“Well, then, I suppose we will have to go the longest way home,” said Tommy.
“It won’t matter so much,” went on his brother. “For if we go the longest way we may meet with an adventure, and we might not if we went the short way.”
“Oh, that would be fine!” exclaimed Mary. “Yes, grocery boy, please take us home the longest way.”
The grocery boy took off his cap, and scratched first his nose, and then his left ear. Then he waved his white apron like a flag, and he seemed to be thinking very deeply, just as some children do when they have to spell a hard word in school.
“Well, to tell you the truth, as I always do,” said the grocery boy, “I don’t believe I even know which is the longest way to your house, to say nothing of the shortest way.”
“That’s queer,” spoke Tommy. “What can we do?”
“Oh, I have it!” suddenly cried Mary. “He can take us home the middle way. Don’t you remember the story of the three bears? The little bear couldn’t sleep in the big bed, and the big bear couldn’t sleep in the little bed, but the middle-sized bear could sleep in the middle-sized bed, and so we can go home the middle way, if we can’t find the short or long way.”
“Oh, fine!” exclaimed Tommy and Johnny together.
“How is that, grocery boy?” asked Mary, as she took a tighter hold of his hand.
“It would be very nice, very nice, indeed,” said the grocery boy, “but the truth of the matter is that I don’t know even the middle way to your house. But, if you can tell me what street it’s on, I think I could find it.”