CHAPTER XIII

SUE AND THE GOAT

Bunny Brown and his mother walked out of the front yard to the street.  As they passed the side dining room window, Aunt Lu saw them, and asked: 

“Where are you going?”

“To look for Sue,” explained Mrs. Brown.  “She seems to have wandered off somewhere all by herself, and I don’t want her lost again.  It isn’t so bad when Bunny and Sue both get lost,” the mother went on, “for they can help find one another.  But if Sue is all alone she may get frightened.”

“Do you really think she is lost again?” asked Aunt Lu.  “If she is I’ll come and help look for her.  Or, perhaps, we’d better get Bunker Blue.”

“Oh, no, I really don’t think she is lost,” said Mrs. Brown.  “She has, most likely, just walked down the street.  Bunny and I will find her.”

“Lots of things get lost here,” Bunny remarked.  “Sue and I got lost, but we found a dog; didn’t we, Splash?” he asked, and the dog barked.

“Yes, and my lovely ring is lost, and it hasn’t been found,” and Aunt Lu looked at the finger on which used to sparkle the diamond.

“I wish I could find it for you,” said Bunny.  “But Sue and I have looked everywhere.”

“I know you have, my dear.”

As Bunny and his mother reached the street they saw Jed Winkler walking along, carrying a long chain that rattled.

“Oh, Jed, have you seen Sue?” asked Mrs. Brown.  “She was here a while ago, but she went off by herself, and I’m afraid she’s lost.”

“Don’t worry, ma’am,” said the old sailor.  “She’s just down the street a few houses.  I saw her as I came past.  She’s playing with Sadie West, in her yard.”

“Oh, that’s all right, then!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown.  “Sue often goes there.  Is anyone else with her, Jed?”

“Yes, a lot of children.”

“May I go down there and play, too?” asked Bunny.  “Are there any boys there, Mr. Winkler?”

“Some.  I saw Charlie Star and Harry Bentley,” and the old sailor laughed as he rattled the chain.

Bunny did not mind playing with his sister Sue, but he did not want to take part in games with too many girls, for sometimes the older boys called him “sissy.”  And Bunny did not like that.

“Well, if there are other fellers there, I’ll go and play,” said Bunny, as he started off to join Sue.  Then he happened to think of the chain the old sailor was carrying.

“What’s it for?” asked the small boy.

“It’s a new chain for Wango, my monkey,” explained the sailor.  “He hasn’t been very well, lately, and I had the horse-doctor look him over.”

“That’s funny,” said Bunny.  “To have a horse-doctor for a monkey.”

“Well, if there had been a monkey-doctor in town I’d have had him for Wango,” went on Mr. Winkler, “but as there wasn’t any I had to do the next best thing.  The horse-doctor said my monkey was being kept in the cage too much.