“Have you one, Grandma Bell?” asked Russ.

“No, I’m thankful to say I haven’t,” said Mrs. Bell with a laugh.  “I like children, and I love to hear them talk and laugh; but I don’t like parrots.  I have a dog and a cat; so I think we’ll let Mr. Hixon have his own parrot.”

“I don’t care for ’em myself,” said Mr. Mead.  “Well, I’ll be getting along with this one now.  I guess I’ve got out all your baggage.”

“Yes, and thank you very much,” said Mr. Bunker.

“Come on!  Gid-dap!  Go ’long, horses!” cried the parrot.  “Give me a cracker!  Go long, horses!”

“He thinks you’re driving horses,” said Russ.

“I don’t know what he thinks,” said Mr. Mead.  “He talks a lot, that’s sure.  I won’t be lonesome for the rest of the way.  I’ll let the parrot ride outside with me, I guess.  He’ll be sort of company for me.”

“Pretty Poll!  Give me a cracker!  Let me out and give me a cracker!” cried the green bird.

“Here’s one!” said Laddie, holding out a bit of cracker which he had left from a package his mother had bought for him on the train.

“Look out!  He might bite you!” said Laddie’s father.

“Bill said his bird was gentle, but, still, maybe the little boy had better be careful,” said Mr. Mead.  “Here, I guess I had better feed him.”

He held out the bit of cracker to Polly, who took it in one black claw, and then began to bite off pieces, saying, meanwhile: 

“That’s the way to do it!  That’s the way I do it!”

“Oh, he’s awful cute!” said Rose.  “I wish we had one!”

“But if grandma’s got a dog and a cat, maybe the parrot wouldn’t like ’em,” put in Russ.

“Have you a dog and a cat, grandma?” asked Rose, as Mr. Mead drove off in his auto with the parrot.

“Yes, I have, my dear.”

“Oh, where are they?”

“Zip, my dog, is out in the barn, I imagine.  He generally goes out there when Tom is working around.”

“Who’s Tom?” asked Laddie.  “Is he the cat?”

“No, Tom is the hired man.  Thomas Hardy is his name.”

“And where’s the cat?” asked Vi, looking around the front yard, as if she might see the pussy under some flower bush.

“Oh, Muffin is in the house, I presume,” said Grandma Bell.  “And that’s where we’d better go.  I guess you’re all hungry after your trip, aren’t you?  My, but I’m glad to see you—­every one!” and she smiled at the six little Bunkers through her glasses.

“And I guess they’re glad, to be here—­I know we are,” said Mrs. Bunker.  “They’ve talked of nothing but Grandma Bell’s ever since we got your letter inviting us to come here.”

“Well, I hope they’ll like it,” said the dear old lady.

“We like it already,” said Russ.  “Please, may I go out and see the dog?”

“I want to go, too,” put in Laddie.

“And I want to see the cat,” added Rose, “Is her name Muffin?”