the actors we need."

"Oh, Peter wouldn't need any practice," said George. "He'd be just fine
in the barnyard scene. I brought him with me!"

"Well, I'm sorry, for I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint your friend
Peter," said Mr. Treadwell. "But where is he?"

"Here in this basket," answered George, and he held up a small one in
front of the stage manager.

CHAPTER XXI

"WHERE IS BUNNY?"

Mr. Treadwell looked first at George, then at the basket, and once more
at George.

"Now look here, George," said the actor. "I don't mind your making fun
or having jokes, but I'm very busy now, for the first act of the
rehearsal is going to start. Besides, you shouldn't bring your baby
brother to the hall in a small basket like that."

"My baby brother?" cried George with a laugh. "I haven't any baby
brother! I have a sister Mary, but----"

"But you said Peter was in there," said Mr. Treadwell. "And if Peter
is----"

"Oh, Peter isn't a _baby_, and he isn't my brother," said George with
another laugh. "He's only a----"

But before he could say what Peter was a loud crow sounded from inside
the basket which George held up.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" sounded all through the hall, and Bunny, Sue, and
the others who were getting ready for their parts in the dress
rehearsal of the play, laughed. Mr. Treadwell looked surprised.

"Why--why--it's a rooster!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Peter is my pet bantam rooster," said George. "I brought him with
me because I thought he could crow in the barnyard scene, and make it
more natural like."

"Well, a crowing rooster would be a good performer to have in a barnyard
scene on a stage," agreed Mr. Treadwell. "But the only thing about it is
that we couldn't be sure that he would crow at the right time. He might
crow when Lucile was singing, or when Bunny Brown was doing some of his
tricks, or when Sue was making believe run away from me when I'm dressed
up like a tramp."

"Yes," said George, "that's so. Peter crows a lot, and you can't tell
when he's going to do it. But, Mr. Treadwell, he always crows when he
flaps his wings, and if somebody could hold his wings so they couldn't
flap then he couldn't crow. I wish we could have him in the play!"

"Well, we might try him, anyhow," said Mr. Treadwell, with a laugh.
"Though I haven't anybody I could let stand near and hold the rooster's
wings so he wouldn't crow."

"I could do that," offered George. "My rooster likes me."

"Yes, I supp