“What made you think of this game for us?” asked Hal.

“Well, everyone is making gardens this year,” said Daddy Blake.  “You know we are at war, and in war time it is harder to get plenty of food than when we are at peace.”

“Why?” asked Hal.

“Because so many men have to go to be soldiers,” his father answered.  “The farmers and gardeners—­thousands of them—­have been called away to fight the enemy, so that we, who never before helped to grow things from the earth, must begin now if we are to have enough to eat and to feed our soldiers.

“That is why I am going to have a garden—­larger than we ever had before.  That is why many others who never had gardens before are going to have one this year.  All over vacant lots and play-fields, and even some beautiful green, grassy lawns, are being turned into gardens.  They will take the places of many gardens that have been turned into battle fields.  We must raise more vegetables and fruits and we must save what we raise.”

“Why do we want to save it?” asked Hal, “Can’t we eat it?”

“We will eat all we need,” his father, “But you know that gardens and farms can only be planted, and fruits vegetables can only grow when the weather is warm.  Nothing grows in the cold Winter.  So we raise all we can in Summer and save what we need to eat when snow is on the ground.”

“How are we going to make our garden?” asked Mab.

“And what am I going to plant?” asked Hal.

“Well, we’ll begin at the very beginning,” answered Daddy Blake.  “The first part of any garden is getting the soil ready.  That is the dirt, in which we plant the seeds, must be dug up and made soft and mellow so the seeds will grow.”

“What makes seeds grow?” asked Mab.

“And why can’t we plant ’em anywhere?” Hal wanted to know.

Daddy Blake laughed.

“You’re going to have a lot of questions to answer about this garden game,” said Uncle Pennywait.  “You’ll be kept busy.”

“Yes, I guess so,” agreed Daddy Blake.  “Well I’ll answer all the questions I can, for I want Hal and Mab to know how hard it is to make even one bean or radish grow from a seed.  Then, when they find out that it is not easy to have good vegetables, when the bugs, worms and weeds are fighting against them, they will not waste.  For waste is wicked not only in war time but always.”

“Oh, Daddy!” cried Mab.  “Do the worms and bugs and weeds fight the things in the garden?”

“Indeed they do,” answered her father.  “It is just like war all the while between the things we want to grow and the things we don’t want.”

“Oh, if the garden game is like war I’m going to have fun playing it!” exclaimed Hal, while Roly-Poly chased his tail around the table.  I don’t mean that the little poodle dog’s tail came off and that he raced around trying to get hold of it again.  No indeed!  His tail just stayed on him, but he whirled around and around trying to get hold of it in his mouth, and he was having a good time doing it.