joiced to hear their voices in this strange land. Then they went to
see Mrs. Farmer feed her poultry; and what a noise there was among the
turkeys, and geese, and ducks, and hens!--all so hungry for breakfast,
and all pushing round without the slightest regard for good manners.
After them there were the calves to feed. Six long-legged shaky little
things--they wondered they could ever grow into anything to be afraid
of. Before they had half finished looking round nurse called them to
get ready for their ride.

Everything was different from what it was at home, for they were to
take their rides without a groom, and across the common, a big place
covered with short crisp grass, with occasional clumps of rushes and
thistles; and here they could canter, or gallop, or race without fear
of harm.

People and animals seemed to do as they liked on the common. Donkeys
browsed sleepily, and when the children came near lifted their heads
as if to say: "Who are these strangers? They're not donkeys, so what
do they want on our ground?"

Then there were a lot of geese there. Patch thought he would have a
bit of fun with the geese one day, so he set off to chase them. There
was a great fluster and spreading of wings, and they waddled off a few
yards; then they turned suddenly and faced him, stretching out their
long necks and hissing, at which Patch turned tail and troubled them
no more.

The village children on their way to and from school would linger on
the common to chase butterflies or run races. Then the boys found it a
capital place for playing at soldiers and leap-frog, and other things.

As it was June the farm people were busy in the hay, so of course
Dorothy and Oliver helped. They raked and tossed and gathered it into
heaps, and then they grew dreadfully hungry, so they sat under the
hedge and ate _bread and cheese_, which they found was quite the
correct lunch for haymakers. Patch sat with them and was having his
share, when he suddenly began sniffing and snorting and scratching
round a haycock. They thought there must be a rat about, but when they
moved the hay they found a poor little creature with a brown plush
coat and _no eyes_! Nurse told them it was a mole, so they put it in a
box lined with cotton-wool and gave it lettuce to eat, but it only
lived four days. I don't think it would like the most luxurious nest
as well as a little hole in the ground.

It would take a long time to tell you about all the childre