Then, to the relief of Larry and Alice, their cruel-hearted uncle went away, followed by Buster. The dog, however, did not want to go. He growled and whined as he sniffed toward the woodchuck’s pen. Had poor Winkie been outside and if Buster had chased her there would not have been much left of her.
“The idea!” exclaimed Alice, when Mr. Tottle was gone. “To want to kill our woodchuck!”
“I wouldn’t sell her for two dollars—no, not for five!” cried Larry. “When we teach her tricks maybe we can put her in a circus!”
“Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful!” cried Alice, clapping her hands. “Let’s start teaching her tricks right away. But what shall we name our woodchuck?”
“Yes, we must think of a name,” agreed Larry.
Just then Winkie, no longer hearing the barking of the dog, poked her head out of the square hole in the smaller box, into which she had gone to hide. Coming out of the dark, as she did, made Winkie’s eyes open and shut until they became used to the glare of the sun. Larry and his sister, watching their new pet, saw her eyes winking this way.
“Oh, I know what to call her!” cried Alice.
“What?” asked her brother.
“Winkie!” replied the little girl. “See her wink!”