a queer sound. "Cheep-cheep! Cheep-cheep! Cheep-cheep-cheep!" It
seemed to come from the bushes.

"It must be some little birds," said Betty.

"Perhaps it is a mother quail and her babies," said Mary.

Very carefully the four little girls peeped through the leaves and
bushes.

Can you guess what they saw?

There, walking about in an open place in the woods, was Brown Betty, and
running beside her and talking to her in turkey talk were eight baby
turkeys.

How excited the children were! They all wanted to run to the farmhouse
with the good news. But at last they drew lots to see who should go.

"I will hold four daisies," said Peggy, "and each of you may take one.
The girl who gets the daisy with the longest stem may run ahead. If you
leave the longest one in my hand, I will go."

"Yes," said Mary, "and the other children may drive Brown Betty and her
brood back to the farmyard."

[Illustration: AWAY SHE RAN]

So they drew the daisies and little Dot had the one with the longest
stem. Away she ran as fast as her short legs could carry her.

"Oh, Mrs. White," she cried, as she reached the farmhouse, "we found
Brown Betty in the woods, but her eggs have all turned into little
turkeys."

While Mrs. White was laughing over Dot's way of telling the news, the
other children came up with Brown Betty and her brood.

"Dear, dear," said Mrs. White, "as the eggs have turned into turkeys I
will let the money I promised turn into a picnic. Let me see, to-day is
Tuesday. Will you be ready to go on Thursday?"

"Indeed we will!" cried the children. "Thank you so much."

On Wednesday morning Mary woke up very, very early.

Then Mary woke Betty and Peggy and little Dot.

They all dressed as quickly as they could and hurried out of doors. The
sun was just rising and the sky was a beautiful red and gold. The dew
sparkled on the grass, and in the tree tops the birds were just
beginning to chirp and call.

"Where are you going, my pretty maids?" laughed Mr. White.

"We're 'going a-milking, sir, she said,'" Mary replied.

Then each little girl took a tin cup and followed Mr. White and Billy to
the pasture where Bonny-Belle and Bess stood waiting. Billy let down the
bars and the cows came into the barnyard. Mr. White milked Bonny-Belle
and Billy milked Bess.

The little girls stood near and watched.

How Mr. White and Billy laughed when little Dot said, "Oh, is that the
way you get milk on a farm? We get ours out of b