“I think that’s a fine costume, Fred,” said Polly. “Did you make it?”
“Mother helped,” replied Fred, hopping around the kitchen the better to show off his brown flannel suit and long tail. It covered his head and eyes so that he didn’t need a mask, and when he crouched in a sitting position, Polly assured him that he looked exactly like the pictures of kangaroos they had seen in their school geographies.
Rat-a-tat-tat! went a knock on the door.
“Bet that’s Artie,” said Fred, confidently.
“Ward, more likely,” declared Jess. “He was getting ready when I started to come.”
Mr. Williamson opened the door, and they all leaned forward to look.
First a long, long neck stretched itself into the kitchen, then an ungainly, rather square body, mounted on four legs, followed. This queer-looking creature was spotted in circles, and had a long, thin tail.
“A giraffe!” cried Jess, guessing first.
“Artie and Ward! Well, what do you know about that!” shouted Fred. “Why didn’t you tell a fellow?”
“Wanted to surprise you,” croaked the giraffe. “Guess we did it.”