“I like staying up,” he declared, trotting along beside her through the soft sand, while Aunt Bessie and Miss Martinson walked ahead. “If I took a nap every day could I always stay up?”
“Oh, that wouldn’t be a good plan at all,” replied Mother seriously. “All the naps you might take wouldn’t make up for the sleep you lost. You’ll have years of nights to play and work in when you grow up, precious. Nights were made for little boys to sleep in so they’ll grow up big and strong.”
After they reached the bungalow, Mrs. Horton went in with Sunny and helped him get ready for bed. After she had gone again, he lay for a little while listening to the roar of the waves as they broke on the beach and watching the shadows the moonlight made in the room before he went to sleep.
“I have to go into town to do a bit of marketing,” Harriet informed him the next day when after breakfast he wandered out into her kitchen and proceeded to poke his yellow head into the pantry. “Sunny Boy, you know your mother doesn’t like to have you help yourself to food. What are you doing in there?”
“Just lookin’,” answered Sunny amiably.
“Well, stop it,” said Harriet, pouring cream into her coffee. Harriet was eating her breakfast. “As I said, I’m going to town, and if you want to go with me in the jitney—”
Sunny Boy bounced out of the pantry.
“Take me with you,” he begged.
“You go and ask your mother if she is willing,” replied Harriet. “I’m going right away without stopping to wash the dishes. And we have to hurry back because I want to wash windows this morning. Hurry, now.”
Sunny Boy hurried. Mother was willing, he reported in a few minutes, and he and Harriet started a quarter of an hour later. They caught a jitney without trouble, and ten minutes’ ride brought them to the town. Harriet brushed by all the interesting shops, and even the merry-go-round, and took Sunny to the butcher’s shop. He didn’t care about a butcher shop—he saw plenty of those at home.