Page:Poor Cecco - 1925.djvu/102

90 putting the pipe back in his mouth began to smoke again in great puffs. Mrs. Woodchuck, who had now finished slicing her last carrot, swept all the vegetables into a yellow bowl which she set down on the table with a slam, before turning to Poor Cecco.

“Sit down, young man,” she said, “if you can find a place, and let me tell you at once we never subscribe to anything. I have no aches nor pains in my back, and we all bought new toothbrushes last week.”

“I didn’t come to sell anything,” said Poor Cecco, rather bewildered. “I dropped in quite by accident!” And he began to explain to Mrs. Woodchuck, who seemed the more sensible of the two, how he came to be in the cave, and about Jensina and Bulka, whom he had left behind in the field.

“Then in that case,” said Mrs. Woodchuck briskly, “the best thing you can do is to fetch your two friends and spend the night here, if the young lady isn’t too particular. We are simple folk and you must take us as you find us. We get along somehow. Luckily the farmer is keeping a better garden this year, and my old man gets a job when he can, but the lumber trade has been slack lately. The last few months I’ve had to take in washing to help out; to tell the truth the whole house is full up with it now and that’s why we’ve so little room. We’ve even had to move the beds into the kitchen, as you can see for yourself; I was thinking only to-day, I don’t see how I can possibly