Thomas said, no.  He, however, told Phonny that he might get into the cart if he pleased, and drive the horse along when it was time to go to a new place.  Phonny was extremely pleased with this plan.  He climbed into the cart, Bella helping him up by a prodigious lift which she gave him, seizing him by the shoulder as he came up.  Malleville was afraid to get into the cart at all, but preferred walking along the field and playing among the winrows.

Phonny drove along from place to place as Thomas directed him, until at length the cart was so full that it was no longer safe for the children to remain upon the top.  They then slid down the hay to the ground, Thomas receiving them so as to prevent any violent fall.  Thomas then forked up as much more hay as he could make stay upon the top of his load, and when this was done, he set out to go to the barn.  The children accompanied him, walking behind the cart.

When the party reached the barn, the children went inside to a place which Phonny called the bay.  Thomas drove his cart up near the side of the barn without, and began to pitch the hay in through a great square window, quite high up.  The window opened into the bay, so that the hay, when Thomas pitched it in, fell down into the place where the children were standing.  They jumped upon it, when it came down, with great glee.  As every new forkful which Thomas pitched in came without any warning except the momentary darkening of the window, it sometimes fell upon the children’s heads and half buried them, each new accident of this kind awakening, as it occurred, loud and long continued bursts of laughter.

After getting in two or three loads of hay in this manner, dinner time came, and the whole party went in to dinner.  They found when they entered the house that Mary Erskine had been frying nut-cakes and apple-turnovers for them.  There was a large earthen pan full of such things, and there were more over the fire.  There were also around the table four bowls full of very rich looking milk, with a spoon in each bowl, and a large supply of bread, cut into very small pieces, upon a plate near the bowls.  The children were all hungry and thirsty, and they gathered around the table to eat the excellent dinner which Mary Erskine had provided for them, with an air of great eagerness and delight.

After their dinner was over, Mary Erskine said that they might go out and play for half an hour, and that then she would go with them into the fields, and see if they could not find some strawberries.  Accordingly, when the time arrived, they all assembled at the door, and Mary Erskine came out, bringing mugs and baskets to put the strawberries in.  There were four mugs made, of tin; such as were there called dippers.  There were two pretty large baskets besides, both covered.  Mary Erskine gave to each of the children a dipper, and carried the baskets herself.  She seemed to carry them very carefully, and they appeared to be heavy, as if there might be something inside.  Phonny wanted very much to know what there was in those baskets.  Mary Erskine said he must guess.