“It’s honey cakes,” said he.
“Honey cakes?” exclaimed Beckie. “Why, we don’t have them until Christmas.”
“I know,” said Neddie, “but it’s almost Christmas now. Mamma is making a lot of honey cakes. That’s what smelled so good this morning. They’ll be done this afternoon and she’ll put them out on the back steps to cool, as she always does.”
“Well, is that all?” asked Beckie, anxious-like.
“No, not quite,” said Neddie. “When we come home from school you and I will go softly up on the back stoop and we’ll get some of the honey cakes. They’ll be cool by then.”
“Oh, but that’s not right!” cried Beckie, “We can’t eat mamma’s honey cakes without asking her.”
“I didn’t say anything about eating them,” spoke Neddie. “I just said we’d take a few cakes in our paws. Then we’ll go to mamma and say we saw the cakes out on the back stoop, and we’ll ask her if we can eat them. Mind you, we won’t take so much as a smitch of one before we ask her!
“But when she sees we have the cakes of course she’ll let us take a nibble. Even Aunt Piffy would do that. Otherwise we’d never get a honey cake until Christmas. Will you do it?” asked Neddie.
“Oh, well; yes, I guess so,” said Beckie. “But I’m afraid it isn’t exactly right.”
“Oh, yes, it is,” said Neddie. “Now, come on to school, and when we come home this afternoon we’ll get some honey cakes.”