“Oh, yes,” said Adelaide. “Frances is nine.”
“Well, Florence, get Bessie and Frances if you can find them, and we’ll discover something for our nest of Blue Birds to do.”
“I think it’s lovely, being a Blue Bird,” said Florence, very much impressed by belonging to a society of her own.
“Well, if you’re a bird, fly!” said Louise, giving her a little push.
The girls talked for a while longer, then donned their aprons and went out into the kitchen, where they stood and waited for further orders.
“There are four of you,” said their Guardian. “There’s the table to set, salad and dressing to make, meat and potatoes to prepare, and dessert. Cocoa and cake, too. You’re welcome to anything in the ice-box, but the game is to get supper without buying anything extra, unless something like bread or sugar gives out—some staple.”
“That will be more fun,” said Winona, who had had some experience lately with cooking. “It’s much more interesting thinking out ways to make things out of other things, than when you cook straight ahead!”
Adelaide stared as if Winona had said a very strange thing. But then Adelaide always did look at Winona more or less that way.
“I think the most fun is eating out of paper bags,” said Louise. “No washee dishee. However, I only think that—I wouldn’t dare say it. How’ll we divide?”
“Decide that yourselves,” said Mrs. Bryan.