Rose obeyed; and then, as nothing else was said, she asked,—
"How is your chillens, Mrs. Frizzle?"
"All are well that you see here at the table, ma'am; but the rest are down with measles," returned the little lady of the teapot. "Will you have some of the fruit, Mrs. Rose?"
"O, that isn't fyuit," said the small guest; "that's blackb'ry perserves; but we'll make b'lieve it's fyuit. Yes'm: thank you, if you please."
"Brackberries are fruits," said the correct Mrs. Frizzle; "and currants are fruits. You can tell 'em just as easy. When anything has seeds to it, then it's a fruit; and, when it hasn't seeds, it's a vegetable."
"O, I thought peaches was fyuits; and peaches hasn't any seeds," said Rose, faintly.
"Why, you little ignoramus! Of course peaches have stones! Who ever said they had seeds!"
"I don't like to have you call me niggeramus," said Rose, with a quivering lip. "My mamma never said so."
"Well, my sister Ninny says so; and she studies hist'ry. You don't know what words mean, Rosie; you don't go to school!"