Veve knew she deserved the lecture, for she found it hard to keep her mind on work. She liked to watch the other pickers and to glance now and then over into the Wingate orchard to see what was going on there.
By eleven-thirty the Brownies were so hungry they declared they were nearly famished. They were certain they could not wait another minute for lunch.
“We’ll weigh in and open up the hamper,” Miss Gordon decided. “My! I wonder if I packed enough lunch?”
All of the Brownies except Veve quickly went to the shed to have their cherries weighed.
“Coming, Veve?” asked Miss Gordon.
“In a minute,” the little girl answered. She did not have many cherries in her pail and was ashamed to have either the Brownies or Mr. Hooper see how poorly she had done.
While the others were in the shed, Veve picked as fast as she could. Even so, her bucket was not half filled.
She was still working when the girls trooped out of the shed again.
“Do come along, Veve!” Miss Gordon called. “We’re having our lunch now.”
Veve climbed down from the stepladder and walked slowly toward the shed. The Brownies already were at the car, removing the lunch hamper and thermos jug. They planned to eat under a shady oak in the front yard.