“If only we had a nice cone-shaped roof on the top of the barrel like Mrs. Tompkins has on hers,” sighed Norma, looking at the flat top of the barrel head.
“Girls! I have it!” cried Janet, jumping up and starting for the barn yard as if on wings.
The other girls watched her go and waited wonderingly until she returned with a large tin cone in her hands.
“There, I bet it will fit on top just as we want it to!” laughed Janet, inverting the cone and capping the barrel as if it had been made for it.
“What is it? Where did you get it?” questioned the curious girls.
“I remembered seeing it kicked about the harness room, and Sam said it was an old broken hopper that had once belonged to a feed chopper. The pipe and funnel are missing, so it was worthless to the old tenant when he moved away.”
Norma looked in the hole at the top and said: “We can cork it up with a bit of fitted wood, Janet.”
“Sam can do that to a dot, ’cause he loves to whittle,” added Natalie.
“We ought to paint the cote before it is mounted on the pole, Janet,” suggested Belle.
“I am sure we have enough paint left over from the bird houses to do this barrel,” was Frances’ idea.