other, and
smiled to herself.

"No, I am sure I heard the piano," insisted Flossie.

Mother and daughter listened, but could hear nothing.

"You were surely dreaming," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Come, I will tuck you
in again," and she did so.

But was Flossie dreaming? Let us wait and see.

CHAPTER VII

A COUNTRY PICNIC

When morning came everyone was astir early, for not only was a happy
day promised, but there was Frisky, the runaway, to be looked over. Mr.
Richard Bobbsey, Freddie's father, left on an early train for Lakeport,
and would not come back to Meadow Brook until Saturday afternoon.

"Let me go out and see Frisky," Freddie insisted, even before his
breakfast had been served. "I want to be sure it's her."

"Yes, that's her," Freddie admitted, "'cause there's the rope that cut
my hands when I was a real fireman!"

But Frisky didn't seem to care a bit about ropes or firemen, but just
chewed and chewed like all cows do, as if there was nothing in this
world to do but eat.

"Come on, sonny," called Dinah. "You can help me pick de radishes fo'
breakfast," and presently our little boy, with the kind-hearted maid,
was up in the garden looking for the best radishes of the early crop.

"See, Freddie," said Dinah. "De red ones show above de ground. And we
must only pull de ones wid de big leaves, 'cause dey're ripe."

Freddie bent down so close to find the radishes that a disturbed toad
hopped right up at his nose.

"Oh!" he cried, frightened. "Dinah, was that--a--a--a snake?"

"Snake, chile; lan' sakes alive! Dat was a poor little toady--more
scare' den you was," and she pointed to the big dock leaf under which
the hop-toad was now hiding.

"Let's pick beans," Freddie suggested, liking the garden work.

"Not beans fer breakfast," laughed Dinah.

"That stuff there, then," the boy persisted, pointing to the soft green
leaves of early lettuce.

"Well, I dunno. Martha didn't say so, but it sure does look pretty.
Yes, I guess we kin pick some fo' salad," and so Dinah showed Freddie
how to cut the lettuce heads off and leave the stalks to grow again.

"Out early," laughed Uncle Daniel, seeing the youngest member of the
family coming down the garden path with the small basket of vegetables.

"Is it?" Freddie asked, meaning early of course, in his queer way of
saying things without words.

"See! see!" called Nan and Flossie, running down the cross path back of
the cornfield.

"Such big ones!" Nan e