Poyser, "and walk before Father and
Mother, and take your little sister by the hand. We must go straight on
now. Good boys don't look after the birds of a Sunday."
"But, Mother," said Marty, "you said you'd give half-a-crown to find
the speckled turkey's nest. Mayn't I have the half-crown put into my
money-box?"
"We'll see about that, my lad, if you walk along now, like a good boy."
The father and mother exchanged a significant glance of amusement at
their eldest-born's acuteness; but on Tommy's round face there was a
cloud.
"Mother," he said, half-crying, "Marty's got ever so much more money in
his box nor I've got in mine."
"Munny, me want half-a-toun in my bots," said Totty.
"Hush, hush, hush," said Mrs. Poyser, "did ever anybody hear such
naughty children? Nobody shall ever see their money-boxes any more, if
they don't make haste and go on to church."
This dreadful threat had the desired effect, and through the two
remaining fields the three pair of small legs trotted on without any
serious interruption, notwithstanding a small pond full of tadpoles,
alias "bullheads," which the lads looked at wistfully.
The damp hay that must be scattered and turned afresh to-morrow was
not a cheering sight to Mr.
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