Dan's Picnic.


It was one of Dan's birthdays. He had had a party on the 1st of every
month since the time that he was born, which happened to be New Year's
Day. And if you asked Reggie and Flo they would tell you that Dan
quite looked forward to his monthly parties, and, what is more,
enjoyed them. You see, a whole year is a very long time. Boys and
girls may grow to be old men and women and have lots of birthdays; but
a doggie's life is comparatively short, so the more festivals they can
squeeze into it the better.

Now, on this particular September 1st of which I am going to tell you,
it was arranged that the milkman was to take Reggie and Flo and Dan
home with him in his cart directly he had delivered the morning's
milk, and bring them back again at tea-time. This he did: and how
Reggie and Flo did enjoy themselves, to be sure!

[Illustration:]

The milkman had two little friends staying with him, named Reuben and
Jane. Reuben led the way into the woods carrying a kettle and a box of
tea-things; while Reggie and Jane and little Flo followed with buns
and tarts. Dan was useful too, for he helped to gather sticks with
which to boil the kettle. He played hide-and-seek with the children,
saw a real live rabbit for the first time in his life, and thought it
was a new kind of cat; so in one way he had a very good time, but I am