Part 7

“No. I am leading my pink cow,” said the man.

“A pink cow!” exclaimed the baker. “I never heard of a pink cow!”

“Well, I have one,” said the man. “You can look for yourself, if you don’t believe me.”

So they all looked out on the sidewalk--that is, all but the little bear, and he was too busy eating cakes to look--and there, sure enough, was a nice pink cow, and the man was leading her by a yellow string around her neck.

“How did she get pink?” asked the baker-man.

“She went to the circus once,” said the other man, “and she drank a pailful of pink lemonade, in mistake for water, so she has been pink ever since. But it doesn’t hurt her any, and she gives as good milk as ever.”

“What are you going to do with her?” asked the baker-man.

“Why, I am going to sell her to a man named Mr. Jones,” said the cowman. “He lives a few streets away, and he has always wanted a pink cow. So I am taking mine to him.”

“Oh! I wonder if that’s the Mr. Jones who lives two doors from us?” cried Mary.

“What might your names be?” asked the pink-cow man quickly.

“The Trippertrots!” cried Tommy and Johnny and Mary, all at the same time.

“Then that’s the Mr. Jones, all right,” said the pink-cow man. “He said he lived next door to a family of Trippertrot children, who were always getting lost----”

“And we’re lost now!” interrupted Mary.

“But you can take us home!” cried Johnny.

“To be sure I can,” answered the man. “I’ll take you home on my way to leave my pink cow at Mr. Jones’s house. Come along, children.”

So they said good-by to the little bear, who was still eating buns, and then to the baker, who gave the Trippertrots some cakes to take home; and then the children started out with the man and the pink cow to go home to their house.

“Oh, how thankful I am that we’re not lost any more!” exclaimed Mary, as they walked along, with the pink cow following behind, and switching her tail to keep the flies away.

“Yes; and wasn’t it lucky that the baker-man knew what to do with the bear?” said Johnny.

“It certainly was,” spoke Tommy.

“You will soon be home now,” said the pink-cow man, and they kept on up the street, and in a little while they were safely at the Trippertrot house.

Just as the three children got in front of their house they saw their papa and mamma, and Suzette, the nursemaid, looking at them out of the parlor windows.

“Oh, there are our dear children!” cried Mrs. Trippertrot.

“I wonder where they have been this time?” asked Mr. Trippertrot.

“There is no telling,” replied his wife. “They do seem to go to the strangest places. And look what they have with them! A pink cow, of all things!”

“Oh, I hope they are not going to bring that pink cow in here!” exclaimed Suzette, the nursemaid. “There is no place to put it!”

“Oh, dear! I wonder what those children will do next?” asked Mrs. Trippertrot. But there was no one there to answer her, for Mr. Trippertrot ran out to get Mary and Tommy and Johnny, and Suzette ran out to help him, and so Mrs. Trippertrot thought she would run out herself.

“Oh, mamma!” cried Mary. “We had the grandest time!”

“And we took the little bear home,” said Johnny.

“And the baker-man gave us some cakes, but we ate them all up,” spoke Tommy.

“Oh, you children!” cried their mamma.

“And what about the pink cow?” asked Mr. Trippertrot. “I do hope you haven’t brought that home with you!”

“Oh, no,” said the man who owned the cow. “I am taking my cow to Mr. Jones, who lives two doors from you. He wants her, and as I was coming this way, I brought your children with me.”

“That was very kind of you,” said Mr. Trippertrot, “and I hope they don’t trip and trot off again. Come in, now, children, and tell your mother and me all about where you were this time.”

“And we can tell you why the cow is pink,” said Tommy. “She ate some pink ice cream once--strawberry, I guess it was----”

“No, she drank pink lemonade,” corrected Mary.

“Oh, yes, that’s it,” agreed Tommy, “and so she’s been pink ever since.”

So the three little Trippertrots went into their house, and the man took the pink cow to where Mr. Jones lived, and everybody was happy for a while, just as you all are, I hope.

ADVENTURE NUMBER FIFTEEN

THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE TRAIN OF CARS

It was shortly after the Trippertrot children got home, after finding the little lost bear, that, one afternoon, when they were all looking out of the window of their house, their mamma said:

“Now, children, I am going across the street to see a lady, and I don’t want you to stir out of the playroom until I come back.”

“May we go out when you do come back, mamma?” asked Mary.

“I’ll see,” returned Mrs. Trippertrot. “At any rate, you are to stay here until I come back.”

“Can’t we even go out if we see the little lost bear again?” asked Tommy.

“No, indeed,” answered his mamma. “Not on any account.”

Well, the Trippertrots didn’t like to stay in very much, but they were good little people, and they did just as they were told, unless, of course, they happened to forget, or unless a very extra-extraordinary thing happened.

“Oh, I wish we had some game to play,” sighed Mary.

“I know!” exclaimed Johnny, “let’s play another choosing game. I’ll let you have first choice, Mary, of whatever comes along the street. Then Tommy can have his choice, and then it will be my turn.”

“All right!” cried Tommy and Mary, so they began to play. And when Mary saw an automobile coming alone she chose that--not really to have for her very own, you understand, but just to make-believe. Then it was Tommy’s turn, and he picked out a nice horse and wagon. But when it came Johnny’s turn, all there was left was a man pushing a wheelbarrow, so Johnny took that.

“Oh, that’s not a bit nice to choose,” said Mary, as she wrinkled up her nose. “You may have part of my automobile, if you like, Johnny.”

“And he can have part of my horse and wagon,” said Tommy.

“All right, then I’ll take the horse, and we’ll all go riding,” quickly cried Johnny. But, of course, this was only make-believe, you know.

And then, all of a sudden, Mary happened to look down the street, and she cried out:

“Oh, look! There is the pink cow running away from the stable where Mr. Jones put her.”

“Sure enough, so she is!” exclaimed Tommy.

“We must go after her,” declared Johnny.

“No, mamma said we weren’t to leave the house,” said Mary.

“Oh, but she said we weren’t to go if a bear came along,” insisted Johnny. “This is a cow, not a bear, and, besides, she’s pink.”

“And besides,” added Tommy, “Mr. Jones wouldn’t want to lose that cow, as it must have cost a whole lot of money. I think we ought to chase after her and bring her back.”

“So do I,” added Johnny, and then the two boys, catching up their hats and coats, ran out of the house.

“Well, I’m not going to stay here all alone,” said Mary. “I guess mamma would want us to catch the pink cow, as long as it isn’t a little tame bear. Wait, boys, I’m coming,” she called.

And there those three little Trippertrots were running away again, and without in the least meaning to. But it just shows you what will happen sometimes; doesn’t it?

The pink cow was slowly walking down the street, chewing her gum--I beg your pardon, I mean her cud--and the Trippertrot children were chasing after her.

“Hold on!” cried Tommy to the cow.

“Yes, wait a minute,” called Johnny.

“Oh, don’t talk to her,” said Mary. “Cows can’t understand our talk. Just catch hold of the string around her neck, and then we can lead her back to Mr. Jones.”

“But there isn’t any string on her neck,” said Tommy.

“Then, of course, you can’t do it,” spoke Mary. “Never mind, I guess she will soon get tired, and then we can catch her.”

But that pink cow didn’t seem to get tired, and all at once she ran down a street where there weren’t any houses, and she kept on until she was out in a big field, and the children were chasing after her, but they couldn’t catch her.

And then, all of a sudden, there was a loud whistling noise. At first the children thought it was a giant, but it wasn’t, it was only the choo-choo engine in front of a train of cars that just then came puffing along. And as soon as the cow saw the engine, with the smoke shooting up out of the black chimney, and when she heard the loud whistle, that pink cow just kicked up her heels and jumped so high that it looked if she jumped over the moon.

At least I think she jumped over the moon, for the children couldn’t see her any more, though maybe the cow was only hiding behind the bushes until the train got past. Anyhow, she wasn’t in sight.

“She’s gone!” exclaimed Mary.

“There’s no use chasing after her any more, then,” said Tommy.

“Yes, we had better hurry home, and tell Mr. Jones that his cow has run away, so he can run after her,” spoke Johnny.

Well, those Trippertrots started to go back home, but, would you believe it, they couldn’t find the way. They looked everywhere, but they couldn’t find the right path that led back to their house.

“Oh, we’re lost again!” exclaimed Mary.

“Yes, I guess we are,” said Tommy, sorrowfully.

“And what are we to do?” asked Johnny. “This is a queer place to be lost in--out in the fields.”

Just then the train with the choo-choo engine on in front came to a stop. A man with a blue coat, all covered with shiny brass buttons, jumped off the first car.

“All aboard!” he called, waving his arms around his head. “Everybody get on! All aboard, everybody! No time to wait! Get on the train!”

“Who is he?” asked Mary of her brothers in a whisper.

“He’s the conductor,” said Tommy.

“And I guess he’s talking to us,” spoke Johnny. “He wants us to get on.”

“Of course,” said Mary. “I never thought of it. Papa has sent the train to take us home. Get on board.”

“Ladies first,” said the conductor, politely, and he helped Mary up the steps, and then he helped Johnny and Tommy, for they were too little to get up by themselves.

“All aboard!” called the conductor again, and then the engine gave a loud toot, and off the train started.

ADVENTURE NUMBER SIXTEEN

THE TRIPPERTROTS IN A TROLLEY CAR

“Oh, this is fine!” cried Tommy, after they had ridden some distance.

“It’s the best yet,” said Johnny. “I like this kind of running away!”

“But we’re not running away,” said Mary. “We only ran after the pink cow belonging to Mr. Jones, and now the train is taking us home.”

“I hope we get in before mamma comes back from her call across the street,” said Johnny. “She told us not to go out.”

“Oh, but she only said not to go out after a little tame dancing bear, as we once did,” said Tommy. “This time we went out after the pink cow.”

“Well, I hope it will be all right,” spoke Mary. “Oh! look out of the windows, boys, and see all the pretty fields and trees and--and----”

“And telegraph poles,” added Tommy. “My, what a lot of them.”

“And look! There is the pink cow!” suddenly cried Johnny, and, sure enough, the pink animal was running along beside the train in a green field. But pretty soon the train got going so fast that the cow was left behind.

“I hope she gets back home all right,” said Tommy; and Mary and Johnny hoped the same thing.

Well, the train kept going faster and faster, and the children were looking out of the windows, having a good time, when the conductor, with his blue coat all covered with brass buttons, came in.

“Where do you children want to go?” he asked.

“Home,” said Mary.

“Home,” said Johnny.

“Home,” said Tommy.

“Ha, so you _all_ want to go home,” exclaimed the conductor, with a jolly laugh. “Well, where might your home be?”

“Why, don’t you know?” asked Mary in surprise.

“No, I am sorry to say I don’t!” answered the conductor.

“He--doesn’t--know--where--we--live!” exclaimed Tommy and Johnny together, slowly.

“Why, I thought papa sent this train to take us home,” went on Mary.

“Well, it may take you to your home, if you tell me where your home is,” went on the conductor. “Let me see your tickets, and I can tell where you want to go.”

“But we haven’t any tickets,” spoke Mary.

“No tickets!” cried the conductor. “Then why did you take this train?”

“We didn’t take it,” replied Mary slowly. “It took us, and it’s taking us now. But if it doesn’t take us home I don’t want to stay on it.”

“Me either,” said Tommy and Johnny, as they started to leave their seats.

“Wait a moment!” called the conductor. “Why did you get into this railroad car?”

“Because you told us to,” answered Mary. “We were chasing after the pink cow, that belongs to Mr. Jones, but she got away from us, and then your train came along, and you told us to get on board, and we did. It isn’t our fault.”

“Well, well! This is quite a puzzle,” said the conductor, shaking his head, and scratching his nose with his ticket puncher. “And so you haven’t any tickets at all, eh?”

“Wait!” cried Tommy, with his jolly little laugh, “I think I have a ticket.” He looked in all his pockets, and as he had a number of things in them, it took him some time to find his ticket. There were balls of cord, an old knife, some wheels from an alarm clock, and a piece of chewing-gum. Then there was a red stone and a broken lead-pencil, and when Tommy had all these articles out on the seat the conductor said:

“Oh, I am afraid you have no ticket.”

“Oh, yes, I have, just wait a minute, please,” said Tommy. And then he pulled out a little tin can that he used to take with him when he went fishing, and inside of that was a piece of paper. “There is our ticket!” cried Tommy, with another jolly laugh. “It’s a ticket I made for a magic-lantern show that I had, and it cost two pins to come in to it. Now we can go home, can’t we, Mr. Conductor?”

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried the conductor, again scratching his nose with his ticket puncher, “that isn’t the kind of a ticket I meant at all. ‘A ticket to a magic-lantern show! Admission two pins!’” he read from the piece of paper as he looked at it.

“What kind of a ticket did you mean?” asked Mary, politely.

“A railroad ticket,” answered the conductor. “That is what I meant. This one is no good.”

“And can’t--can’t we ride on your train?” asked Mary, and, somehow or other, a few tears came into her pretty eyes. Tommy and Johnny felt like crying, also, but they happened to remember that boys never cry--that is, hardly ever--so they didn’t.

“I’m afraid you can’t ride on that ticket,” said the conductor slowly, as he gave it back to Tommy. “I shall have to put you off----”

“Wait, I’ll pay their fare!” interrupted a nice fat man, in the seat behind the children.

“Oh, I’m not going to put them off here,” said the conductor kindly, and it is a good thing he wasn’t, for just then the train was going through the woods. “But I’ll put them off at the next station,” he said. “Then I will send word back to the place where they got on, and some one can come for them. It would not be right to take them as far off as where this train is going.”

“No, indeed!” exclaimed Mary. “We want to go home.”

“But some one will have to come for you when I put you off at the station,” said the conductor.

“Oh, no one ever comes for us,” exclaimed Mary. “We always have to go home by ourselves, don’t we, boys?”

“Of course,” answered Tommy and Johnny together. “We are the Trippertrots, and we are always getting lost, but this time we didn’t mean to. It was the pink cow’s fault.”

“Oh, dear! I don’t know what in the world to do!” exclaimed the conductor, and for the third time he scratched his nose with his cap--I mean with his ticket puncher.

“Well, I know what to do,” said a voice on the other side of the car. “I am going to give those children something to eat. I know they must be hungry--children always are.”

And, would you ever believe it? there was the nice little old lady to whose house the Trippertrots once went when they were lost, and she had a cat, you remember, who purred as it lay asleep in the middle of the floor.

“Oh, that lady knows us!” exclaimed Mary. “You can tell where our home is, can’t you?”

“I’m afraid I can’t,” said the little old lady. “You know you were at my house, but when I went to get a policeman, to show you the way home, the queer little old man came, and you went away with him, and so I never found your home.

“But don’t worry now, I will give you something to eat, and then I will get off at the next station with you, and I’ll see if I can’t find some one to take you home.”

So the little old lady opened her satchel and she took out some nice chicken sandwiches, and some jam tarts, and some oranges, and gave them to the Trippertrot children to eat.

Well, the train kept going on and on, and lots of the passengers watched the Trippertrots eating the lunch which the little old lady gave them, and the children themselves were having a nice time, though of course they were sorry that the pink cow had gotten lost.

And then, all of a sudden, the train conductor called out:

“Here’s where you get off, children. Come along; step lively, please.”

So they hurried out of the car, and the little old lady went with them, and there the children saw a nice little railroad station, like an umbrella, built under a tree. It was right in the middle of a field.

“My, this is a queer place,” said the little old lady, as she looked around. “I don’t see how we are going to get away from here,” for, would you believe me? as soon as they had gotten off the train, the cars and the choo-choo engine puffed away and left them all standing there.

“Maybe we’ll find the pink cow, and she can take us home,” said Mary, so she and her brothers looked all around, but they couldn’t see the cow. But they heard a funny buzzing, humming noise, and, all at once, along came a trolley car.

“Oh, that’s the very thing!” cried the little old lady. “I’m sure you can get home in that.”

“Perhaps we can, if the conductor knows us,” said Mary.

And when the trolley car buzzed up, with a lot of electric sparks coming out of the roof, the conductor leaned out over the platform and said:

“Who wants to go home?”

“We do!” cried Mary and Tommy and Johnny.

“Then hop on!” said the trolley-car conductor, with a jolly laugh; so they hopped on, and the car went off before the little old lady could get aboard.

“Oh!” cried Mary. “She’s left behind! Now we can never find our way home.”

“Oh, yes, you can,” exclaimed the trolley-car conductor. “I know you children. You are the Trippertrots, and my car goes right past your house. I’ll see you there safely.”

So off the car started, with the three Trippertrots inside, and the little old lady, who was left behind, waved good-by to them. And the children didn’t have to pay any car-fare, either.

Inside the car were many people. And there was one very slim boy, who was very tall, and he kept going to sleep all the while, until finally the conductor came in and hung him up across one of the straps, just as if he was a clothes-pin. And there the tall thin boy slept just as well as if he had been home in bed.

And then, pretty soon, the car stopped right in front of the Trippertrot home, and Tommy and Mary and Johnny ran up the steps of their house, very glad indeed to get back, I do assure you.

ADVENTURE NUMBER SEVENTEEN

THE TRIPPERTROTS AND THE LAME BIRD

Mary and Tommy and Johnny Trippertrot were coming home from school early one day when something strange happened to them. You see, the Trippertrot children were in the kindergarten class.

“What did you learn to-day?” asked Mary of Tommy, as all three of them came along the street together.

“Oh,” said Tommy, “I learned how to cut out a paper lantern, and it’s real pretty when you hang it up.”

“That’s nice,” said Mary; “and will you show me how to make one when we get home?”

“Of course,” answered Tommy, who liked his sister very much.

“And what did you learn to make in the kindergarten class?” asked Mary of Johnny.

“Oh, the teacher showed us how to make a chain out of paper,” answered Johnny, “and you can put it around your neck for a necklace.”

“Oh, how lovely!” cried Mary. “I’d like a chain like that.”

“Then I’ll show you how to make one,” said Johnny kindly. “But what did you learn to make to-day, Mary?”

“Oh, our teacher showed us how to fold a piece of square red paper, and then cut it with the scissors, and then bend the corners over and make a pin-wheel just like the man sells at the circus, where there are lions, and tigers, and elephants that eat peanuts.”

“Lions and tigers don’t eat peanuts,” said Tommy.

“I know that,” answered Mary, “but elephants do, for once I had a whole bagful, and I was giving the baby elephant one peanut, and a big elephant behind me, when I didn’t see him, reached over with his trunk, and took my whole bag of peanuts out of my hand, and ate them up at one mouthful.”

“Oh! that was terrible!” cried Johnny. “I wish we had some peanuts now.”

“Well, let’s hurry home, and maybe mamma will give us some,” said Mary. “Anyhow, we can make the paper things which the kindergarten teacher showed us. Let’s hurry home.”

“That’s what we can,” exclaimed Johnny, and then the three little Trippertrots tripped and trotted toward their home, for they didn’t want to get lost again, you see, and have to be brought home in a trolley car.

As they were going down the street where their house was, and when they were almost at home, all at once a little birdie fluttered along the sidewalk.