TO

THE HOSFORDS

OF

MEADOW HOUSE


These tales were first told for the Children’s Page of The Christian Science Monitor, and the author takes this means of acknowledging his appreciation of the arrangement by which he is privileged to republish them.

CONTENTS

ChapterPage
IIn Which Dan Meets the Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes[3]
IIIn Which Dan Hears the Message from Too-Bo-Tan[12]
IIIIn Which Dan Releases the Animals of Spangleland[18]
IVIn Which the Animals Elect Officers[25]
VIn Which Giraffe Gives a Chalk-Talk and the Animals Learn a New Game[31]
VIIn Which the Animals Send a Message to the Pretty Lady[37]
VIIIn Which the Animals Meet with a Disappointment and a Surprise and a Story is Begun[43]
VIIIIn Which the Pretty Lady Continues Her Story[53]
IXIn Which the Pretty Lady Concludes Her Story[62]
XIn Which the Pretty Lady Tells of Mysteries and Spangles[70]
XIIn Which the Animals Play at Circus and Dan Promises a Story[79]
XIIIn Which Dan Answers the Beckoning Trees[88]
XIIIIn Which Dan Learns of Peanuts and Things[98]
XIVIn Which Dan Parts with Old Friends and Prepares to Claim a Reward[108]
XVIn Which Dan and Gray Ears Arrive at Their Goal[118]
XVIIn Which Dan Joins the Very Biggest Circus[130]
XVIIIn Which the Animals Entertain an Unexpected Caller[139]
XVIIIIn Which the Pretty Lady Carries a Passenger into the Wide Wide World[149]
XIXIn Which Little Black Bear Spends a Night in the Forest[159]
XXIn Which Little Black Bear Meets Shagg, the Carpenter[169]
XXIIn Which Little Black Bear Adds Still More to His Story[181]
XXIIIn Which Dan Meets Beader, of the Jumping Dragoons[192]
XXIIIIn Which Dan Spends a Night in the Valley of Tick Tock[204]
XXIVIn Which Dan is Presented with the Key to the Valley[216]
XXVIn Which Dan Hears the Clock Strike One[227]
XXVIWe Say Goodbye to Diggeldy Dan[239]

ILLUSTRATIONS

“‘Who—may—you—be?’ exclaimed the four in surprise”[Frontispiece]
In a very twinkling, there appeared the most beautiful circus lady one ever laid eyes uponPage [10]
Away they all went, down through the line[35]
“Then he picked up his left foot and began to use its toes for counters”[59]
And so this strangest of all circuses began[83]
“Something came from out the air, and swept me square off my toes”[95]
Little Black Bear gladly did his tricks over and over again[185]
At the boom of “One” the mice fairly rained into the Great Room[235]