middy was plastered
with--_beans!_

On the ground by the fire lay the flattened remains of a tin can.
Migwan had put the beans to heat without opening the can. Shrieks
of laughter arose when the truth dawned on the girls and it was
many a day before they left off teasing Migwan about it. The
fire was built up again, bacon "frizzled," and toast and cocoa
made. "And my mouth was just watering for baked potatoes,"
wailed Hinpoha.

"And mine for baked beans," echoed Sahwah.

"You shouldn't eat potatoes if you want to get thin," said
Migwan.

"Shouldn't I, Nyoda?" asked Hinpoha, appealing to her guardian.

Nyoda pursed up her lips and recited with a judicial air:

"If you would slimmer grow, my daughter,
Eat no starches, drink no water."

Sahwah then took up the tale:

"Look not on the candy sweet,
Fall not for the fat of meat."

Thus it went round the circle, each girl pointing her finger at
Hinpoha and reciting a couplet:

"If your fat you'd wear away,
Exercise ten hours a day,"

"If you would grow thin and graceful,
Eat of lemons this whole caseful."

"If you think that you're too large,
Swim ahead and tow the barge."

"If you really would grow small,
Don't eat anything at all."

"I think you're mean," said Hinpoha, wiping away mock tears.
Immediately all the girls flung themselves on her, hugging and
caressing her.

"Never mind, 'Poha," they comforted, "we love you anyhow. We
couldn't live without you."

"Did anybody catch up with anybody else today?" asked Sahwah.
Nyoda and Medmangi sprang to their feet, and pointing scornfully
at Chapa and Gladys, sang to the tune of "Forsaken:

"O'ertaken, o'ertaken, o'ertaken were they,
On a stone by the roadside they sat plain as day;
We sat down beside them and sang them this song,
Which caused them to rise up and travel along."

"We made a song, too," cried Migwan and Hinpoha, springing to
their feet. "It's to the tune of 'Jingle Bells.'" And keeping
time with their feet, they sang:

"Marching through the woods,
Onward day by day,
Round the lake we go,
Singing all the way.
Packs strapped to our backs,
There our eats we stow,
Oh, what fun it is to hike
With the girls of Wohelo!

Wohelo, Wohelo,
Singing all the day,
O what fun it is to hike
Around the world away!"

The girls joined in the chorus, and then went back to the
begi