Boy Blue and His Friends Part 9

"Yes, Mistress Mary," said Jack, "we'll come to see how your garden grows. You ought to have some silver bells and some c.o.c.kle sh.e.l.ls."

In a few weeks Mistress Mary, as every one called her now, came back to school.

She could run and play as well as any of the children.

But she did not forget her garden, and she often brought some of her flowers to school.

When the spring came she made a garden out of doors for her plants.

And what do you think she put all around the flower bed?

She put a splendid row of little white sh.e.l.ls.

Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper.

What shall he eat?

White bread and b.u.t.ter.

How can he cut it without any knife?

How can he marry without any wife?

TOMMY TUCKER

One summer Mary went to make Grandma Hall a visit.

Grandma's little girls were all grown up now, and Grandma and Grandpa lived alone on the farm.

Mary liked to go there to visit because Grandma could tell such splendid stories, and there were always so many things to do.

It was Sat.u.r.day and Mary had been busy all the morning helping Grandma make cookies, and pies, and cakes.

After dinner Grandma and little Mary took their sewing and sat out under the old apple-tree in the garden.

Grandma was making a cap, and Mary was making a white ap.r.o.n for her mother.

They had been sitting there only a little while when Mary saw a ragged boy coming down the road towards the house.

Running along close behind him was a ragged little dog.

The boy had a violin in his hand.

When he saw the little girl and her grandmother he stood still and began to play.

As he played, the little dog stood up on his hind legs and tried to sing.

"Bow--wow, wow!" he barked, and oh he did look so funny!

"Please ask the boy to bring that funny dog over here, Grandma," said Mary.

"Come here, little boy," said Grandma. "What is your name?"

"My name is Tommy," said the boy, "and this is my dog Rags."

"Run and get Tommy and the dog some cookies, Mary," said Grandma, "I guess they are both hungry."

Tommy looked so tired that Mrs. Hall asked him to sit down and rest.

"Where do you live?" she asked.

"I don't live anywhere," replied Tommy, "I just have my dog Rags, and he and I sleep wherever we can."

"Well," said Grandma, "you must both stay here to-night. We can find a place for a boy and a dog somewhere in this big house."

I can't tell you how happy Tommy was.

Rags seemed happy, too.

He did all the tricks he knew, and for every trick he got a big, sweet cookie.

After supper Tommy wanted to help, so he went out to the barn with Grandpa Hall.

Rags trotted along behind him, wagging his tail and barking at everything he saw.

"What can you do, Tommy?" asked Grandpa.

"I can play my violin and sing," said Tommy. "That is all I know how to do."

"Little Tommy Tucker, Sings for his supper.

"I think we shall have to call you 'Tommy Tucker'," said Grandpa.

But Tommy could do many things besides sing and play.

He helped Grandpa Hall feed the hens and chickens.

He gave them fresh water and found all the eggs.

Then he brought in some wood for Grandma's fire.

There are a great many things for a boy to do on a farm.

That night, after the children had gone to bed, Grandpa said,

"I wish Tommy could live here with us all the time.