Ted did not know. Nearly always when his little brother fell in the mud, or got dirty from playing in the yard, his mother or Nora took charge of him. Neither of them was at hand how. What could be done?
“We could let him ride home on the goat,” said Ted, scratching his head as he had seen his father do when he was trying to think.
“Oh! are you going to take him home—to grandpa’s?” asked Jan.
“We’ve got to. Can’t leave him here. He’s got to be washed and dressed and——”
“I was talking about the goat,” laughed Jan.
“Oh! I meant Trouble. But we’ll take the goat home, too. He may belong to somebody else, but maybe we can keep him a little while and have some fun. Wonder what his name is?”
“Bossy,” said Trouble. “Him’s a bossy!”
“No; that’s a cow’s name, and this is a goat,” explained Jan. “We’ll have to think up a name for him. But, oh, Trouble! how are we ever going to get you clean? Those eggs are so messy!”
“That’s what I meant by letting him ride the goat,” went on Ted. “Most of the whites and yallers would come off on the goat.”
“Then we’d have to wash it,” said Jan.