“When I’m a big man I’m going to be a stage-driver,” announced Joel in a loud voice, “and I shall have six horses; so there, Polly Pepper.”
“Well, one day this great big stage-coach I’m telling you about,” said Polly, hurrying on with the story, as it was almost time for Mamsie to come, “was just as full as it could be, and there were two people upon the box with the funny old driver.”
“That’s me—one of ’em is,” declared Joel; “and you—you may sit up there too, Dave.”
“Yes, I’m going to sit there too,” said little David, hugging himself in great satisfaction.
“There was a fat old woman who took up most of one whole seat; and she had a parrot in a big cage, tied over with a newspaper, all except a hole at the top so she could breathe. And the old woman kept leaning over and peeping into this hole, and asking, ‘Hey, pretty Polly; how are you now?’ and Polly Parrot always screamed back, ‘Polly wants a cracker,—Polly wants a cracker.’”
“And didn’t anybody give her a cracker, Polly?” asked Phronsie.
“No,” said Polly, “they didn’t. Well, and”—
“Why didn’t somebody give her a cracker?” persisted Phronsie gravely.