," boasted Sauce Pan.
"All right," said Mary Frances, "say it—that will save time."
So he began.
"B'iled eggs—excuse me!—boiled eggs," he corrected, seeing Mary Frances' stern face.
No. 9.—Boiled Eggs.
1. Put eggs in sauce pan.
2. Cover with boiling Water.
3. Place where the water will keep hot 6 to 10 minutes. A quicker method is to boil eggs very gently 3 or 4 minutes.
"Why!" exclaimed Mary Frances, "I thought you dropped the eggs into boiling water for three minutes or more, 'accordin'—that's what Nora said. I asked her what 'accordin' meant, and she said 'accordin' to the tastes of them that eats them—soft or hard."
"I was speaking of the best way," declared Sauce Pan glancing loftily at Mary Frances. "There is no end of ways to do it, but this is the scientific way to cook eggs so that they will be soft, but cooked all the way through and easily digested—not liquid inside a hard, white coat. In other Words—Ahem! the al-bu-men (white of egg) cooks much better at a lower than a higher temperature."
"Whew!" whistled Coffee Pot.
"I wonder how it is in my book." Mary Frances turned to the page. "Exactly as you said!" she exclaimed.
"Of course!" declared Sauce Pan.
"Bet he peeped into the book," whispered Coffee Pot to Toaster.
Sauce Pan continued: It is somewhat the same way with
No. 10.—Hard-boiled Eggs.
1. Put eggs in sauce pan.
2. Cover them with boiling water.
3. Place on fire where the water will boil but very gently 20 minutes.
"Thinks he knows it all," grumbled Coffee Pot; "he'll be like the frog; he'll burst with pride if he keeps this up."
"Well, well, well!" said Mary Frances, "I certainly am surprised at what you know."
"A Sauce Pan is a funny thing,
Needed by every lassie,—
Although it may be full of sauce
It may not yet be sassy,"
sang the little fellow, dancing on the stove.
"Old Puff-away," he began.
"That will do!" said Mary Frances, and proceeded to pour out the hot water. "Tea Kettle is my right-hand man. Don't you dare say another word until I speak to you"—as she put in the eggs, and drew him to the back of the stove.
"And now, I'll make the coffee."
At her side stood Coffee Pot.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Quite ready," she said.
"Is it really my turn?" he asked again.
"Yes," smiled Mary Frances, "it is!"
Then he began to recite ex-cit-ed-ly:
No. 11.—Coffee.
1. Put into coffee pot 1 rounded tablespoon ground coffee for each cup needed.
2. Pour on boiling water, allowing 1 cup to every tablespoon coffee used.
3. Let come to a boil three times, stirring down each time.
4. Draw off the fire. Pour in 1 tablespoon cold water for each cup.
5. Let stand in a warm place 3 minutes to settle grounds. Serve.
If not used immediately, strain into another warmed pot.
"You might pour out the first cupful to clear the nose—I mean, spout—then pour it back again."
He stopped for breath.
"Thank you, Coffee Pot," smiled Mary Frances, in praise, "how interested and wide awake you are!"
"I never sleep much," confided Coffee Pot. "I believe it's the coffee—just 'cat naps,' you know. I sometimes think my heart is affected—I'm so easily stirred up,—although I always feel well."
"If you always feel well," laughed Mary Frances, "I guess your heart is all right."
"Oh, yes," giggled Sauce Pan, "he's awfully good-hearted."
"Didn't I tell you,—'not another word' until I spoke to you?" said Mary Frances to Sauce Pan, as she lifted Coffee Pot to the table, and measured out the coffee and water.
After she had followed his directions entirely, she made the toast.
Toaster Man was so sleepy, he didn't say a word except, "You'll do it right, I know," and fell asleep again.
Just then, Mary Frances heard her father call.
