"Quite ready," said a little voice, and Mary Frances was not surprised to see Potato Masher tumble over the edge of Boiler Pan as she put him on the table.
"Push my head down hard!" said he in a thick, mushy voice, and Mary Frances did as he directed.
Suddenly Potato Masher stopped work.
"How will you know how much potato to put into the soup?" he asked.
"Why," said Mary Frances, "there were only six boiled ones altogether, so the three for the soup will be just half."
"Pretty good, pretty good for a little girl just learning to cook," Potato Masher said, and ducked his head into the potatoes again.
When they were finished Mary Frances said:
"You know so much about potatoes, perhaps you can sit right up on that box," pointing to the sugar box, "and tell me when I make a mistake. I'm going to do 'xactly as my book says—you cry out, 'Stop!' when I do anything the wrong way."