The character of “Old King Cole” was assigned to Ned, with the instructions that he should get his “fiddlers three.”

“Also the pipe and bowl,” insisted Nat; “and see to it that you don’t take my pipe or the ‘bumper’ I brought from the doings the other night.  You wouldn’t carry one home yourself.”

“I’ll tell you a tableau hard to guess,” suggested Dorothy. “’The Beggars Coming to Town.’  We could have half a dozen ragged people in that, and Nat could bark behind the scenes.”

“And we could have ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary,’” proposed Tavia.  “Make Lily Bently take that.”

“Lily is a real sweet girl,” spoke Mrs. White.  “I hardly think she would like such a character.”

“She would make a dear ‘Miss Muffet,’” said Dorothy, “and I’m sure Nat can make up a wonderful spider—­all strung by electrical wire, squirming and—­”

“Wiggling,” added Tom.  “That ought to make a hit.”

And so they went on, selecting from the familiar rhymes and their illustrations.  There was some discussion as to just what this part of the entertainment should be called.  Living pictures seemed to the young folks rather too ordinary, and it was finally decided to call it “Mother Goose illustrated.”  A large frame was to be built, and Mrs. White offered to go to town to procure what costumes could be found appropriate to assist the young people’s auxiliary.

In order to give a dozen illustrations the same persons had to impersonate more than one character.  When the last were being decided upon, Roland took “Jack Be Nimble,” and to show how well he understood the part he jumped over the piano stool for the “candlestick.”  It was not a difficult matter at all, but Roland landed wrong and strained his ankle painfully.

At first he pretended it was nothing, and tried to laugh it off, saying if that was the only accident they encountered during the “show” they would indeed be fortunate.

But a strained ankle has the faculty of getting more painful as the victim begins to realize that something hurts.  In about an hour it becomes almost like a very bad toothache.

This was how it was with Roland, and on account of the trifling accident the party was obliged to break up before all the arrangements had been completed, and Tom had to assist Roland back to The Elms.

“How unfortunate!” sighed Mrs. White.  “Do you think it will be very bad, Ned?”

“Oh, nothing at all, mother,” answered Ned.  “We often do that at school, and it is all gone in twenty-four hours.”

“I do hope his will be,” she added in concern.

“Don’t let it worry you the least bit,” continued Ned.  “Roland will be around for rehearsal as spry and as pretty as ever to-morrow evening.”

From that time on “the play was the thing” at The Cedars, and, indeed, the whole little village of North Birchland seemed deeply interested in the affair to be held for the Hillside Hospital benefit.  Naturally, there was considerable rivalry when the parts were assigned, but Mrs. White, with the other ladies on the board of managers, understood and expected this, so they were ready to meet the objections of some and the requests of others.