“Well, Trouble has gone to by-low land in my arms, and I think it must be time for Ted and Jan to see what they are going to dream about. They’ve had a long day of it.”
“That’s right!” agreed Uncle Ben. “Come, Curlytops—tumble in! as we used to say on shipboard when we went to bed.”
There were a number of beds in the bungalow, and soon the Curlytops, as well as Trouble, were asleep.
Teddy was having a queer dream, about sailing in a boat with his dog Skyrocket perched up on top of the mast, when suddenly the little Curlytop lad was awakened by hearing Trouble calling to him. Ted opened his eyes to see his little brother, in his baggy pyjamas, standing beside the cot bed where Teddy slept. Trouble lifted up something round and black and shiny and toppled it over into Ted’s cot.
“’Ook what Trouble found!” cried the little fellow. “Trouble det him down by de ’ake, and bringed him in. He’s nice, but he not as nice as Skywocket! He don’t bark, but he stick out hims head an’ pull it in a’den! ’Ook what Trouble found!”
CHAPTER X
JANET’S FLOWERS
At first Ted was not quite sure whether he was fully awake or whether he was still dreaming. But when he took a second look at his little brother Trouble, standing beside the cot bed, Ted began to feel pretty sure he was no longer sleeping.
“’Ook what Trouble found!” went on the little fellow, laughing joyously. “Hims is ’ike a big stone, but hims isn’t a stone. Hims is a’ive, hims is!”
Ted looked at the funny, half-round, black object Trouble held. If Ted’s eyes had been more widely opened, and if he had not been so suddenly awakened from his sleep, he might have known what it was Baby William had found so early in the morning.
The night had been rather warm, and, to be cooler, Teddy had left his feet and legs uncovered. One bare leg was outside the covers on the cot now, and the first thing Teddy knew he felt something cold and clammy crawling over his leg, and then something scratched him.