isn't it best to begin the work at once? There's never so good a time
as now, in my opinion. I'm sure you agree with me."

On Mother Fisher saying "yes," all three of the young people took hold
of hands, and danced around the room in glee. For old Mr. King set
Phronsie down, with, "There, go, child, and spin with the others; then
all hurry and get your hats on, and we'll be off."

And in less time than it takes to write it, old Mr. King and Mother
Fisher and Jasper and Polly and Phronsie all hurried out of the hotel,
and began a round of the shops to get the things together for the
wonderful box to go home to the boys. And though Polly didn't know it,
several other things, that boys wouldn't be supposed to care for in the
least, were slyly added to the purchases, when she wasn't looking, to
be sent home to the hotel in separate parcels to Mr. King. For Polly
was going to have a birthday before very long; though she had quite
forgotten it in the excitement over this box for Ben and Joel and
David.

"It's just like buying things for Christmas, isn't it, Jasper?" said
Polly, as they hung over the show-cases and peered into windows; "only
everything is so funny here. Oh, no, Phronsie, that won't do; it's too
big," as Phronsie protested that nothing was so nice as a huge Delft
plate hanging on the wall. There was a big windmill and several little
windmills in the distance along a Dutch canal, and two or three cows in
the foreground, and a peasant girl with a basket in her hand. Phronsie
stood and gazed at it all the time they were in this particular shop.

"I like that little girl," she said, "and those cows; and they are like
Deacon Blodgett's cows at home in Badgertown. And Ben would like it,