shaw, 'rithmetic's easy."

"Bet you wouldn't say so if you saw our problems for Monday!"

"Let's see them."

"Say, Jane, I'll help you with your patchwork if you'll help me with my
arithmetic."

"I don't know whether Mother'd let me."

"Ask her if you can't bring it over to our house."

Chicken Little had reasons of her own for being dubious about asking
further favors. She did not, however, wish to confide these reasons to
her friends.

"I know she won't let me."

"Well, ask her."

Chicken Little shook her head.

"Go on, Jane," Katy insisted.

But Chicken Little was obstinate.

"Why won't you?"

"'Cause she's mad," she confessed finally.

But the Fates favored her. When she went into the house in much fear of
the promised punishment, she found her mother had gone out for the
afternoon leaving some new patchwork cut out for her. Alice readily gave
her permission to take it over to Halford's.

Chicken Little joyfully gathered up her pieces and needle and thread,
but instead of running back to the girls, she went to the window looking
out into the tree tops thoughtfully. She stood there thinking for
several minutes, her brown eyes sober and her forehead puckered into a
firm little line. Finally she shook her head and exclaimed regretfully:

"I guess it wouldn't be fair!"

Then she walked soberly back to the girls.

"Mother's gone and Alice says I can, but--but--I guess I oughtn't to,
Gertie. I promised Mother I'd do it, you see. But I'll help you with
your examples."

"You could do it over at our house yourself."

"Yes, but I think Mother 'spected me to stay at home and she let me off
this morning. I guess I won't."

And she was deaf to further argument.

The child squared herself sturdily as the other children climbed the
back fence, then walked straight into the house, carefully washed her
hands--which would greatly have astonished her mother could she have
seen her--and settled herself doggedly down to the patchwork.

The stitches were pretty straggly when her mother came to examine them
that evening, but they had been faithfully and painstakingly set with
much pricking of awkward little fingers. Her mother conceded somewhat
grudgingly that she had worked pretty well.

"I trust you realize how very naughty you have been to destroy your
pretty silk pieces and your beautiful hair ribbons," she added.

Chicken Little opened her mouth to retort, but thought better of it and
closed it again