Part 2

Curly-Tail rode away, away, away, until he came to Sly Foot’s den, then he stopped, for Sly Foot was within and roared.

Old Sly Foot said,

“Growling and thunder, who is there? Is it a doggie? Is it a bear?”

Curly-Tail replied in a terrible voice,

“Growling and thunder I’m hearty and hale And my name, if you please, Sir, is Curly-Tail.”

Old Sly Foot was so surprised to see his visitor when he came out of the den that he had not a word to say, so Curly-Tail continued,

“Your doughnut jar I’ve come to borrow Either to-day, or else to-morrow.”

Old Sly Foot was so upset at the mention of the stolen doughnut jar that he turned a backward somersault in the snow crying,

“Ha, ha, ha, the jar will stay With me to-morrow and yesterday.”

Curly-Tail cried,

“Better take back what you have said, But first come riding on my sled.”

Old Sly Foot was so surprised that Curly-Tail was not afraid of him, he sat down on the sled with pleasure and the first thing, the sled turned them head over heels in a snow drift.

Curly-Tail laughed and said, “Will you give up the doughnut jar, and the cookie jar, and the ginger snap jar, and the cracker jar?”

“Growling and thunder, I’ll not give them up for that one little bump,” said Old Sly Foot.

So, they dragged the sled up hill together, when the most surprising things began to happen!

The sled stood up on end, and began to chase Sly Foot down hill, it beat him too, at every step of the way.

“Help, help,” he cried, “will this sled never stop beating me?”

The sled chased him back into his den and he stood there growling,

“I’m black and blue, ’tis very true, Here are the empty jars for you.”

Curly-Tail saw it was no use to mince matters, so he went into the woods to think.

He dressed up as a peddler and went back to Old Sly Foot’s den and began to sell his wares.

Suddenly Sly Foot said, “Those don’t look like a peddler’s feet, those don’t look like a peddler’s hands.”

Then his voice rose to a shriek and he said, “Those don’t look like a peddler’s ears,” and he pulled off Curly-Tail’s cap and saw he had been fooled.

Curly-Tail only wanted to get into the den to see where Old Sly Foot had hidden the cookies, and doughnuts, and crackers, and ginger snaps.

Old Sly Foot bound Curly-Tail to a chair and set a kettle over the fire to boil, saying,

“I will boil you very truly, For you seem to me unruly.”

Curly-Tail blew a little silver whistle and in trooped the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs, to his rescue.

As they could not find anything Sly Foot had taken, they all hastened away to the grocers, rattling their pennies in their pockets.

Soon they bought doughnuts, and cookies, and crackers, and ginger snaps to fill up Daddy Do-Little’s jars.

As they came to his house they heard the old fellow saying,

“There’s something to worry me without fail, I wonder what happened to Curly-Tail.”

When he saw Curly-Tail and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs with their little bags of cookies and doughnuts, and ginger snaps, and crackers, he was so pleased, he forgot he was old and cross and ran out smiling to meet them.

They went inside and began to eat out of their paper bags, and Daddy Do-Little told such funny ghost stories that the hair rose on their backs a couple of inches!

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were afraid to go home in the dark, so Daddy Do-Little said.

“I have made hammocks for fourteen years, They’ll be useful too, it now appears.”

He went to a big box and got out fourteen little hammocks, and strung them up on hooks for the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs to occupy.

They were pleased you may be sure.

Curly-Tail went up stairs to occupy his own little bed.

He cried out, when he woke in the night,

“The doughnut jar’s empty still I suppose, We ate them all up, as every one knows.”

Sure enough, they all ate up the contents of their little paper bags, while Daddy Do-Little told ghost stories.

THE CIRCUS DAY PARADE

If you are bound on merriment, Just step inside a Circus Tent, The Clown tells jokes so very funny, You’ll find it’s always worth the money.

One bright spring morning Curly-Tail got up early and crept down stairs very softly so he would wake no one.

He went into the kitchen and packed a little red and white basket with a lunch, and soon he was off, and away.

He was going to find Pedro.

He said, “Daddy Do-Little is so lonesome, I will never come back until I can find Pedro to keep him company.”

He sang merrily as he went tripping along through the woods that led to the town.

It was now nine o’clock.

What should he see but a Circus Parade.

He came up to the band wagon and began to spin around after his curly little tail, and the Band Master said,

“Ha, ha, ha, don’t be afraid, Come, join our Circus Day Parade.”

“Do you mean it?” asked Curly-Tail.

The Band Master replied,

“I talk quite straight, not like a riddle, Ha, ha, ha, can you play the fiddle?”

Curly-Tail was glad to be helped up on the band wagon.

He was in a real Circus Day parade.

The Clowns danced and threw colored candies to the crowd.

The Band played and played.

The horses pranced.

The elephants walked in a long line, and all was very splendid indeed.

The Band Master said,

“To do your tricks you must not fail, I hope you’re a dancer, Curly-Tail.”

Curly-Tail was never so proud before in his life, he danced round and round after his tight little tail, as he rode on top of the Band Wagon, and the crowd cheered, and said “What a comical little fellow.”

By and by they came to a big tent and if you guessed fourteen years you could never guess who was walking outside on the tight-rope!

It was his cousin Tangle-Tail, who was a famous tight-rope walker.

When Tangle-Tail saw Curly-Tail, he got down off the tight-rope in the twinkling of an eye and whispered something to him, then they both swung up together and walked the tight-rope together, their funny little tails curling and twisting tighter, every step of the way.

The crowd cheered, and every one wanted to go inside the big tent, of course.

Curly-Tail had a wonderful afternoon.

He rode on the horse’s backs in the ring, and he walked the tight-rope and danced on a big drum, but his most delightful adventure was still to come.

When the Circus was over, he went near one of the little side-show tents, and heard some one call out,

“To be a prisoner is not jolly, And don’t you dare to call me ‘Polly’.”

Curly-Tail was so excited he did not know what to do. He ran into the tent and cried, “Pedro, our dear lost Pedro.”

Pedro could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Curly-Tail, but he cried,

“Tho’ you know my name’s not Polly, To talk loudly would be folly.”

They began to talk and plan about getting Pedro home.

Just then Tangle-Tail came into the tent, and said they must get a cage, and there was no time to lose as the Circus people were coming into the tent.

Then Tangle-Tail thought of an old dog-skin he had. He said they would wrap it around Pedro, and take him in it down the road.

They did this, Pedro scolding all the while.

All would have gone well I am sure, if they had not met Sly Foot.

He cried, “Ha, ha, ha, I see my Sunday dinner right here before me.”

Tangle-Tail was never so puzzled before in his life, and Curly-Tail did not know what to do either, and all the time Sly Foot was coming nearer and nearer.

He came so close, they could feel his hot breath on their cheeks, and he shouted, “By my whiskers and tail I will have a fine Sunday dinner!”

At this very minute, Pedro threw off the dog-skin and flew at Sly Foot, making a terrible noise, he said,

“Sly Foot, if you are not wise, I’ll peck out both your big, black eyes.”

Sly Foot cried, “Let me go, Sir, let me go, Sir, I really meant no harm whatever, it was just my little joke.”

Then Pedro flew on top of his head, and shouted in his ear,

“You may be a joker, wherever you are, But don’t you forget the doughnut jar.”

Then Sly Foot howled, “Let me go, Sir, let me go, Sir.”

Pedro said,

“Will you leave the Curly-Tails alone, And be content with a turkey bone?”

Sly Foot promised, and Pedro gave him a little peck on his head as he let him go.

By and by when Sly Foot had run away, Curly-Tail set up a shout, for the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs were coming to meet them.

They cried,

“Hurrah, hurrah, this is very jolly, Hurrah, hurrah, for our own dear Polly.”

Pedro replied,

“I will bite off your ears, you little dears, And peck out the eyes of the next one who cries, ‘POLLY’!”

Curly-Tail had once been to school, and learned a real yell, so he cried,

“What’s the matter with Pedro? He’s all right, Who’s all right? Pedro. Who says so? WE ALL SAY SO. PEDRO.”

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs said when they got near the house,

“Daddy Do-Little is fast asleep, Let us creep in and quiet keep.”

Pedro flew in the open window.

His cage door was open.

He jumped up on his perch and began soon to swing to and fro on his little swing.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs sat down in their fourteen little green rocking chairs, and began to rock to and fro, to and fro.

Curly-Tail went after his tail and then Daddy Do-Little woke up saying,

“I had a very pleasant dream, I thought I heard old Pedro scream.”

Then they all laughed and made a great noise until Daddy Do-Little shook his Japanese Parasol, and pounded on the floor with it to bring the whole company to order.

Once again they all shouted, “Hurrah, hurrah!”

GARDEN DAYS

If you ever plant a garden, This thing you should know, Plant some little magic seeds, To make your garden grow.

Daddy Do-Little was not very fond of work.

He woke up one morning scolding,

“I must grumble, oh yes, indeed, I haven’t a single garden seed.”

This happened at breakfast, and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs laid down their fourteen little spoons, and Curly-Tail and Tangle-Tail called in one breath, “We will plant your garden, we will wish for Magic seed.”

Then the funniest thing happened.

Daddy Do-Little turned up his cup, and there inside, lay a package of garden seed.

He took up his saucer, there lay another package of seed.

He looked in his oat-meal bowl, there lay another package of seeds.

He said,

“I’m surprised indeed to-day, In the merry month of May!”

Under everything he picked up was a package of garden seeds, a present from his little friends.

Suddenly he remembered that he did not like to work very well, so he said,

“I am too stiff for rake and hoe, I cannot plant seeds in a row.”

Then the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs slipped out of the house and took up their fourteen little rakes and hoes and spades, and began to make a garden.

Curly-Tail and Tangle-Tail dropped in the seeds.

Daddy Do-Little called,

“Too many beans and too many peas Plant some cabbage and lettuce please.”

“Cabbages and lettuce,” shouted Pedro, “and don’t forget my sunflowers, how I do like sunflower seeds!”

They worked all day with rake, and spade, and hoe, and wheelbarrow, and Daddy Do-Little and Pedro shouted directions from time to time.

“Make a wide path, don’t make it narrow, Come this way with the old wheelbarrow.”

The sun shone warm and bright, and then patter, patter, patter fell the rain in a sudden shower.

The Fourteen Little Darling Dogs took up their fourteen little rakes and went merrily homeward, shouting,

“To make a good garden we always try, Daddy Do-Little good bye, good bye.”

Daddy Do-Little waved his new red handkerchief in farewell, and shouted,

“I am so lazy, I wonder why, You always have to call good bye.”

Tangle-Tail then made his best bow and said,

“I’m a tight-rope walker, I make confession I have to go follow my profession.”

As he went off down the road Daddy Do-Little began to weep, but Curly-Tail cried,

“I’m not going away, I promise to stay, A year, a week, a month and day.”

Then Pedro said,

“If what Parrots say is ever true, I’ll NEVER say good bye to you.”

Then Daddy Do-Little felt cheered up you may be sure. He said to the Parrot,

“You’ll have to behave, Sir, for one of your age, I’d really expect you to stay in your cage.”

Turning to Curly-Tail he said,

“’Tis time for bed, oh goodness me, Each hour grows later as you see.”

They all went merrily to bed.

When the moon came out Curly-Tail crept down stairs and went out into the garden, singing little songs like these,

“Little seeds you must grow, grow, grow, For we have been making a garden you know.”

Then the little seeds sent their roots down into the earth and they sent their green shoots up.

They grew very fast, for they were magic seeds of course.

Curly-Tail danced up to bed and fell asleep dreaming happy dreams.

In the morning Pedro got breakfast and Daddy Do-Little was so happy to have company that he just sat in the corner and forgot to look out at his garden all day.

When evening came, Curly-Tail said,

“Daddy Do-Little nobody knows, As well as I, how your garden grows.”

They went out together and Daddy Do-Little rubbed his eyes, for everything was coming up in even rows.

At that very minute Curly-Tail set up a shout, for the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs came trooping along, and they all had picnic baskets! They sang,

“A surprise party’s well if it doesn’t fail, A happy birthday to Curly-Tail!”

Sure enough, it was Curly-Tail’s birthday and the funny part of it was, nobody knew how old he was.

They had the picnic on the porch and Daddy Do-Little said,

“I am very happy, I’m hale and hearty, I always enjoy a birthday party.”

Curly-Tail danced so hard round, and round, and round, after his little tightly curled up tail, that I think he danced right out of the book, if you really want to know what became of him,

Just send him a letter through the mail, And address it to Little Curly-Tail.

_FINIS_

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