icked Rose-Red's finger. "You'd prick her, would
you?" Rose-Red laughed. "That's because you are only a rose and don't
know any better. It wouldn't be nice for a little girl to prick. I _do_
know something better!"

Rose-Red chose six of the finest roses and carefully clipped off all
their thorns. Then she ran to the gate between her yard and Ruthie's,
and slipped them into a covered box beside it. This box was Rose-Red's
and Ruthie's post office. Nearly every day something went into it from
one little girl to the other.

Four o'clock was mail time. Postman Rose-Red hid behind a bush and
watched.

Presently Postman Ruthie came down the path. She opened the box and took
out the fragrant "letter." Then she laid something inside, drew down the
cover, and ran back.

It was Postman Rose-Red's turn now to open the box. Her letter was a
_real_ one. It said, "I'm sorry."

Rose-Ready-to-Forgive flew through the gate.

"Ruthie! Ruthie!" she called.

And then Rose-Red kissed Ruthie, and Ruthie kissed Rose-Red. And that
was the last of Ruthie-Ready-to-Slap.

THE TREE GAME

When Margaret and Benjy were getting over the measles their mamma
invented a new game to amuse them.

"You might play you are trees," she suggested.

"I'm a pine tree!" cried Margaret.

"So'm I," agreed Benjy.

"Pine trees sing, you know, Benjy," Margaret went on, "so we must sing,
too." And the two struck up a lively tune.

Too-dle-dee, too-dle-dee, doo-o-o! It was not the pine trees, however,
that sang it.

"Oh, an organ man!" "Oh, a monkey!" And both little pine trees raced to
the window.

The organ man smiled. "Dance, Tessa, dance!" he cried to his little
girl, grinding away with all his might.

And then how Tessa's little brown legs did flash back and forth, and in
and out! And what funny tricks the wee monkey did!

[Illustration: How Tessa's little brown legs did flash back and forth]

When the music stopped Jocko scrambled up to the window and politely
presented a cup to the trees. "Pennies, please," the funny, wizzened
little face seemed to beg.

The pine trees brought their banks and shook the pennies out, one by
one, into the cup. Then the biggest pine tree thought of something.
"Wait a minute," she cried, and disappeared. When she came back she
carried two plump bananas.

"Here," she said, handing them out through the window.

Tessa smiled her thanks politely, but Jocko just fell to munching
greedily.

The pine