pped. She was going to say "just fancy a
girl never having eaten pancakes with maple syrup!" But she thought it
would not be polite to say that, so she changed it to:

"Just you wait until you try them! You'll love them!"

"I know Ted does, so I'm going to call him!" exclaimed Janet. "He
wouldn't want to keep on sleeping and miss the cakes."

"Tom wouldn't, either," declared Lola.

So they called the boys, who soon rushed downstairs, as hungry as ever
any boys were. And the girls were quite as hungry. As for Trouble, he
always thought he was hungry whether he was or not.

Uncle Toby came in, having been out to do the chores, he said. He had
also been over to Jim Nelson's cabin to talk about the man who had
tapped on the window, scaring Janet. But Uncle Toby said nothing about
this. Instead he said:

"Getting colder, boys and girls. Hope you brought your skates."

"Why," asked Ted, "is there skating?"

"No; but there will be. Shouldn't wonder but what part of the lake would
freeze over by to-morrow. But don't any of you go on until I try the
ice to see if it's safe."

"Guess there isn't any danger of me going on," remarked Harry Benton.

"Why not?" asked Ted. "Don't you like to skate?"

"Sure I do!" Harry answered. "But I haven't any skates."

"I brought some extra pairs along," remarked Uncle Toby. "I think I have
some that will fit you and Mary."

"Oh, goodie!" cried Mary, for she felt she could now have fun like the
other girls.

"But it hasn't frozen yet, though it soon will be," said Uncle Toby.
"Well, I'm going to leave you youngsters to amuse yourselves for a
while, as I have some things to look after."

Uncle Toby paused for a moment and then went on.

"Now about school."

"Yes," said Ted, in a low voice. "I s'pose we'll have to go," he added,
with a sigh.

"No!" exclaimed Uncle Toby. "That's the queer part of it. You can't go.
I told your folks you could, but you can't."

"Why not?" asked Jan, and neither she nor any of the others seemed
disappointed.

"The teacher they had here was taken sick, I've just heard, and they
can't get another until after the holidays. So it doesn't look as though
you could go to school. I'm sorry--"

"Oh, ho!" cried the Curlytops and their playmates. "No school! Hurray!"

"Now we'll go out and have some fun!" shouted Ted, as Uncle Toby left
the cabin.

"Me come!" cried Trouble.

"Yes, we'll take you," answered Lola.

"Take good care of Trouble!" calle