clouds this blessed minute!" and with Norah, now laughing also, the three
of them went to where Mun stood under the tree. Caught on one of the
branches overhead was a big red balloon. It was fast to a string, and the
little boy held the other end of the cord.

"I can't get it down!" he exclaimed.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't climb up after it," said his mother.
"We'll get it down for you, Mun."

She took hold of the string, and Norah, finding a long stick, carefully
poked it up among the tree branches until she had loosed the toy balloon.
Then it floated free, and Mun Bun could walk along with it floating on the
end of the string above his head.

"It's a awful nice balloon," he said. "If it was bigger I could have a
ride in it like Jerry did in the one when he was in the army."

"Well, I'm glad it isn't any bigger," said Mrs. Bunker. "Small as it is,
you gave us enough trouble with it, Mun."

"But Mun Bun's all right! Norah was scared about him," said the girl,
hugging the little boy close to her as they all walked back toward the
house.

"Where did you get the balloon?" asked Mrs. Bunker.

"Down at Mrs. Kane's store," answered Mun, mentioning a little toy and
candy shop on the block on which the six little Bunkers lived. They spent
all their spare pennies there.