GUESS WHAT IS IN MY POCKET

Bobby and Betty went straight home and gave the pie to Mother.

“Guess what is in my pocket!” said Bobby.

“What can it be?” asked Mother.

Bobby jingled the pennies.

“Pennies,” guessed Mother.

“You guessed right,” said Bobby. “Guess how I got them?”

“Did you find them on the way home?” asked Mother.

“No,” said Bobby. “Guess again.”

“Did the baker give you some change?” asked Mother.

“You guessed right this time,” said Bobby. “Here are your pennies.”

“Thank you,” said Mother. “You did right to bring me the change.”

“We wanted to buy some chocolate cookies,” said Betty.

“The baker has some nice cookies in his show case,” said Bobby.

“You may each have a penny,” said Mother.

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” said Bobby and Betty.

“May I buy a chocolate cookie with my penny?” asked Bobby.

“Yes, Bobby dear,” said Mother. “The penny is yours. You may buy what you please.”

“May I buy a chocolate cookie with my penny?” asked Betty.

“Yes, Betty,” answered Mother. “It is your penny.”

“Was it mine when the baker gave it to Bobby?” asked Betty.

“No, dear,” answered Mother. “The penny was not yours.”

“Whose pennies were they when the baker gave them to Bobby?” asked Betty.

“I know,” said Bobby. “They were Mother’s pennies. That’s why we had to bring them to her.”

There is nothing so kingly as kindness,

And nothing so royal as truth.

—Alice Cary

I do like pie,

Any kind of pie,

Apple, cherry,

Or strawberry,

Custard, mince,

Prune, or quince;

But the pie I like the best,

Better far than all the rest,

Is the pie

Called pumpkin pie;

I do like pie,

Pumpkin pie!

—Selected

Heetum peetum penny pie,

Populorum gigum gie,

North, south, east, west,

Pumpkin pie I like the best.