“It was the tarts that made us think about the party, so of course we want them,” announced Sue.

Splash, the dog, seemed quite proud of the big bow that Sue tied on his neck, to make him look pretty.  But Splash did not care so much for the harness that Bunny made.  The little boy took some ropes and straps, and tied them about the dog’s neck and front legs.  Then some ends of the ropes were made fast to the little express wagon, and Bunny got in it, calling to Splash to “giddap!” That was the way Grandpa Brown made his horses go, and so, of course, a dog ought to go when you said that to him.

Splash went all right, but just as when Bunny had hitched him to the boat, that was stuck on the island, the harness was not strong enough, and it broke, so that Splash ran off, with the straps and ropes dangling from him.

“I guess I’m too heavy for him to pull,” said Bunny, as he got out of the wagon.

“You could have one of my dolls to ride in the wagon,” offered Sue.  “Take an old one, and I don’t care if she falls out.  She wouldn’t be too heavy for Splash to pull.”

“I’ll try it,” Bunny said.

Once again he tied the ropes about Splash, and the little express wagon, and this time, when Bunny walked along beside the dog, Splash really did pull the wagon along, giving the doll a ride.

But Bunny did not think this was much fun.  He wanted to ride in the wagon himself.

“I’m going to make a big, strong harness,” he said, and off he went to look for more rope.

“Well, I’m going to get the tables ready,” Sue said.  “I’m going to pick some flowers for them.”

Aunt Lu, with the help of the cook, had made the wooden tables, which were boards over boxes.  White cloths were now spread on them, for it was nearly time for the party.  The things to eat would not be set out until the party guests came.

Sue loved flowers, and she picked them from the fields and woods whenever she saw any to gather.  Not far from the Brown home, in fact in the next lot to the lawn, was a field in which grew daisies, buttercups, clover and other wild flowers.

Sue picked many of these, and then she and Aunt Lu put them in pitchers and vases of water, and set them on the tables.  There were two tables, one for the girls and one for the boys.

Bunny had asked that this be done.

“’Cause the girls will bring their dolls to the table,” he said, “and we fellows don’t want to eat with a lot of dolls.”

“Oh, you funny boy!” laughed his mother, but she had let him have his way.  So Aunt Lu and Sue had two tables to decorate with flowers.

While they were doing this Bunny was trying to make another harness for Splash, so the dog could pull the express wagon with the little boy in it.  But Bunny did not have very good luck, or else Splash pulled too strongly, for one harness after another broke, until Bunny gave up.