picnic Bunny Brown and his sister Sue
had good times at grandpa's farm. One day it rained, but the children
played a part of the time in the barn, and the rest of the time in the
big attic of grandpa's house.

This attic had in it even more things, to have a good time with, than
did the attic at Bunny's home.

There were big fur rugs that Grandpa Brown put in the sled when it was
winter. There were strings of sleigh bells that jingled when they were
touched. And there was a spinning wheel, like the one in Mother Brown's
attic, only it was larger.

Then, too, there were piles of old clothes, old picture-papers, trunks
with many strange things in them, and so many other things that Bunny
and Sue did not get tired of playing all day long.

But the attic was only nice to play in on rainy days. On days when the
sun shone down hot on the roof it was too warm up there. So the next
day, when the storm was over, Bunny and Sue looked for something else to
do to have a good time.

"Come on, and we'll play ball," said Bunny.

He and Sue did not exactly play ball the way big boys did. But Bunny
would throw the ball, and when Sue had caught it she would toss it back.
They went out behind the house to play this game.

Back and forth they tossed the ball, until Sue missed it when Bunny
threw it to her. The ball rolled under a currant bush, but when Sue ran
to pick it up, the little girl suddenly stopped, and stood looking at
the bush.

"What's the matter?" asked Bunny. "Why don't you pick the ball up, and
throw it to me, Sue?"

"I--I can't," she answered

"Why not?"

"'Cause a hen's got it."

"A hen's got my ball?" asked Bunny, much surprised.

"Yep," said Sue, shaking her head up and down to make Bunny understand.
"The ball is right by the hen, and she's got her bill on it. I dassn't
pick it up, 'cause she'll peck me."

Bunny ran to where Sue stood. Surely enough, the ball had rolled under
the edge of the currant bush, close to where a big hen was all cuddled
up in a heap. And the hen did have her bill on the ball with which the
children had been playing.

"Why--why that hen is on a nest!" exclaimed Bunny. "I guess grandma
doesn't know there's a hen's nest out here. We'll go and tell her."

"But aren't you going to take your ball?" asked Sue. "Maybe the hen will
eat it if you don't."

"Hen's can't eat balls," said Bunny. "The ball is too big for them to
swaller."

"Well, anyhow, they could pick holes in it, a