, this
hardly ever happens.

"No, dear. The Gypsies didn't take grandpa, but they took his best team
of horses," answered her mother. "That's what he says in his letter.
Some of the Gypsies' horses were taken sick, and they could not pull the
Gypsy wagons, when they wanted to move their camp. Some of the Gypsy men
borrowed grandpa's team and said they would pay him for the use of it a
little while, until they could pull their wagons to a new place."

"And did father let them take his horses?" asked Daddy Brown.

"Yes. He says in his letter that he wishes, now, he had not. For, though
the Gypsies promised to bring the horses back, they did not do so."

"Oh, did the Gypsies keep Grandpa's horses?" asked Bunny.

"Yes. That's what he says."

"Then we can't go to the farm!" and Bunny looked very sorry.

"Why can't we go? What have the horses to do with it?" asked Bunny's
mother.

"Because, if he hasn't any horses, grandpa can't come to the station for
us, and drive us out to the farm."

"Oh, well, I guess he has more than one team. Though he says it was his
best one the Gypsies borrowed, and did not bring back," said Mrs. Brown
to her husband. "It will be quite a loss to father, and he was so proud
of that team of horses!"

"Yes," answered Mr. Brown, "it's too bad!"

"Oh, dear!" sighed Sue. "Aunt Lu lost her diamond ring, and now grandpa
has lost his horses. But maybe you can find them, Bunny, just as you
found Aunt Lu's diamond ring!"

"Huh! Aunt Lu's ring was in my lobster claw! How could a team of horses
get in a lobster claw?" asked Bunny, with a laugh.

"Oh, I don't mean that!" said Sue. "But maybe you could find the horses
in the woods, same as you found the ring in the claw."

"Maybe!" agreed Bunny. "But when can we go to the farm?"

"Next week, perhaps," answered his mother. "It depends on your father."

"Yes, we can go next week," Mr. Brown said.

"Even if Grandpa Brown doesn't get his horses back from the Gypsies?"
asked Bunny.

"Yes, I think we can manage to reach the farm without grandpa's horses.
I have a new plan for going out there--something we have never done
before," and Daddy Brown nodded at his wife, and smiled.

"Oh, what is it?" Bunny asked eagerly.

"It's a secret," said his father. "I'll tell you after a while."

The children begged and teased to know what it was, but Mr. Brown only
laughed, and said they would have to wait.

Then Mrs. Brown took Bunny and Sue home, and on t