year we can have two Christmas trees, one in the house and one in the yard.”
“You didn’t know I could dig a hole for a tree,” said Jimmy, who was pleased with what he had done.
“No, we didn’t,” said Jimmy’s mother. Then she brushed the dirt off Jimmy’s jeans and emptied the dirt out of Jimmy’s shoes.
“It was a real grown-up hole,” Jimmy said proudly.
“Yes, sir!” said Jimmy’s father. “A real grown-up hole!”
2
Two Dog Biscuits
Jimmy and Janet do many things together. They draw pictures of funny bugs and birthday cakes and eggs in a nest.
They sing “Skip to My Lou.” They pump themselves up high in their swings, and they swat flies.
Jimmy and Janet like being twins because they always have each other to play with.
They get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time.
Janet always has Jimmy to swing with her on the glider, and Jimmyalways has Janet to sit on the other end of the teeter-totter.
“I think twins are a very nice arrangement,” said Mother.
“What does ‘very nice arrangement’ mean?” asked Janet, who liked big words.
“It means I’m glad I have twins,”answered Mother. Jimmy and Janet think twins are a nice arrangement, too.
One morning Jimmy and Janet went next door to see Mrs. Robbins and her dog, Muffy. When they came home Jimmy was carrying a dog biscuit shaped like a bone. Janet was carrying a dog biscuit shaped like a bone, too.
“See what Mrs. Robbins gave us,” they said.
“What are you going to do with two dog biscuits?” asked Mother.
“I’m going to keep my dog biscuit,” said Jimmy.
“I’m going to keep my dog biscuit, too,” said Janet. “It is a nice little dog biscuit.”
“All right,” said Mother, “but be sure you don’t eat the dog biscuits. Dog biscuits are for dogs.”
Janet laid her dog biscuit on a chair. Jimmy laid his dog biscuit on the couch. When Mother started to sit on the couch, she asked, “Whose dog biscuit is this?”
“My dog biscuit,” answered Jimmy, and put his dog biscuit on the kitchen table.
Janet put her dog biscuit on the kitchen table, too. She did not want Mother to sit on her dog biscuit.
At lunchtime Mother said, “Put your dog biscuits away, children. I don’t want you to get mixed up and eat them for lunch. Dog biscuits arefor dogs.”
Jimmy and Janet put their dog biscuits in their pockets.
After lunch and naps Mother said, “It’s time for some clean clothes.” When Jimmy took off his jeans, hisdog biscuit fell out of his pocket. When Janet took off her overalls, her dog biscuit fell out of her pocket, too.
“My goodness,” said Mother. “Every place I look I see dog biscuits. Why don’t you take the dog biscuits next door and give them to Muffy?”
“Muffy has dog biscuits,” said Janet. “He has a big bag of them.”
“Then give the dog biscuits to some other dog,” said Mother.
“Dogs don’t come to our house,” said Jimmy.
“Then let’s go find a dog,” said Mother. “Put on your clean clothes, and we’ll go for a walk and find a dog that wouldlike two dog biscuits.”
So Jimmy and Janet, wearing their clean clothes, went for a walk with Mother. “Be on the lookout for a dog,” said Mother. “What does ‘be on the lookout’ mean?” asked Janet.
“It means to watch for something,” answered Mother. Jimmy and Janet and Mother were on the lookout for a dog.
The first dog they met was a bigbrown dog. “I don’t want to give my dog biscuit to a brown dog,” said Jimmy.
“I don’t want to give my dog biscuit to a big dog,” said Janet.
“Oh, dear,” said Mother. “I guess we will have to find another dog.”
After a while they met a small white dog. “I’m sure this dog is very hungry,” said Mother. The little dog barked. Yip-yip-yip.
“No,” said Janet. “That is not a nice dog. I want to give my nice little dogbiscuit to a nice little dog.”
“Oh, dear,” said Mother. “I guess we will have to find