First we pushed Ola’s wheelbarrow under the tree. O dear! Even on the wheelbarrow I couldn’t reach anywhere near high enough. By the summer-house stood an old barrel; we rolled this over to the tree, and put it on top of the wheelbarrow. Mina held me and steadied me. Hurrah! There I was on the slender branch. I shoved myself along very slowly and carefully.
“If it only doesn’t break,” cried Mina. “Oh, it is breaking, it is breaking!”
No, it didn’t break. I was soon on the fence, hung there by my arms a minute and then dropped down on the outside.
“Now you come, Mina,” I shouted.
I could hear how she tried and tried, but finally when the barrel rolled off of the wheelbarrow, she burst out crying.
“No, I can’t! I can’t climb up to that branch.”
Well there! It would have been better if Mina had climbed up first.
“Mina, don’t cry! Just wait. I’ll run and get a ladder, and be back in a jiffy.”
I dashed up the street hoping to find Karsten or some of the other boys. No, Karsten was probably out sailing and none of the others were to be seen. The ladder I had expected to get was altogether too heavy for me to carry without help. I ran back to Madam Igland’s garden.
“Mina! Mina!”