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y savage with crossness; for the people at Giles's Farm had laughed at him very much, and he did not like to be laughed at--and at the top of the field he had by chance met his mistress, and she asked him severely how he could think of leaving the children alone. Altogether, his conscience pricked him a good deal, and when people's consciences prick them, sometimes they get angry with other people, which is very silly, and only makes matters worse. "What have you been doing all this time?" said he. "All this five minutes?" said the oldest boy, mischievously; for Gardener was only to be away five minutes, and he had staid a full hour. Also, when he fumbled in his pocket for the children's lunch--to stop their tongues, perhaps--he found it was not there. They set up a great outcry; for, in spite of the cake, they could have eaten a little more. Indeed, the frost had such an effect upon all their appetites, that they felt not unlike that celebrated gentleman of whom it is told that "He ate a cow, and ate a calf, He ate an ox, and ate a half; He ate a church, he ate the steeple, He ate the priest, and all the people, And said he hadn't had enough then." "We're so hungry, so very hungry! Couldn't you go back again and fetch us some dinner?" cried they, entreatingly. "Not I, indeed. You may go back to dinner yourselves. You shall, indeed, for I want my dinner too. Two hours is plenty long enough to stop on the ice." "It isn't two hours--it's only one." "Well, one will do better than more. You're all right now--and you might soon tumble in, or break your legs on the slide. So come away home." It wasn't kind of Gardener, and I don't wonder the children felt it hard; indeed, the eldest boy resisted stoutly. "Mother said we might stop all day, and we will stop all day. You may go home if you like." "I won't, and you shall!" said Gardener, smacking a whip that he carried in his hand. "Stop till I catch you, and I'll give you this about your back, my fine gentleman." And he tried to follow, but the little fellow darted across the ice, objecting to be either caught or whipped. It may have been rather naughty, but I am afraid it was great fun dodging the Gardener up and down; he being too timid to go on the slippery ice, and sometimes getting so close that the whip nearly touched the lad. "Bless us! there's the kangaroo again!" said he, starting. Just
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