It hurts to have one’s hair pulled, but Johnnie Jones seldom cried or was cross with the baby.  He would just laugh and run away when he saw him coming for his hair.  Besides, that bad habit did not last long, and you may be sure that Johnnie Jones was glad when it was broken!

The first word the baby learned to say after “Mama” was “Buddy,” and he meant Johnnie Jones.  He knew when it was time for the big boy to come home from kindergarten, and he would stand at the window watching for him.  As soon as he saw him coming he would wave his hand, and run to the steps to meet him.  Then they would have a romp.  Their favorite game was “I Spy.”

One day they were playing “I Spy,” and Little Brother was hiding.  Usually it was very easy to find him, because his favorite hiding place was the nearest corner.  But this time he wasn’t there when Johnnie Jones looked, nor anywhere in the room or hall.

“Where can he be?” Johnnie Jones asked Mother.

She came to help him.  They called the baby but heard no answer.  Then they began to be worried and looked in every room.  Suddenly they heard a great splash in the bath-tub.  They ran into the bathroom, and there they found the baby.

Little Brother had forgotten he was playing “I Spy.”  He had wandered into the bath-room, and climbing on a chair dropped the soap into the tub which was full of water.  Then, very soon, he dropped himself in, too!  That was the splash the others had heard.

Mother and Johnnie Jones lifted him out, wet as he could be, and very much frightened.

“You dear little rascal!” exclaimed Johnnie Jones.  “Didn’t you know you couldn’t swim?”

“It certainly is a good thing,” Mother said, “that he has a big brother to take care of him.”

* * * * *

Elizabeth with the Children

One day Elizabeth came over to spend the afternoon with Johnnie Jones, who was very glad to see her.

“Let’s play horse,” suggested Johnnie Jones.  “I have a new pair of reins with bells on them.”

“No, I don’t want to play horse,” Elizabeth said.  “I want to play “I Spy,” and I want to hide.  You must find me.”

“All right!” answered Johnnie Jones.

But as soon as it was Johnnie Jones’s turn to hide, and Elizabeth’s to find him, she decided that she would rather play fire-engine.  “I’ll be the fireman and put out the fire with your real little hose, and you be the horse and engine,” she said.

“All right,” Johnnie Jones answered again.

After they had extinguished several fires, Elizabeth said:  “Now we’ll play grocery-store, and I’ll be the man who keeps it.  We’ll borrow some apples and potatoes from the cook, and you come to buy them.”

“No,” said Johnnie Jones this time, “I’ll be the grocery man, and you the lady who comes to buy.”

“I won’t play if I mayn’t be the storekeeper,” threatened Elizabeth.