As there is no particular plan to this story, except to describe a fewscenes in the life at Plumfield for the amusement of certain littlepersons, we will gently ramble along in this chapter and tell someof the pastimes of Mrs. Jo's boys. I beg leave to assure my honoredreaders that most of the incidents are taken from real life, and thatthe oddest are the truest; for no person, no matter how vivid animagination he may have, can invent anything half so droll as thefreaks and fancies that originate in the lively brains of little people.

Daisy and Demi were full of these whims, and lived in a world oftheir own, peopled with lovely or grotesque creatures, to whomthey gave the queerest names, and with whom they played thequeerest games. One of these nursery inventions was an invisiblesprite called "The Naughty Kitty-mouse," whom the children hadbelieved in, feared, and served for a long time. They seldom spokeof it to any one else, kept their rites as private as possible; and, asthey never tried to describe it even to themselves, this being had avague mysterious charm very agreeable to Demi, who delighted inelves and goblins. A most whimsical and tyrannical imp was theNaughty Kitty-mouse, and Daisy found a fearful pleasure in itsservice, blindly obeying its most absurd demands, which wereusually proclaimed from the lips of Demi, whose powers ofinvention were great. Rob and Teddy sometimes joined in theseceremonies, and considered them excellent fun, although they didnot understand half that went on.

One day after school Demi whispered to his sister, with anominous wag of the head,

"The Kitty-mouse wants us this afternoon."

"What for?" asked Daisy, anxiously.

"A sackerryfice," answered Demi, solemnly. "There must be a firebehind the big rock at two o'clock, and we must all bring the thingswe like best, and burn them!" he added, with an awful emphasis onthe last words.

"Oh, dear! I love the new paper dollies Aunt Amy painted for mebest of any thing; must I burn them up?" cried Daisy, who neverthought of denying the unseen tyrant any thing it demanded.

"Every one. I shall burn my boat, my best scrapbook, and all mysoldiers," said Demi firmly.

"Well, I will; but it's too bad of Kitty-mouse to want our verynicest things," sighed Daisy.

"A sackerryfice means to give up what you are fond of, so wemust," explained Demi, to whom the new idea had been suggestedby hearing Uncle Fritz describe the customs of the Greeks to thebig boys who were reading about them in school.

"Is Rob coming too," asked Daisy.

"Yes, and he is going to bring his toy village; it is all made ofwood, you know, and will burn nicely. We'll have a grand bonfire,and see them blaze up, won't we?"

This brilliant prospect consoled Daisy, and she ate her dinner witha row of paper dolls before her, as a sort of farewell banquet.

At the appointed hour the sacrificial train set forth, each childbearing the treasures demanded by the insatiable Kitty-mouse.Teddy insisted on going also, and seeing that all the others hadtoys, he tucked a squeaking lamb under one arm, and oldAnnabella under the other, little dreaming what anguish the latteridol was to give him.

"Where are you going, my chickens?" asked Mrs. Jo, as the flockpassed her door.

"To play by the big rock; can't we?"

"Yes, only don't do near the pond, and take good care of baby."

"I always do," said Daisy, leading forth her charge with a capableair.

"Now, you must all sit round, and not move till I tell you. This flatstone is an altar, and I am going to make a fire on it."

Demi then proceeded to kindle up a small blaze, as he had seen theboys do at picnics. When the flame burned well, he ordered thecompany to march round it three times and then stand in a circle.

"I shall begin, and as fast as my things are burnt, you must bringyours."

With that he solemnly laid on a little paper book full of pictures,pasted in by himself; this was followed by a dilapidated boat, andthen one by one the unhappy leaden soldiers marched to death. Notone faltered or hung back, from the splendid red and yellowcaptain to the small drummer who had lost his legs; all vanished inthe flames and mingled in one common pool of melted lead.

"Now, Daisy!" called the high priest of Kitty-mouse, when his richofferings had been consumed, to the great satisfaction of thechildren.

"My dear dollies, how can I let them go?" moaned Daisy, huggingthe entire dozen with a face full of maternal woe.

"You must," commanded Demi; and with a farewell kiss to each,Daisy laid her blooming dolls upon the coals.

"Let me keep one, the dear blue thing, she is so sweet," besoughtthe poor little mamma, clutching her last in despair.

"More! more!" growled an awful voice, and Demi cried, "that's theKitty-mouse! she must have every one, quick, or she will scratchus."

In went the precious blue belle, flounces, rosy hat, and all, andnothing but a few black flakes remained of that bright band.

"Stand the houses and trees round, and let them catch themselves;it will be like a real fire then," said Demi, who liked variety evenin his "sackerryfices."

Charmed by this suggestion, the children arranged the doomedvillage, laid a line of coals along the main street, and then satdown to watch the conflagration. It was somewhat slow to kindleowing to the paint, but at last one ambitious little cottage blazedup, fired a tree of the palm species, which fell on to the roof of alarge family mansion, and in a few minutes the whole town wasburning merrily. The wooden population stood and stared at thedestruction like blockheads, as they were, till they also caught andblazed away without a cry. It took some time to reduce the town toashes, and the lookers-on enjoyed the spectacle immensely,cheering as each house fell, dancing like wild Indians when thesteeple flamed aloft, and actually casting one wretched littlechurn-shaped lady, who had escaped to the suburbs, into the veryheart of the fire.

The superb success of this last offering excited Teddy to such adegree, that he first threw his lamb into the conflagration, andbefore it had time even to roast, he planted poor Annabella on thefuneral pyre. Of course she did not like it, and expressed heranguish and resentment in a way that terrified her infant destroyer.Being covered with kid, she did not blaze, but did what was worse,she squirmed. First one leg curled up, then the other, in a veryawful and lifelike manner; next she flung her arms over her headas if in great agony; her head itself turned on her shoulders, herglass eyes fell out, and with one final writhe of her whole body,she sank down a blackened mass on the ruins of the town. Thisunexpected demonstration startled every one and frightened Teddyhalf out of his little wits. He looked, then screamed and fledtoward the house, roaring "Marmar" at the top of his voice.

Mrs. Bhaer heard the outcry and ran to the rescue, but Teddy couldonly cling to her and pour out in his broken way something about"poor Bella hurted," "a dreat fire," and "all the dollies dorn."Fearing some dire mishap, his mother caught him up and hurriedto the scene of action, where she found the blind worshippers ofKitty-mouse mourning over the charred remains of the lost darling.

"What have you been at? Tell me all about it," said Mrs. Jo,composing herself to listen patiently, for the culprits looked sopenitent, she forgave them beforehand.

With some reluctance Demi explained their play, and Aunt Jolaughed till the tears ran down her cheeks, the children were sosolemn, and the play was so absurd.

"I thought you were too sensible to play such a silly game as this.If I had any Kitty-mouse I'd have a good one who liked you to playin safe pleasant ways, and not destroy and frighten. Just see what aruin you have made; all Daisy's pretty dolls, Demi's soldiers, andRob's new village beside poor Teddy's pet lamb, and dear oldAnnabella. I shall have to write up in the nursery the verse thatused to come in the boxes of toys,

"The children of Holland take pleasure in making,

What the children of Boston take pleasure in breaking."

Only I shall put Plumfield instead of Boston."

"We never will again, truly, truly!" cried the repentant littlesinners, much abashed at this reproof.

"Demi told us to," said Rob.

"Well, I heard Uncle tell about the Greece people, who had altarsand things, and so I wanted to be like them, only I hadn't any livecreatures to sackerryfice, so we burnt up our toys."

"Dear me, that is something like the bean story," said Aunt Jo,laughing again.

"Tell about it," suggested Daisy, to change the subject.

"Once there was a poor woman who had three or four littlechildren, and she used to lock them up in her room when she wentout to work, to keep them safe. On day when she was going awayshe said, 'Now, my dears, don't let baby fall out of window, don'tplay with the matches, and don't put beans up your noses.' Now thechildren had never dreamed of doing that last thing, but she put itinto their heads, and the minute she was gone, they ran and stuffedtheir naughty little noses full of beans, just to see how it felt, andshe found them all crying when she came home."

"Did it hurt?" asked Rob, with such intense interest that his motherhastily added a warning sequel, lest a new edition of the bean storyshould appear in her own family.

"Very much, as I know, for when my mother told me this story, Iwas so silly that I went and tried it myself. I had no beans, so Itook some little pebbles, and poked several into my nose. I did notlike it at all, and wanted to take them out again very soon, but onewould not come, and I was so ashamed to tell what a goose I beenthat I went for hours with the stone hurting me very much. At lastthe pain got so bad I had to tell, and when my mother could not getit out the doctor came. Then I was put in a chair and held tight,Rob, while he used his ugly little pincers till the stone hopped out.Dear me! how my wretched little nose did ache, and how peoplelaughed at me!" and Mrs. Jo shook her head in a dismal way, as ifthe memory of her sufferings was too much for her.

Rob looked deeply impressed and I am glad to say took thewarning to heart. Demi proposed that they should bury poorAnnabella, and in the interest of the funeral Teddy forgot hisfright. Daisy was soon consoled by another batch of dolls fromAunt Amy, and the Naughty Kitty-mouse seemed to be appeasedby the last offerings, for she tormented them no more.

"Brops" was the name of a new and absorbing play, invented byBangs. As this interesting animal is not to be found in anyZoological Garden, unless Du Chaillu has recently brought onefrom the wilds of Africa, I will mention a few of its peculiar habitsand traits, for the benefit of inquiring minds. The Brop is a wingedquadruped, with a human face of a youthful and merry aspect.When it walks the earth it grunts, when it soars it gives a shrillhoot, occasionally it goes erect, and talks good English. Its body isusually covered with a substance much resembling a shawl,sometimes red, sometimes blue, often plaid, and, strange to say,they frequently change skins with one another. On their heads theyhave a horn very like a stiff brown paper lamp-lighter. Wings ofthe same substance flap upon their shoulders when they fly; this isnever very far from the ground, as they usually fall with violence ifthey attempt any lofty flights. They browse over the earth, but cansit up and eat like the squirrel. Their favorite nourishment is theseed-cake; apples also are freely taken, and sometimes raw carrotsare nibbled when food is scarce. They live in dens, where theyhave a sort of nest, much like a clothes-basket, in which the littleBrops play till their wings are grown. These singular animalsquarrel at times, and it is on these occasions that they burst intohuman speech, call each other names, cry, scold, and sometimestear off horns and skin, declaring fiercely that they "won't play."The few privileged persons who have studied them are inclined tothink them a remarkable mixture of the monkey, the sphinx, theroc, and the queer creatures seen by the famous Peter Wilkins.

This game was a great favorite, and the younger children beguiledmany a rainy afternoon flapping or creeping about the nursery,acting like little bedlamites and being as merry as little grigs. Tobe sure, it was rather hard upon clothes, particularly trouser-knees,and jacket-elbows; but Mrs. Bhaer only said, as she patched anddarned,

"We do things just as foolish, and not half so harmless. If I couldget as much happiness out of it as the little dears do, I'd be a Bropmyself."

Nat's favorite amusements were working in his garden, and sittingin the willow-tree with his violin, for that green nest was a fairyworld to him, and there he loved to perch, making music like ahappy bird. The lads called him "Old Chirper," because he wasalways humming, whistling, or fiddling, and they often stopped aminute in their work or play to listen to the soft tones of the violin,which seemed to lead a little orchestra of summer sounds. Thebirds appeared to regard him as one of themselves, and fearlesslysat on the fence or lit among the boughs to watch him with theirquick bright eyes. The robins in the apple-tree near by evidentlyconsidered him a friend, for the father bird hunted insects closebeside him, and the little mother brooded as confidingly over herblue eggs as if the boy was only a new sort of blackbird whocheered her patient watch with his song. The brown brook babbledand sparkled below him, the bees haunted the clover fields oneither side, friendly faces peeped at him as they passed, the oldhouse stretched its wide wings hospitably toward him, and with ablessed sense of rest and love and happiness, Nat dreamed forhours in this nook, unconscious what healthful miracles werebeing wrought upon him.

One listener he had who never tired, and to whom he was morethan a mere schoolmate. Poor Billy's chief delight was to lie besidethe brook, watching leaves and bits of foam dance by, listeningdreamily to the music in the willow-tree. He seemed to think Nat asort of angel who sat aloft and sang, for a few baby memories stilllingered in his mind and seemed to grow brighter at these times.Seeing the interest he took in Nat, Mr. Bhaer begged him to helpthem lift the cloud from the feeble brain by this gentle spell. Gladto do any thing to show his gratitude, Nat always smiled on Billywhen he followed him about, and let him listen undisturbed to themusic which seemed to speak a language he could understand."Help one another," was a favorite Plumfield motto, and Natlearned how much sweetness is added to life by trying to live up toit.

Jack Ford's peculiar pastime was buying and selling; and he bidfair to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, a country merchant,who sold a little of every thing and made money fast. Jack hadseen the sugar sanded, the molasses watered, the butter mixed withlard, and things of that kind, and labored under the delusion that itwas all a proper part of the business. His stock in trade was of adifferent sort, but he made as much as he could out of every wormhe sold, and always got the best of the bargain when he traded withthe boys for string, knives, fish-hooks, or whatever the articlemight be. The boys who all had nicknames, called him "Skinflint,"but Jack did not care as long as the old tobacco-pouch in which hekept his money grew heavier and heavier.

He established a sort of auction-room, and now and then sold offall the odds and ends he had collected, or helped the lads exchangethings with one another. He got bats, balls, hockey-sticks, etc.,cheap, from one set of mates, furbished them up, and let them for afew cents a time to another set, often extending his businessbeyond the gates of Plumfield in spite of the rules. Mr. Bhaer put astop to some of his speculations, and tried to give him a better ideaof business talent than mere sharpness in overreaching hisneighbors. Now and then Jack made a bad bargain, and felt worseabout it than about any failure in lessons or conduct, and took hisrevenge on the next innocent customer who came along. Hisaccount-book was a curiosity; and his quickness at figures quiteremarkable. Mr. Bhaer praised him for this, and tried to make hissense of honesty and honor as quick; and, by and by, when Jackfound that he could not get on without these virtues, he owned thathis teacher was right.

Cricket and football the boys had of course; but, after the stirringaccounts of these games in the immortal "Tom Brown at Rugby,"no feeble female pen may venture to do more than respectfullyallude to them.

Emil spent his holidays on the river or the pond, and drilled theelder lads for a race with certain town boys, who now and theninvaded their territory. The race duly came off, but as it ended in ageneral shipwreck, it was not mentioned in public; and theCommodore had serious thoughts of retiring to a desert island, sodisgusted was he with his kind for a time. No desert island beingconvenient, he was forced to remain among his friends, and foundconsolation in building a boat-house.

The little girls indulged in the usual plays of their age, improvingupon them somewhat as their lively fancies suggested. The chiefand most absorbing play was called "Mrs. Shakespeare Smith;" thename was provided by Aunt Jo, but the trials of the poor lady werequite original. Daisy was Mrs. S. S., and Nan by turns her daughteror a neighbor, Mrs. Giddygaddy.

No pen can describe the adventures of these ladies, for in one shortafternoon their family was the scene of births, marriages, deaths,floods, earthquakes, tea-parties, and balloon ascensions. Millionsof miles did these energetic women travel, dressed in hats andhabits never seen before by mortal eye, perched on the bed, drivingthe posts like mettlesome steeds, and bouncing up and down tilltheir heads spun. Fits and fires were the pet afflictions, with ageneral massacre now and then by way of change. Nan was nevertired of inventing fresh combinations, and Daisy followed herleader with blind admiration. Poor Teddy was a frequent victim,and was often rescued from real danger, for the excited ladies wereapt to forget that he was not of the same stuff their longsufferingdolls. Once he was shut into the closet for a dungeon, andforgotten by the girls, who ran off to some out-of-door game.Another time he was half drowned in the bath-tub, playing be a"cunning little whale." And, worst of all, he was cut down just intime after being hung up for a robber.

But the institution most patronized by all was the Club. It had noother name, and it needed none, being the only one in theneighborhood. The elder lads got it up, and the younger wereoccasionally admitted if they behaved well. Tommy and Demiwere honorary members, but were always obliged to retireunpleasantly early, owing to circumstances over which they had nocontrol. The proceedings of this club were somewhat peculiar, forit met at all sorts of places and hours, had all manner of queerceremonies and amusements, and now and then was broken uptempestuously, only to be re-established, however, on a firmerbasis.

Rainy evenings the members met in the schoolroom, and passedthe time in games: chess, morris, backgammon, fencing matches,recitations, debates, or dramatic performances of a darkly tragicalnature. In summer the barn was the rendezvous, and what went onthere no uninitiated mortal knows. On sultry evenings the Clubadjourned to the brook for aquatic exercises, and the members satabout in airy attire, frog-like and cool. On such occasions thespeeches were unusually eloquent, quite flowing, as one might say;and if any orator's remarks displeased the audience, cold water wasthrown upon him till his ardor was effectually quenched. Franzwas president, and maintained order admirably, considering theunruly nature of the members. Mr. Bhaer never interfered withtheir affairs, and was rewarded for this wise forbearance by beinginvited now and then to behold the mysteries unveiled, which heappeared to enjoy much.

When Nan came she wished to join the Club, and caused greatexcitement and division among the gentlemen by presentingendless petitions, both written and spoken, disturbing theirsolemnities by insulting them through the key-hole, performingvigorous solos on the door, and writing up derisive remarks onwalls and fences, for she belonged to the "Irrepressibles." Findingthese appeals in vain, the girls, by the advice of Mrs. Jo, got up aninstitution of their own, which they called the Cosy Club. To thisthey magnanimously invited the gentlemen whose youth excludedthem from the other one, and entertained these favored beings sowell with little suppers, new games devised by Nan, and otherpleasing festivities, that, one by one, the elder boys confessed adesire to partake of these more elegant enjoyments, and, aftermuch consultation, finally decided to propose an interchange ofcivilities.

The members of the Cosy Club were invited to adorn the rivalestablishment on certain evenings, and to the surprise of thegentlemen their presence was not found to be a restraint upon theconversation or amusement of the regular frequenters; which couldnot be said of all Clubs, I fancy. The ladies responded handsomelyand hospitably to these overtures of peace, and both institutionsflourished long and happily.