The other children ran to him, too, and they all began to dance.

 

 

"Now, children," he said, "go to you seats."

All the children went to their seats, but my little sister did not go to her seat.

Do you know why she did not go to her seat?

She ran away. Yes, she ran away. She wanted to see the dolls behind the curtain. She found the dolls. The beautiful dolls talked to my sister, and they gave her an ice.

Humpty-Dumpty found my little sister and took her to our mother. Everybody laughed, but my mother was very angry.

Do you know what my naughty little sister did then?

She jumped up on her seat and cried:

"I saw them. I saw the dolls. They are not dolls. They eat ices. They are little girls!"

My little sister was a very naughty girl, wasn't she?

XII. My Naughty Little Sister and a Good Girl

When I was a little girl, my mother said to my little sister:

"One of my friends will come to see us today, and her little daughter will come with her. The little girl's name is Winnie. She is a very good girl. You must be a good girl, too. You will take your toys and play with her in the garden."

My little sister put on her new blue dress and blue socks and white shoes. She took all her toys into the garden. She took her big doll out of the box. She wanted to play with Winnie and to show all her toys.

"I want to play with Winnie. I want to play with Winnie. When will she come?" said Nancy. At last Winnie and her mother came. Nancy ran to the door and opened it. Winnie had a blue dress and blue socks on. My little sister did not say How do you do? like a good girl, but she said:

"Blue socks, too."

Winnie's mother laughed. But Winnie did not laugh, she said:

"How do you do?"

She was a very good girl, wasn't she?

My mother and Winnie's mother sat down on a bench in the garden and talked, and Winnie and my little sister went to play. My little sister showed her all the toys and the big doll, too.

"Do you like my doll?" asked my little sister. But Winnie did not answer. She did not say a word.

"Can you talk?" asked my little sister.

"Yes, I can," answered Winnie.

"Do you want to play with my toys?" asked my sister.

"No, thank you," said Winnie.

"Do you want to run?" asked my sister.

"No, thank you. It is too hot," said Winnie.

"Do you want to play hide-and-seek?" asked my sister.

"No, thank you. I don't like hide-and-seek," said Winnie.

"Do you want to pick apples?" asked my little sister.

"No, I don't like to pick apples," said Winnie.

"What do you want to do?" asked my little sister.

"I want to read a book," said Winnie.

Winnie was six.