“Get the brass ring and have a free ride!” sang out the boy dropping the black, iron rings into the hollow arm.  There were, a great many iron rings, but only a few brass ones.  Of course, every one wanted to get the brass ring, but this went by luck as much as by skill.

Flossie and Freddie were too small to reach over and try for any of the rings.  But Nan, like the older boys and girls and some of the grown folks, had no trouble in catching rings.

“Get the brass ring, and have an extra ride!” cried the boy in charge.

“I wish I could!” thought Nan.

Once she almost got it.  She saw the brass ring gleaming at the end of the arm.  A boy two horses ahead of her made a grab for it and missed.  So did the girl directly in front of Nan.  When Nan reached for the ring she did not put out her arm far enough, and she, too, missed it.  A girl riding on a camel behind Nan got it.

“Oh, dear!” sighed Nan.

“Never mind,” said a voice at her side, and she saw Bob Guess.  “Here’s a brass ring for you.  Take it and have the next ride free!”

“Oh, will that be right?” asked Nan.

“Sure it will!  I’m in charge of taking the tickets when Blipper is away.  Some one grabbed this ring and dropped it.  I picked it up.  It’s good for a ride.  Take it.  I don’t know who dropped it or I’d give it to ’em.  You take it!”

And Nan did.  It was not to be dreamed of that Flossie and Freddie would be content with one ride.  They had to stay on for the second.  Mr. Bobbsey got off to buy more tickets.

“I don’t need a ticket!” Nan called to him.  “I have the brass ring, Daddy!”

“Oh, you were very lucky!”

“Bob gave it to me,” she explained, telling how it came about.

“Well, I suppose it is all right to take it,” her father said.  “Bob knows what he is doing.”

“But I want to get a brass ring my own self,” Nan said.  And she did, though not on the next trip.  Her father had to buy her a ticket for that.

Then came the final ride, for though Flossie and Freddie would have remained and ridden all day, their father knew this was not good for them.  And it was on the last ride that Nan got her brass ring.

“Oh, now I can ride again!” she gayly cried.

“Not now,” her father told her.  “If you ride, Flossie and Freddie will want to, and I’m afraid they’ll be ill.”

“But what shall I do with the ring?” asked Nan, slipping down off the wooden horse and holding up the brass ring.

“It’ll be good to-morrow,” said Bob Guess.  “You can keep it, or I’ll save it here for you.”

“I guess you’d better keep it, Bob,” said Nan, with a laugh.  “I might lose it.”

“I’ll save it for you,” promised Bob.  “I’ll look for you to-morrow.  Get your tickets—­your tickets for the merry-go-round!” he cried, as a new crowd surged up to get on.

“May we have some pop corn?” asked Freddie, when told there were to be no more rides that day.