XI. |
Once little Mary and her lamb really did get lost—and something dreadful almost happened! They had been picking in the up Clover , and couldn't find the way out. The was setting, and thought of and ! She was tired and hungry, too. She was eating from her , and crying, and the , who would not eat and wanted his milk in the old was crying, too—"Ba-a-a!"—when a big, tall with a in his broke through the bushes behind them. He sat down on a and stared at them, looking so white and scared that felt sorry for him. "Did a chase you?" she asked. "Oh no," said he, "It's only I'm so glad you are alive!" He didn't dare tell her he had mistaken her little brown bobbing among the , for a , and raised his to shoot it when he saw a little white bobbing beside it and stopped to look closer! So her little had saved Mary's life—but she never knew it. "Now how came you up here?" the boy asked. "Are you lost?" "Oh no," said , winking away the , and smiling; "We aren't exactly lost—only we can't just find our . And we want our supper, too." "You shall have it!" said the . "You are little Mary—I know your —and I'm going to carry you there, quicker than a can trot!" So he took in one and the in the other, and the he left hidden in the under a . Then he quickly found the (it was close by, after all,) and in ten minutes they were safe home again; and Mary's thanked the big and gave them all some supper.
XII. |
Now Mary and the big with the became great friends. He used to bring her in his ; once he took her out in his to gather ; and he promised to take her to the County Fair. Early on that day he came for her with his and . Mary was all ready, in her new , with on her . "Where is the ?" he asked. " says he mustn't go," said Mary sadly, "so I shut him up in the ". "Oh but he must go!" cried the . "He's entered—they expect him." didn't understand that, but she was very glad to take her dear with her. They walked about the Fair grounds and saw the and and and in the ; and visited the where the and were, in their . And everywhere that went the kept close beside her; and all the looked at them and smiled. At last the said, "Now we are going into the so we will leave our in this nice little beside all the other to wait for us." They looked at the and and the and in the . Then they found Marys and and had dinner together; and afterward they saw the race, and the go up, and heard the play. It was a long time before they went for the . Some were looking at him, and just as Mary ran up they fastened a blue on his . "Oh, thank you! How pretty!" she said. "Hurrah!" cried the . "Our has won first prize! That means he's the best in town!" "Of course!" said little . "He's the best in the whole !"