“It is a time when things grow that start in the Spring,” said Mother Blake.  “What comes after Summer?”

“Autumn,” answered Mab.  “Some folks call it Fall.  Why do they, Mother?”

“Because the leaves fall from the trees, perhaps.  It is a time when the trees and bushes go to sleep, and when most birds fly down to the warm South.  And what comes after Autumn or Fall?”

“Christmas!” cried Hal.

“Yes, so it does!” laughed Mrs. Blake.  “And I guess most children would say the same thing.  But I meant what season.”

“It’s Winter,” Hal said.  “Let’s see if I know ’em.  Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,” he recited.  “Four seasons, and this is Spring.  I wish it would hurry up and be Summer.”

“So do I,” agreed Mab.  “You can’t have any fun now.  It’s too wet to go without your rubbers, too cold to go without a coat and almost too hot to wear one.  I like Summer best.”

“And I like Fall and Winter,” said Hal.  “But let’s do something Mab.  Let’s have some fun.  What can we do, Mother?” and back the children were, just where they started.

“Why don’t you get Roly-Poly and play with him?” asked Mrs. Blake.

“He’s gone away.  I guess he ran down to Daddy’s office like he does sometimes,” said Mab.

“Let’s go down after him,” exclaimed Hal.  “That’ll be some fun.”

“I don’t want to,” spoke Mab.  “I’d rather play with my doll.”

“You never want to do anything I want to play?” complained Hal.  “Can’t she come with me after Roly-Poly, Mother?”

“Well, I don’t know.  Can’t you both play something here until Daddy comes home?  Why don’t you play bean-bag?”

“We did, but Hal always throws ’em over my head and I can’t reach,” Mab said.

“She throws crooked,” complained Hal.

“Oh, my dears!  I think you each must have the Spring Fever!” laughed Mother Blake.  “Try and be nicer toward one another.  Let me see now.  How would you like to help me bake a cake, Mab?”

“Oh, that will be fun!” and Mab jumped up from the porch, where she had been sitting near her mother’s rocking chair, and began to clap her hands.  “May I stir it myself, and put the dough in the pans?

“Yes, I think so.”

“Pooh!  That’s no fun for me!” remarked Hal.  “I want to have some fun, too.”

“You may clean out the chocolate or frosting dish—­whichever kind of a cake we make,” offered Mab.  “You always like to scrape out the chocolate dish, Hal.”

“Yes, I like that,” he said, smiling a little.

“Well, you may have it all alone this time, if I make the cake,” went on Mab.  Nearly always she and Hal shared this pleasure—­that of scraping out, with a knife or spoon, the chocolate or sugar icing dish from which Mother Blake took the sweet stuff for the top and inside the layers of the cake.  “Come on, Hal!”

Hal was willing enough now, and soon he and his sister were in the kitchen, helping Mother Blake with her cake-making.  Though, to tell the truth, Mab and Mrs. Blake did most of the work.