STORY IX

CURLY AND THE SPINNING TOP


"Oh dear!" cried Curly one morning, before his papa, Mr. Twistytail,
the pig gentleman, had started for work. "Oh dear, how dreadful I
feel!"

"Why, what is the matter?" asked his papa, as he looked in the back
of the shiny dishpan to see if his collar was on straight.

"Oh, my arm hurts so!" went on Curly. "It all seems swelled up, and
it has a lump under it and I don't feel a bit good. Oh dear!"

"It's his vaccination," said his mamma. "It is beginning to 'take'
now, and it pains him."

"What is beginning to 'take', mamma?" asked Curly. "It is beginning
to take the pain away? Because if it isn't I wish it was. Oh dear!"

"It will soon be better," said Mrs. Twistytail. "Would you like some
nice yellow cornmeal ice cream, or some lollypops, flavored with
sour milk?"

"Neither, mamma," answered the piggie boy. "But I would like
something to amuse me."

"All right," answered the pig lady. "Then I'll send Flop Ear down to
the store to get you a toy. Come Floppy," she called, "go and get