The gobbler was right at Joyce's heels, when suddenly the little girl dodged behind a tree and began to go round and round it, keeping the tree between her and the gobbler. At last Don found a stick and chased him away.
When Grandma had comforted Joyce, she explained that it was the little girl's red dress that the gobbler didn't like. Joyce declared that she would never wear that dress again while she was on the farm. She never did; and so the gobbler did not bother her any more.
At bedtime, the children were ready for their usual story. They clambered up on to the arms of the old rocker on the porch, while Grandpa sat down on the step.
"What do we hear about tonight?" asked Grandpa. "I believe I like to hear the stories as well as Don does."
"All boys are just alike—big and little," said Grandma with a smile.
"My story this time is about Bee Polite."
"Oh," said Don, "I know a little verse about politeness. I learned it at school:
"'Politeness is to do and say
The kindest thing in the kindest way.'"
"Then politeness means kindness, doesn't it, Grandma?" asked Joyce.
"Yes—and more than that," replied Grandma. "A polite person is never rude. The story is about two children who were stung by Bee Polite just once—but they never forgot it.
"Daisy and Dan were twins. When they were babies, their mother took them from their home in the East to live in a far Western state. They could not remember their grandmother, who still lived back in the old home town. All they knew about her was what their mother had told them; and she often wrote long letters, and sent them lovely presents.