stage in a theater are make believe," said the man who
pretended to be different persons. "You'll find the scenery isn't as
pretty when you get close to it as it is when you see it from the other
side of the footlights."

This the children noticed was true. The scenery was made of painted
canvas stretched over a framework of wood. And the colors were put on
with a coarse brush and was very thick, as Bunny and Sue saw when they
went up close.

"But it looked so pretty in the Opera House," complained Bunny.

"That's because you were farther off, and because the lights were made
to shine on it in a certain way," explained Mart. "It will look just as
pretty again when you use it in your show."

Bunny and Sue were not so sure of this, but they were willing to wait
and see. Mr. Brown and Mr. Treadwell looked over the scenery.

As the actor had said, there were three "sets" as they are called. One
was a scene painted to look like a meadow, with a big green field, a
stream of water and, in the distance, cows eating grass. Of course the
cows were only pictured ones as was the grass and stream.

The barnyard scene showed more cows and the end of a barn, and in this
barn there was a real door that opened and shut. Mr. Treadwell explained
that the boy and girl actors could go through this door to enter upon or
leave the stage during the play.

"There's a pump and a watering trough that goes with this scene," said
the actor. "In the play as we used to give it the trough was filled with
water and one of the actors had to fall into it."

"And does the pump pump real water?" cried Bunny.

"Yes, about a pail full," was the answer.

"Then we'll have it in our show!" cried the little boy. "I'll fall into
the trough and get all wet, Sue, and you can pump more water on me from
the pump."

"That'll be fun!" laughed Sue.

"We'll have to see about that act first," laughed Mr. Brown. "Now let's
find out what else we have for the great play 'Down on the Farm.'
Where's that orchard I heard you speak of, Mr. Treadwell?"

"I guess the orchard is behind the barn," laughed the old actor. And
when some of the men in the storage place had lifted away the painted
canvas that represented the barn, a pretty orchard scene was shown.

"There's the rest of the little house!" cried Bunny, for at first he had
only noticed one side of it.

"Yes, there is one end of a house shown in this scene, as one end of the
barn is shown in the other," exp