Ted did not know exactly what he wanted. But he had often passed the blacksmith shop, which was on the road from Cherry Farm to the village, and had seen many parts of wagons inside and outside the place.
“All right, I’ll go with you,” agreed Janet.
Together the children went down the shady road to the blacksmith shop. On the way they stopped to gather flowers, and Janet’s nose was all yellow from the buttercups and dandelions she smelled. The smith was pounding a red-hot horseshoe on the anvil, his hammer striking out glowing sparks.
“Hello, Curlytop!” he called to Ted, whom he had often seen going past in Grandpa Martin’s wagon. And once Ted had been in the shop when one of the farm horses was shod. “Hello, Curlytop! Did you come to help me work? I’ve got lots to do. Just bring me that big hammer!” and he laughed as he pointed to the heavy sledge that took all a big man’s strength to swing.
Ted tried to lift it, but he could not even drag it across the blacksmith shop floor.
“Guess you’ll have to eat some more crusts of bread before you are strong enough to lift that!” laughed a man in the shop.
“Do bread crusts make you strong?” asked Jan.
“Well, I’ve heard say they make your hair curl,” went on the man; “and you two tots must have eaten loaves that were all crust, by the looks of you!” and he laughed again.
“I like bread crusts,” said Ted. “I’ll eat a lot if they’ll make me strong.”
“They’ll help some,” said the blacksmith. “But what can I do for you to-day, Curlytop? Did you bring your horse to be shod, or do you want a bit for your goat?”