a year or two, there
was a great abundance of raspberries very near the house.

Rollo stopped to eat some raspberries as he walked along. He thought
they would do exceedingly well with his bread, to give a little variety
to his luncheon. After he had eaten as many as he wanted, he thought he
would gather his dipper full for Jonas, as he was busy at work, and
could not have time to gather any for himself.

He got his dipper full very quick, for the raspberries were thick and
large. He thought it was an excellent plan for Jonas to plant the
raspberry-bushes there; but then he thought it was a great deal of
trouble to bring them all from so great a distance.

"I wonder," said he to himself, as he sat upon a log, thinking of the
subject, "why it would not have been just as well to plant raspberries
themselves, instead of setting out the bushes. The raspberries must be
the seeds. I mean to take some of these big ones, and try. I dare say
they'll grow."

But then he reflected that the spring was planting time, and he knew
very well that raspberries would not keep till spring; and so he
determined to ask Jonas about it. He accordingly rose up from the log,
and walked along, carrying his dipper, very carefully, in his hand.

At length, he reached the brook. There was a rude bridge over it made of
two logs, placed side by side, and short boards nailed across them for a
foot-way. It was only wide enough for persons to walk across. The cattle
and teams always went across through the water, at a shallow place, just
below the bridge.

Rollo lay down upon the bridge, and looked into the water. There were
some skippers and some whirlabouts upon the water. The skippers were
long-legged insects, shaped somewhat like a cricket; and they stood
tiptoe upon the surface of the water. Rollo wondered how they could keep
up. Their feet did not sink into the water at all, and every now and
then they would give a sort of leap, and away they would shoot over the
surface, as if it had been ice. Rollo reached his hand down and tried to
catch one, to examine his feet; but he could not succeed. They were too
nimble for him. He thought that, if he could only catch one, and have an
opportunity to examine his feet, he could see how it was that he could
stand so upon the water. Rollo was considering whether it was possible
or not, that Jonas might make something, like the skippers' feet, for
_him_, to put upon his feet, so that _he_ might walk on t