“A great brown, striped snake,” said Polly; “he was lovely, but he was bad you know, to steal into the Nutcrackers’ house when they were all away.”
Joel tumbled back and thought a minute. “Was Mr. Nutcracker a man, Polly?” he asked, fixing his black eyes upon her face.
“Oh, no!” said Polly with a little laugh. “Why, didn’t you guess, Joey Pepper? He was the sweetest dear of an old gray squirrel you ever saw; so of course he had to have a brush-train, just like Mrs. Nutcracker’s, you know.”
[XIV.]
THE RUNAWAY PUMPKIN.
“I don’t see,” said Van as they were all seated on the rug before the library fire, listening to one of Polly’s stories, “how you ever do think of such splendid things, Polly Pepper.”
“That’s nothing,” said Jasper, “to the stories she has told time and again in The Little Brown House in Badgertown.”
“Oh, tell us one of those now!” begged Van eagerly, “do, Polly Pepper;” and “do, Polly Pepper,” cried Percy and little Dick together. And “do, Polly” said Jasper pleadingly, “if you are not all tired out.”