, "bee-skip and all; and the man is bringing them almost at once."

"Bees?" cried Tom. "What do you know about bees?"

"Nothing; but I s'pose I can learn. Come and choose a place for the
bee-skip to stand. Where shall they go?"

"Oh, not anywhere near me!" cried Bella; "I don't like bees."

"P'raps you'll like the honey. The man says he had pounds and pounds of
honey last year. Come on, Bella. Come and help me choose a spot."

Bella went, but not very joyfully, and Tom followed. "You won't expect me
to help you look after them, will you?" she asked nervously, "for I tell
you I am afraid of them."

"Oh no," said Charlie seriously; "and when the honey is ready for market,
I'll walk behind the cart with it, for fear it should sting you."

Bella laughed. "Tom," she called back, "can you paint a sign-board?
I'm sure we ought to have one over the gate to say 'Fruit, flowers,
vegetables, honey, eggs, fowls, porkers, and dried herbs sold here.'"

The idea pleased the boys immensely. "Can't we sell anything else?" cried
Charlie. "Do try and think of something."

"Perhaps Aunt Emma will sell cakes and apple-pasties, and provide tea and
coffee for twopence a cup."

"And a penny more to watch Charlie's bees," laughed Bella. "Oh, here
comes Margery. Perhaps she has come to say she has bought a cow!
Wouldn't it be fun!"

Charlie burst into a peal of laughter. "Hullo, Margery!" he shouted;
"what have you got? A cow?"

Margery stood still in the path and stared at him, her blue eyes full of
puzzled surprise.

"A cow?" she repeated, as though she could hardly believe her ears.
"How should I have a cow? What do you mean?" looking questioningly from
one to the other.

"Do you mean to say you haven't brought home anything new?"

"Why, yes, I've got two of the dearest darling little white ducks you ever
saw in all your life. Bella, do come and see them! Mrs. Carter gave them
to me, and I've brought them home in a basket, but I've been a long time,
because I let them paddle in all the nice big puddles we came to, and oh,
they loved it. Do come, all of you. Oh, they are so pretty, and I think
they know me already. I've called one Snowdrop, and the other Daisy.
Hark!" she cried, as they hurried after her, "don't you hear them calling
to me?"

"I should think I did," laughed Tom. "They were shouting, 'Mag, Mag,
Mag,' as plain as could be. I hope Charlie's bees won't begin shouting to
him, too, or we shan