swinging a little flat-iron on a string; dropped baby in the coal-hod;
buried her doll, and spoilt her; cut off a bit of her finger, chopping
wood; and broke a tooth, trying to turn heels over head on a haycock.
These are only a few of her pranks, but one was nearly her last.

She wanted to go bare-footed, as the little country boys and girls did;
but mamma wasn't willing, and Poppy was much afflicted.

"It doesn't hurt Cy, and it won't hurt me, just for a little while," she
said.

"Say no more, Poppy. I never wish to see you barefooted," replied mamma.

"Well, you needn't: I'll go and do it in the barn," muttered Poppy, as
she walked away.

Into the barn she went, and played country girl to her heart's content,
in spite of Nelly's warnings. Nelly never got into scrapes, being a
highly virtuous young lady; but she enjoyed Poppy's pranks, and wept
over her misfortunes with sisterly fidelity.

"Now I'll be a bear, and jump at you as you go by," said Poppy, when
they were tired of playing steam-engine with the old winnowing machine.
So she got up on a beam; and Nelly, with a peck measure on her head for
a hat, and a stick for a gun, went bear-hunting, and banged away at the
swallows, the barrels, and the hencoops, till the bear was ready to eat
her. Presently, with a loud roar, the bear leaped; but Nelly wasn't
eaten that time, for Poppy cried out with pain:

"Oh! I jumped on a pitchfork, and it's in my foot! Take it out! take it
out!"

Poor little foot! There was a deep purple hole in the sole, and the
blood came, and Poppy fainted away, and Nelly screamed, and mamma ran,
and the neighbors rushed in, and there was _such_ a flurry. Poppy was
soon herself again, and lay on the sofa, with Nelly and Cy to amuse her.

"What did the doctor say to mamma in the other room about me?" whispered
Poppy, feeling very important at having such a bustle made on her
account. Nelly sniffed, but said nothing; Cy, however, spoke up briskly:

"He says you might have lockjaw."

"Is that bad?" asked Poppy gravely.

"Oh, ain't it, though! Your mouth shuts up, and you can't open it; and
you have fits and die."

"Always?" said Poppy, looking scared, and feeling of her mouth.

"'Most always, I guess. That's why your ma cried, and Nelly keeps
kissin' you."

Cy felt sorry, but rather enjoyed the excitement, and was sure, that, if
any one ever _could_ escape dying, it would be Poppy, for she always
"came alive" again after her worst