"Muvver says not eat green apples," shouted Stubby.

Rose held up a little one. "Come on," she called. "Find one the size of
that!"

Stubby became interested in spite of himself, and more so, as Rose began
picking thorns off the rosebush and sticking them into the apple for
eyes, nose and mouth.

Marguerite and Stubby began making one like Rose's.

"Now, find a stick and push it in for the body," said Rose.

Stubby rammed one in so hard that it came out at the top of his doll's
head. "That'll be good to stick a hat to," he said cheerfully.

"They look pretty thin," said Marguerite holding hers at arms length.

"But wait till they have clothes on," said Rose happily. "Hollyhocks are
fine for clothes."

So Stubby raced off for hollyhocks, picking the short stems off very
carefully; first the large, silver-white ones, then shell-pink ones and
last of all, the dark, velvety, red ones.

"Mine's going to be red," shouted Stubby, running back with his hands
full.

"Then take three, one for the waist and two for the ruffly skirt," said
Rose.

"I know what'll be good for a parasol," said Stubby, sitting down beside
Rose.

"What?" asked Rose.

Stubby pointed to the morning-glory vine climbing all over the arbor,
with its pink and violet blossoms rolled tightly up, _just_ like an
umbrella! Rose clapped her hands.

"Just the thing," she cried.

The children next made long braids of hair of striped grass, and
fastened them to the backs of the dolls' heads with thorns. Then they
bound broad sashes of satiny grass around the waists and used the flat
nasturtium leaves for sailor hats.

"Now we must begin a house for them to live in," proceeded Rose. "Pick
up little stones and make squares on the piazza floor for rooms."

Stubby soon made four rooms, leaving a door in each, with a hall down
the middle.

"We can have grape leaves for blankets on the beds, and rose-petals for
pillows, can't we?" said Stubby excitedly, "and a big, flat stone for a
table and little stones for chairs!--and more rose petals for chair
cushions!"

Marguerite was busily pinning a sweet-pea on her doll's head for a
bonnet, and Rose finished arranging an acorn cup full of tiny green
grapes for apples, before she replied.

"Stubby," she said at last, "you're a very clever boy."

She deftly cut a green apple in two as she spoke, and began hollowing
one half out with a sharp stick. "This will make a good set-bowl," she
said, getting very