"You sound as though you've been eating green apples, Harold," she said sweetly. "Have you?"
"Why'n'choo go home?"
"Harky!" Mun roared, but not very loudly, "mind your tongue!"
"Thank you, Mr. Mundee," Melinda said, with the barest hint of a sob in her young voice. "You do want me along, don't you?"
"Well uh—" Mun stammered and appealed to Raw Stanfield. "We do want her along, don't we?"
"Well uh—" Raw aped Mun and looked at Butt Johnson.
Butt stuttered, "Why—why—why—" and fixed his gaze on Harky.
"There!" Melinda said triumphantly. "The other three want me! Now what do you say?"
"Hope ya fall in the mud!"
"Harold!" Melinda wrinkled her distinctly fetching nose. "How terrible!"