"Oh, they don't act half as bad as lots of children."

"No, indeed! They're very good, I think," said Grandma Martin, coming
to the door with a patch of flour on the end of her nose, for it was
baking day, as you could easily have told had you come anywhere near
the big kitchen of the white house on Cherry Farm.

"They need to be kept busy all the while," said Grandpa Martin. "It's
been a little slow for them here this vacation since we got in the hay
and gathered the cherries. I think I'll have to find some new way for
them to have fun."

"I didn't know there was any new way," said Mother Martin with a
laugh, as she carried Baby William into the bedroom and came back to
sit on the porch with Grandpa and Grandma Martin.

"Oh, yes, there are lots of new ways. I haven't begun to think of them
yet," said Grandpa Martin. "I'm going to have a few weeks now with not
very much to do until it's time to gather the fall crops, and I think
I'll try to find some way of giving your Curlytops a good time. Yes,
that's what I'll do. I'll keep the Curlytops so busy they won't have a
chance to think of pulling dolls' legs or taking Nicknack, the goat,
away from his wagon."

"What are you planning to do, Father?" asked Grandma Martin of her
husband.

"Well, I promised to take them camping on Star Island you know."

"What! Not those two little tots--not Ted and Jan?" cried Grandma