as well tell the children about the surprise before we eat."

"Oh, then it's a surprise!" cried Sue, clapping her hands.

"Why, yes, I rather think you'll be surprised when you hear about it,"
answered Daddy Brown.

"And is it a secret, too?" Bunny wanted to know.

"Well, you don't know what it is yet; do you?" inquired his father.

Bunny shook his head.

"Well, then," went on Daddy Brown with a smile, "if there is something
nice you don't know, and someone is going to tell you, I guess that's a
surprise; isn't it?"

"Oh, yes!" cried Sue. "And now, Daddy, don't tease us any more. Just
tell us what it is? Will we like it?"

"Can we play with it?" Bunny wanted to know.

Mr. Brown laughed so hard that Sue nearly fell off one knee, and Bunny
off the other.

"What is it, Daddy?" asked the little boy. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just you--and Sue," said Mr. Brown, still shaking up and down and
sideways with laughter. "You are in a great hurry to have me tell you
the surprise, and yet you keep on asking questions, so I have to answer