“You did frighten us very much indeed,” said the boy.
“And you have made us spill all our blueberries,” said the oldest girl; “and now I don’t know what we shall do.”
Here the little girl began crying and sobbing anew. Royal stood silent and sad; he was shocked to see how much mischief he had done.
“Don’t cry, Jenny,” said the older girl. “We will go back and get our baskets.” She spoke in a gentle, but a very melancholy tone.
“Yes,” said Royal, “we’ll go back; and I’ll help you pick some more blueberries.”
The children began to go back slowly, following Royal. Royal told them that Thomas was picking up the berries that they had spilled, and that he would help them get some more.
“We can’t stop to get any more,” said the older girl. “We must go home now. We were just ready to go when you frightened us.”
“But why need you go home so soon?” said Royal. “It is not but little more than the middle of the afternoon yet. We shall have two hours more, before sundown.”
“But we have got a great way to go,” replied the girl, “to sell our berries. Mother told us to be sure and come home by the middle of the afternoon, so as to have time to sell our berries; for if we do not get a chance to sell them before night, then we have all our work for nothing.”
“Why? Can’t you eat your berries?”