mell?" she asked.

Flossie also sniffed.

"Oh, it's my candy burning!" she cried. "My nice candy! I forgot all
about it!"

She and Dinah ran into the kitchen at the same time. Over the stove
black smoke was curling up from the saucepan of candy.

"Oh, oh!" cried Flossie.

"Keep away, honey lamb--don't touch it!" cried Dinah. "It's hot! I'll
lift it off!"

She was just doing that, using an iron holder so she would not burn her
hand, when Freddie came rushing in, dragging after him his toy fire
engine with which he had been playing out in the yard.

"Fire! Fire!" cried Freddie. "Fire! Fire! I'm a fireman! I put out
fires! Look out!"

Freddie's fire engine, though a toy, squirted real water, from a real
little rubber hose. The little fireman pointed the hose at Dinah, who
was carrying the smoking and burning pan of candy over to the sink.

"Fire! Fire! Pour on water! Pour on water!" shouted Freddie.

"Look out dere, honey lamb! Don't squirt no watah on me!" cried Dinah.

But Freddie had started the pump of his engine, and a stream of water
squirted all over Dinah.

"Oh mah good landy!" cried the fat cook. "Stop it, Freddie! Stop it!
Dish yeah am awful! It suttinly am turrible!"

Luckily for Dinah, Freddie had been playing so long out in the yard with
his engine that there was only a little water left in it. When this had
squirted out there was no more until he filled the tank again.

"Oh my!" cried Dinah, as she went on over to the sink, and set down the
smoking pan of candy. "Oh my!"

"Is the house on fire?" Freddie demanded.

"No, it isn't," said Flossie. "It's just my nice candy that burned. Oh
dear! And I did want it _so_ much!"

"Never mind, I'll make some mo', honey lamb!" promised Dinah, wiping her
face on her apron. "But don't yo' squirt no mo' watah on me, Freddie
pet."

"No, I won't, Dinah," he promised. "But I saw the smoke coming out of
the kitchen, and I knew there was a fire."

"It wasn't 'zactly a fire," said Stella. "But I guess the candy burned
up. It's as bad as when we dropped all of ours on the floor."

But good-natured Dinah made another pan of the sweet stuff for Flossie.
This did not burn, and it was soon turned out into the buttered tin to
cool. And when it was cool Flossie, Freddie and Stella ate it.

Mrs. Bobbsey only laughed when Flossie told her what had happened, but
she said she thought the little girl had better not try to make any more
candy until she was a little