“They are getting awfully smelly!” remarked Gertie, holding her nose, “and they aren’t a bit pretty any more.”
“I know and Father said last night we’d have to begin and feed the pigs some, too, before long.” Chicken Little sighed. This speculation in pigs had its unpleasant side.
“I guess we’d have to bring a lot more stuff if Ernest and Sherm didn’t help us out. They give them things to eat lots of times. But I think Jim Bart might keep the pen a little cleaner,” Katy observed.
“He’s so busy he doesn’t have time.”
Another morning occupation was bread-making. Dr. Morton had offered a brand new dollar to the 164girl who would bring him the first perfect loaf of bread. They were taking turns under Mrs. Morton’s teaching, but it did seem as if more things could happen to bread. Katy would have had her perfect loaf, if she hadn’t let the dough rise too long. The loaves were beautiful to look at, but slightly sour, alas! Chicken Little spoiled her prize batch by sitting down to read and letting it burn.
Gertie’s first and second were very good, but a trifle too solid. Katy won out on her third, and produced a loaf so light and crisply brown that Marian said she was envious.
The others wanted to stop when Katy secured the dollar, but Mrs. Morton persuaded them to persist until they could equal Katy’s.
“You may send one to Captain Clarke, if you wish.”
This stimulated their waning interest and they tried to produce that perfect loaf. A week went by before Mrs. Morton nodded approval, saying: “Yes, that is nice enough for a present. I am sure the Captain will like it.”
The girls had planned to take it over on the ponies, but Mrs. Morton wanted to send over two gallons of blackberries also, which was more than they could manage.