Freddie's toy fire engine was a large and expensive one his uncle had
given him on Christmas. It was made as nearly like a real engine as
possible, only instead of working by steam, it worked by a spring.
When a spring was wound up, it operated a small pump in the engine.
The pump made water spurt out through a little rubber hose, and the
water for the engine was poured into a tank. The tank held about two
gallons, so you see when it was all pumped out in the kitchen, and
spurted on those in the room, it made them pretty wet.

"It's clean water," said Nan, when every one had somewhat cooled down,
"and it's so warm to-night, I wouldn't mind being sprayed with a hose
myself."

"Still, Freddie shouldn't have done it," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "I have
told you not to play with your engine in the house, when it had water
in it, Freddie. How did you come to disobey me?" she asked, for
usually the little fellow was very good about minding.

"I--I didn't mean to, mamma," he said "First I just wanted to see if
the engine tank leaked, so I put in some water. I didn't think it
would hurt, out here on the kitchen oil cloth, and honestly I wasn't
going to squirt it."

"No, I suppose not," said Mr. Bobbsey, wiping the water from his face,
and glancing at his soaked newspaper.

"So I just filled the tank with water from the sink," explained
Freddie.

"I--I helped him," confessed Flossie, ready to take her share of the