Page:The New-Year's Bargain (1884).djvu/157

 cloud, which lay ready to catch and carry him off. The little ones felt hungry, and began to talk about supper.

"What shall we have?" they asked.

"Reggy looked important. He took from his pocket a book. It was the very one I told you of,—the one about the Island. Reggy usually had it in his pocket.

Let us see,' he said, and read aloud,—

We put some of the soup-cakes with water in our iron pot, and placed it over the flame; and my wife, with little Francis for scullion, took charge of peppering the dinner.'

Me don't like pepper,' said Baby, in a disconsolate voice.

Not "peppering,"—preparing,' corrected Emmy, over Reginald's shoulder. 'Baby shan't have any bad pepper. Brother didn't read right.'

We haven't got any iron pot,' suggested Alice.

Nor any soap-cakes,' said Nora.