“’Tisn’t a real lion.  I mean a wooden lion on a merry-go-round like we saw to-day,” Flossie explained.

“Oh, a wooden lion!” and Dinah laughed.  “Well, come in yeah, honey lambs, an’ I’ll feed yo’.  Ah’ll make beliebe yo’ all is hungry lions, an’ Ah’ll feed yo’!”

And while Flossie and Freddie went into the house with Dinah, Bert and Nan hurried toward the garage, where they saw their father and mother talking with Sam Johnson.

“I’s done suah I put dat lap robe in de auto,” said Dinah’s husband.

“I thought you did, Sam,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.  “Yet when Mr. Bobbsey looked for it, to put around him, as he had no coat, the robe was gone.”

“Are you sure it isn’t in the garage, Sam?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.

“Sartin suah, sah!  I done put it in de little auto when yo’ all started off, ’case I reckoned it’d be dusty.”

“Well, the lap robe is gone like my coat,” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “Too bad, for it was a new one.”

“It suah am too bad!” declared Sam.  “Yo’ all has me worried!”

“Well, you don’t need to worry, Sam,” said Mrs. Bobbsey kindly.  “It isn’t your fault.  I know you put the robe in the auto, for I saw it when we started.  But when I wanted it to wrap around Mr. Bobbsey, after his coat was taken, and it was cool riding home, the robe was gone.”

“Stolen, Mother, do you think?” asked Nan.

“I wouldn’t say that.  It may have fallen out on the way.”

“Well, that’s two things gone the same day,” said Mr. Bobbsey, who was still in his shirt sleeves, as he had come from the picnic.  “My coat and the lap robe.  I guess that Blipper’s merry-go-round, which is to show at the Bolton County Fair, didn’t bring me any good luck.”

Bert and Nan were wondering if Bob Guess or the red-faced man knew anything of their father’s coat and the missing lap robe when from the kitchen Dinah’s voice excitedly called: 

“Come heah!  Come heah if yo’ please, Mr. Bobbsey!  Suffin’s done gone an’ happened!”

“Oh, dear!” cried Mrs. Bobbsey.  “What’s the matter now?”

CHAPTER VI

HAPPY DAYS COMING

When Dinah called in this fashion, with worry making itself heard in her voice, Mrs. Bobbsey always hurried to see what the matter was.  Generally it was something the smaller Bobbsey twins had done.  And as she knew Flossie and Freddie were now in the kitchen, Mother Bobbsey feared one of the smaller children had been hurt.

“What is it, Dinah?” asked the mother, as she hurried back toward the house.  Bert and Nan, with their father, waiting only a moment, followed Mrs. Bobbsey.

“I should think Freddie and Flossie would have had enough fun at the picnic not to want to do any more cutting up,” remarked Nan.

“You never can tell what those tykes will do,” observed Bert.  “I don’t hear either of ’em yelling, and that’s a good sign.”