In the eaves of the barn they found a swallow's nest, but the baby birds had flown away. Only some pieces of eggshell were left.
All that day and part of the next and the next and the next the children hunted and hunted but no Brown Betty and no turkey eggs could they find.
One bright June morning Mary said, "Let's go into the woods to play."
"Oh, may we?" Betty and Peggy asked their mothers. And little Dot said, "Oh, please may I?" and looked from one mother to the other.
"Yes, let them go," said Mrs. White. "The woods are not far away and there is nothing to harm them there."
So the four little girls started out.
They went down a shady lane and through a meadow. Then they came to the woods and wandered about for a while. At last they stopped by the side of a little brook that flowed merrily on its way.
In a few minutes, shoes and stockings were taken off and the children were wading in the cool, rippling water. It was lots of fun, but the water was very cold. Soon they were glad to dry their feet in the soft grass and put on their shoes and stockings again.
"Let's make a tree playhouse," said Mary; "I'll show you how." So they set to work with Mary as leader. They found a hollow tree with plenty of room in it. Next they gathered all the soft, velvety moss they could find. With this they made a thick green carpet on the floor. Then they made green moss furniture too. They had a bed, a couch, a table, and a chair.
"We should have some one to live in our green, mossy house," said Peggy. "Let's go to the meadow and gather some daisies and make little flower people out of them."