nd he picked off
four nuts, one after the other. But his last one sent several others
flying, and so left an easy chance for Gladys, who came next.

"There's a prize for this game," announced Mr. Maynard, after the table
was entirely cleared, and the nuts were again all in the seven baskets.
"In fact there's a prize apiece, all round. And the prizes are nuts, of
course. You may each have one."

"One nut!" cried Marjorie. "What a little prize!"

"Not so very little," said her father, smiling.

Then Sarah appeared with a plate of _doughnuts_, and everybody gladly
took a prize. A glass of milk went with each of these nuts, and then the
children clamored to play the game all over again.

"No, indeed!" said Mr. Maynard. "You can play that any day in the year,
but just now we're having a picnic, and the picnic must proceed with its
programme."

"All right!" cried Marjorie. "What comes next?"

"Crackers," said her father. "Bring them in, please, Sarah."

"Crackers!" exclaimed King. "I don't want any after that big doughnut."

"You must take one, though," said his father, "it's part of the
programme."

Then Sarah came, and brought a big tray on which were three
nutcrackers, some nutpicks, and several bowls and plates.

"Take a cracker, King," said Mr. Maynard, and the boy promptly took the
biggest nutcracker, ready to do the hardest work.

The girls took nutpicks and bowls, and Mr. Maynard and Dick Fulton took
the other two nutcrackers, and then work began in earnest. But the work
was really play, and they all enjoyed cracking and picking out the nuts,
though what they were doing it for nobody knew. But with so many at it,
it was soon over, and the result was several bowlsful of kernels. The
shells were thrown into the fire, and Mr. Maynard directed that the
seven empty baskets be set aside till later.

"We haven't cracked the cocoanuts yet," said Dick. "They're too big for
these nutcrackers."

"So they are," said Mr. Maynard. "Well, I'll tell you what we'll do.
We'll take them to the dining-room and continue our nut game out there."

So each carried a bowl of nuts, or a cocoanut, and all went to the
dining-room.

There the extension-table was spread out full length, and contained a
lot of things. On big sheets of white paper were piles of sifted sugar.
Large empty bowls there were, and big spoons, and plates and dishes
filled with figs and dates, and oranges and all sorts of goodies.

"What's it all for?"