She knew Bert would learn best by actually doing what he had in mind, and after a day of hard work he found that his mother was right. Though the paddle wheel turned under the falling water, the long string belt would not move, and neither would the fan. Besides, the string got tangled on bushes and once Freddie reported he found a grasshopper sitting on it taking a sun bath.
“I guess I’ll just work the paddle wheel in the water and nothing else,” decided Bert.
“I believe that will be best,” agreed his mother. “We don’t really need a fan to keep cool on the porch. There are lovely cool breezes at Cloverbank.”
Mr. Bobbsey returned from a trip to the city, and he and the twins and their mother had another happy day on the farm. There was so much to do and watch, aside from the gathering of the peaches, that not an hour passed without something happening, it seemed.
One afternoon when Bert and Nan decided to walk to the post-office to mail some letters and postals they had written to their playmates in Lakeport, they passed the lower edge of the apple orchard. There they heard the voice of Flossie.
“Now look what you did, Freddie Bobbsey!” accused the little girl. “Just look what you did! Oh, it’s terrible!” and she began to cry.
“Something’s happened!” shouted Bert, breaking into a run.
“Sounds so,” agreed Nan. “But, anyhow, they haven’t fallen into the water, for there isn’t any around here.”
“Maybe that calf that got all burrs and stickers is chasing them,” suggested Bert. “It would be just like Freddie to try to get up on its back and ride it!”
It was nothing as exciting as this, it turned out. When Bert and Nan reached the orchard they saw the two children standing under one of the trees, gazing up into the branches, which were laden with fruit just beginning to ripen.