PINKY'S RUBBER BALL.


"Now, children," exclaimed Mrs. Twistytail, the pig lady, one
morning, when she had given Curly and Floppy and Baby Pinky their
breakfast of sour milk with cornmeal stirred in it, "now, children,
run out and play. I have the sweeping and dusting to do, and then I
am going to make an apple pie."

"Oh, goodie!" cried Curly. "Do you want us to help you, mamma?"

"No, I'm afraid you would eat more apples than you would put in the
pie," said Mrs. Twistytail with a laugh. "Run along now."

"Come on Curly," said Floppy and he ran out and turned a somersault,
even though it was near winter, for he felt happy, now that he had a
name and didn't have to be called "Bub" or "Johnny" or something
like that.

"What shall we do?" asked Curly.

"Let's build a fort and play soldier," suggested Floppy. "Pinky can
be a prisoner and we'll make believe capture her, and then we'll
rescue her, and shoot off make-believe guns, and--"

"No--No!" cried Baby Pinky, as she tried to stand up on the end of
her twisty tail, but she couldn't, for it was too slimpsy and not
stiff enough. She fell down, but her brothers picked her up, and
then the curl came back in her tail.