For many weeks Eileen and Larry kept the Secret. They told no one but Dennis and Grannie Malone, and they both promised they would never, never tell.
Mr McQueen worked hard—early and late—over his turnips and cabbages and potatoes, and Larry and Eileen helped by feeding the pig and chickens, and driving the cows along the roadsides, where they could get fresh sweet grass to eat.
One evening Mr McQueen said to his wife. “Rent-day comes soon, and next week will be the Fair.”
Larry and Eileen heard him say it. They looked at each other and then Eileen went to her Father and said, “Dada, will you take Larry and me to the Fair with you? We want to sell our pig.”
“You sell your pig!” cried Mr McQueen. “You mean you want to sell it yourselves?”
“You can help us,” Eileen answered; “but it’s our pig and we want to sell it, don’t we, Larry?”
Larry nodded his head up and down very hard with his mouth tight shut. He was so afraid the Secret would jump out of it!
“Well, I never heard the likes of that!” said McQueen. He slapped his knee and laughed.
“We’ve got it all planned,” said Eileen. She was almost ready to cry because her Father laughed at her. “We’ve fed the pig and fed her, until she’s so fat she can hardly walk, and we are going to wash her clean, and I have a ribbon to tie on her ear. Diddy will look so fine and stylish, I’m sure some one will want to buy her!”