and ask grandma to
"fix it out."

"Why, child, where's the ball?" said her grandmother. "And here's two
needles gone!"

"O, I left 'em to school, I s'pose," said Prudy. "I'm sure I never
noticed 'em."

"I found the ball under the teacher's desk _once_," said Susy.

"Well, 'tain't there now," replied Prudy; "it's all _wounded_ now, and
I put it where it b'longs."

"Where's that?" asked grandma, laughing.

"Well, I don't know," answered Prudy, trying to think; "but I guess
it's _somewhere_."

Mrs. Parlin began to think it was a foolish plan to let Prudy take her
knitting-work. I was going to mention something she did the last day
she carried it. She got tired of knitting, tired of twisting her
pretty curls round her finger, and tired of looking at pictures.

"Let's guess riddles," she whispered to Nancy Glover, who sat on the
bench beside her. "I can make up riddles just as easy! There's
something in this room, in Miss Parker's watch-pocket, goes
_tick--tick_. Now guess that:--that's a riddle."

"I wish you'd behave, Prudy Parlin," said Nancy. "Here I am trying to
get my spelling lesson."

Then Nancy turned her head a little to one side, and went to studying
as hard as she could, for it was almost time for her class to be
called.

All at once Prudy happened to look at Nancy's ear, and thought, "What
funny little holes folks have in their ears! I s'pose they go clear
through. I guess I'll put my knitting-needle right through Nannie's
ear while she's a-studyin'. The needle will look so funny stickin' out
at the other end!"

So Prudy was very sly about it, and said not a word, but began to push
in the needle with all her might.

O, such sharp screams as Nannie gave! The teacher was frightened; but
when she found that Nannie was not so _very_ badly hurt after all, she
felt easier about her, and began to talk to little Prudy, asking her
"why she didn't sit still, like a lady, and _mind_?"

Prudy began to cry. "I _was_ a-mindin'," said she; "of course I was. I
never knew 'twas a-goin' to hurt her."

Miss Parker smiled, and said, "Well, you needn't bring that
knitting-work here any more. The next thing we should have somebody's
_eyes_ put out."

When Miss Parker called out the next class in spelling, Nannie sat
with her head down, feeling very cross. "I don't like you, Prudy,"
said she. "You 'most killed me! I'll pay you for this, now you see!"

Miss Parker had to call Nannie by name before she would go