Mr. Treadwell looked first at George, then at the basket, and once more at George.
"Now look here, George," said the actor. "I don't mind your making fun or having jokes, but I'm very busy now, for the first act of the rehearsal is going to start. Besides, you shouldn't bring your baby brother to the hall in a small basket like that."
"My baby brother?" cried George with a laugh. "I haven't any baby brother! I have a sister Mary, but——"
"But you said Peter was in there," said Mr. Treadwell. "And if Peter is——"
"Oh, Peter isn't a baby, and he isn't my brother," said George with another laugh. "He's only a——"
But before he could say what Peter was a loud crow sounded from inside the basket which George held up.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" sounded all through the hall, and Bunny, Sue, and the others who were getting ready for their parts in the dress rehearsal of the play, laughed. Mr. Treadwell looked surprised.
"Why—why—it's a rooster!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, Peter is my pet bantam rooster," said George. "I brought him with me because I thought he could crow in the barnyard scene, and make it more natural like."
"Well, a crowing rooster would be a good performer to have in a barnyard scene on a stage," agreed Mr. Treadwell. "But the only thing about it is that we couldn't be sure that he would crow at the right time. He might crow when Lucile was singing, or when Bunny Brown was doing some of his tricks, or when Sue was making believe run away from me when I'm dressed up like a tramp."