"Thee may get in my lap, Alice, and tell me all about it," said grandma Read, laying down her knitting-work.
Dotty curled herself into a little heap in her grandmother's arms.
"My head aches," said she, "and I love to lay it against your soft kerjif."
"Well, dear, so thee may. Now, tell me what made thee go on the water?"
"'Cause, 'cause, grandma, Solly Rosenbug asked me to go, and Johnny tried to make me not go. I asked Solly was he old enough, and knew enough, and he said he did; but he didn't any such thing. And grandma, there it was, right in the middle of the solid water! And began to spin and dance round. We couldn't stop it from dancing; the more we held on, the quicker it went. Way up and down, grandma, and the rain raining, and our feet all sopping, and pouring right into that wherry like a—a catara-duct. They were all afraid but me, and I was awful afraid too. You see I thought we should tip right over, and I didn't want to be drowned, and couldn't swim."
"Why, Dotty, how you make me tremble!" cried Prudy.
"The way Johnny paddled!" continued Dotty, triumphantly. "Solly said he couldn't. I could have paddled better, only I didn't dare to."
"You paddle!"
"No, I didn't. The wind blew me so I couldn't; 'twas much's ever I kept in the wherry. I had to hold on to Lina, too; she was just as 'fraid!"
Here grandma Read pressed Dotty close to her heart, as if she wished to make sure the child was really alive.