Boy Blue and His Friends Part 14

Mistress Mary brought him some roses.

"They grew on the rose-bush you gave me," she said.

At first the children played games.

They played "blind man's buff," and "hide the thimble," and "b.u.t.ton, b.u.t.ton, who has the b.u.t.ton."

At four o'clock Jack's mother came into the room.

"I think you must all be hungry by this time," she said.

"Will you come and see what I have for you?"

So the children followed Mrs. Horne through the long hall into the dining-room.

Oh, there were such good things for hungry children!

There were pretty little cakes with pink and white frosting, and oranges, and nuts, and raisins, and apples, and candy.

Boy Blue's father had heard about the party and had sent the apples from the farm.

Boy Blue's mother had sent some candy made of maple sugar and nuts.

Oh, it was so good!

When each one had eaten some of the cakes, and some of the nuts, and some of the candy, Mrs. Horne went out into the kitchen.

Jack began to laugh and his eyes looked very big and wise.

"The surprise is coming!" cried Boy Blue. "The surprise is coming!"

And sure enough! In came Mrs. Horne, carrying a huge pie in her hands.

"This is Jack Horner's pie," she said. "I think it is full of plums."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Then he had put in his hand and pulled out something."]

Then she put it on the table in front of Jack.

He stood up and said:--

"Little Jack Horner Stood near a corner Cutting his birthday pie.

He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And said, 'What a big boy am I!'"

How the children laughed!

Jack had cut the paper crust of his birthday pie.

Then he had put in his hand and pulled out something.

It was surely too big for a real plum.

"For Boy Blue," said Jack, giving him the package.

Boy Blue took off the white paper and there was a tiny horn, tied with a blue ribbon.

Then Jack pulled out another plum.

It was a book about flowers for Mistress Mary.

Tommy Tucker had a knife.

"That's to cut your bread with," said Jack Horner.

Mary found a woolly lamb in her plum.

The lamb's head would come off, an inside was a tiny bottle of cologne.

Jack and Jill each had a little pail filled with candies.

Jack's plum was in the very bottom of the pie.

It was a dear little watch.

"Now, I shall not be late to school again," he said.

It was Jack, you know, who let Mary's lamb into school.

He was late that morning and did not shut the door.

When it was time for the children to go home Mr. Horne packed them all into his big sleigh.

"Good-bye, Jack!" they cried.

"Good-bye, Jack Horner, we have had a lovely time!"

There was an old woman Who lived in a shoe, She had so many children She didn't know what to do, She gave them some b.u.t.ter Without any bread; Then she spanked them all soundly, And sent them to bed.

THE OLD WOMAN IN THE SHOE

You remember I told you that Boy Blue lived on a big farm.