The Bobbsey Twins' Adventure in the Country Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  CHAPTER I - FREDDIE’S SECRET

  CHAPTER II - SNOOP’S ADVENTURE

  CHAPTER III - FRISKY, THE RUNAWAY

  CHAPTER IV - A SURPRISE FLAVOR

  CHAPTER V - GOING, GOING, GONE !

  CHAPTER VI - A LOST PICNICKER

  CHAPTER VII - A ROCKY TRAP

  CHAPTER VIII - PRIZE PARADERS

  CHAPTER IX - “WHOA, THERE! WHOA!”

  CHAPTER X - THE UNDERWATER RESCUE

  CHAPTER XI - CHERRY TREE MISHAP

  CHAPTER XII - A NEW CLUE

  CHAPTER XIII - THE RACE

  CHAPTER XIV - THE FLOOD

  CHAPTER XV - LITTLE DETECTIVES

  CHAPTER XVI - A FUNNY GHOST

  CHAPTER XVII - BERT’S RESCUE

  CHAPTER XVIII - BLUE RIBBON PRIZE

  THE BOBBSEY TWINS

  “He’s coming this way,” Bert cried

  Copyright © 1961 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Published in 2004 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young

  Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

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  THE BOBBSEY TWINS® is a registered trademark of

  Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  S.A.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-07588-3

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  CHAPTER I

  FREDDIE’S SECRET

  “HIGHER, Nan!” Flossie Bobbsey cried. “Make the water from the hose go higher!”

  “Sure,” Flossie’s twin, Freddie, agreed. “We can jump much higher than that!”

  The younger Bobbsey twins, Freddie and Flossie, were six. They had curly blond hair and wide blue eyes. Their older brother and sister, also twins, were Bert and Nan. They were twelve and had dark hair and eyes.

  “Okay,” Nan said. “Try this!” She raised the garden hose until the stream of water was about two feet from the ground. Freddie and Flossie took a long running start and cleared the water “jumping rope.”

  It was a warm day in June and Freddie, Flossie, and Nan had put on their bathing suits and were having fun in the back yard of their large rambling house in Lakeport.

  “Ooh!” Flossie squealed. “Our clothes.”

  “I wish Bert would come,” Nan said as she handed over the hose to her little sister so that she could take a turn. “He’ll be hot after working in the lumberyard.”

  Mr. Bobbsey owned a lumber business on the shore of Lake Metoka. Sometimes, when he was not busy in school, Bert helped his father.

  The children played with the water until it was Nan’s turn again. Then she said, “Once more and we’ll stop.”

  She adjusted the nozzle until a long straight stream poured out. “All right, Flossie, let’s see you clear this!” she called.

  “Wait! Here comes Bert!” Freddie exclaimed as his brother entered the yard.

  “Oh, Bert—!” Nan turned to greet her twin, forgetting that she held the hose. The stream of water shot through the air and struck with full force against a line of laundry strung across the rear of the yard!

  “Ooh!” Flossie squealed. “Our clothes!”

  At that moment the back door slammed and a plump woman came out onto the porch. “Who put that water on my clean clothes?” she asked in a stern voice.

  “I did, Dinah,” Nan confessed. “I’m sorry.”

  Dinah’s expression softened. “Well,” she admitted, “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Nan.” The cook chuckled. “Those clothes’ll be good and clean anyway.” She went back into the kitchen.

  Dinah Johnson and her husband Sam had lived in the Bobbsey home ever since Bert and Nan could remember. Dinah helped Mrs. Bobbsey at home with the cooking and cleaning, while Sam worked at the lumberyard. They were much-loved members of the household.

  Bert grinned at Nan. “I’d like to get under that hose myself. I’ll run in and put on my trunks.”

  “I’m going out front now and watch for the postman,” Freddie announced.

  “Why?” his twin wanted to know.

  Freddie just looked mysterious and did not reply. Whistling, he sauntered around the corner of the house.

  “I’ll find out,” Flossie offered. “I’ll watch for Mr. Garret, too!”

  When Flossie reached the front of the house she found Freddie seated on the porch steps, his chin in his hands. He was looking intently up the street.

  Flossie sat down beside her twin. “Please, Freddie,” she said coaxingly, “won’t you tell me why you’re waiting for the mail?”

  “You’ll know soon—I hope,” Freddie replied. Then he jumped up and ran down to the sidewalk.

  Up the street came friendly Mr. Garret. He carried a heavy leather pouch slung over one shoulder.

  “Well now, Freddie,” he said jovially when the little boy ran to meet him, “I’ll see what I have for you.” He began thumbing through a number of letters which he held in his hand.

  Freddie stood on tiptoe watching. “There it is!” he cried excitedly. “I see it. It’s that blue one!”

  “But this is addressed to Mrs. Richard Bobbsey,” Mr. Garret said solemnly. “I’ll have to deliver it to her!”

  “Please give it to me!” Freddie pleaded. “I’ll take it to my mother right away!”

  “All right,” the postman agreed. “But don’t lose it.”

  “I won’t,” Freddie assured him. “Thanks.”

  He ran as fast as he could up the walk and into the house. Flossie followed close behind. They dashed into the pleasant living room where Mrs. Bobbsey was sewing. She was a slender, pretty woman with a gay smile.

  “Mommy,” Flossie began breathlessly, “Freddie has a letter for you and he won’t tell me what’s in it!”

  Her mother laughed and took the letter. “I don’t see how he could know when it’s sealed up.”

  “It’s from Aunt Sarah, I’m sure it is,” the little boy declared. “And I think I know what’s inside. A big surprise!”

  Mrs. Bobbsey slit open the envelope and took out the letter. “You’re right,” she said. “This is from Aunt Sarah, and she has some very interesting news. If you’ll get Bert and Nan I’ll read it to you all.”

  Aunt Sarah was the wife of Daniel Bobbsey, the twins’ uncle. They lived on a farm near the little village of Meadowbrook. Their son Harry was the same age as Bert.

  Freddie and Flossie ran from the room and in a few minutes were back with the older twins, all of them still in their bathing suits.

  “Has something happened at Meadowbrook?” Nan asked.

  “Are they coming to visit us?” Bert asked.

  Mrs. Bobbsey held up her hands. “Not so fast children ! Something is going to happen, but not here. We’ve been invited to visit them at Meadowbrook!”

  “Super!” cried Bert.

  “Goody, goody!” Flossie cried, clapping her hands. “When are we going?”

  “Aunt Sarah suggests that we come before next Saturday because of something special she wants us to do.”

  “What is it?” Nan asked.

  “Aunt Sarah says there’s going to be an auction in Meadowbrook
. A certain article is being offered for sale which she thinks we’d like to buy.”

  “What’s an auction?” Flossie wanted to know.

  “Well,” her mother began, “an auction is a public sale of different articles. And people who want to buy the things tell the auctioneer how much they want to pay.”

  Flossie still looked puzzled.

  “Then,” Bert chimed in, “the man running the sale sells the article to the person who will pay the highest price.”

  “You mean they fight?” Flossie asked excitedly.

  “Oh goodness, no,” Mrs. Bobbsey said, laughing along with the older twins. “It’s not so bad as that!”

  “I know,” Bert said, jumping up. “We’ll have our own auction right now.”

  “Hooray!” cried Freddie. “You be the auctioneer, Bert!”

  “And I’ll get one of my dolls for you to sell!” Flossie cried as she ran off.

  By the time she returned with the doll, Bert had placed a newspaper on the piano bench and was standing on top of it The younger twins, Nan, and Mrs. Bobbsey settled themselves to watch.

  “All right, folks,” Bert said importantly. “What am I bid for this beautiful, perfect, genuine rag doll? Do I hear five dollars?”

  “Five dollars!” Flossie shouted. “That’s too much!”

  “And the doll’s not perfect, either,” Freddie popped up. “She’s lost her right arm!”

  The children giggled as Bert examined the genuine rag doll. “Well, so she has,” he admitted. “Do I hear two dollars for this almost-perfect doll? ... Do I hear one dollar? Only one dollar for this lovely doll?”

  “Twenty-five cents!” came a cry from Freddie.

  “Twenty-five cents?” Bert, the auctioneer, shouted. “Only twenty-five cents for this valuable doll?”

  There was silence.

  “Last call,” Bert cried. “Okay, twenty-five cents,” he said, shaking his head. “Going for twenty-five cents.... Going ... Going ... GONE, for twenty-five cents!”

  “Where’s it gone?” Flossie begged eagerly.

  “Nowhere,” Nan broke in. “Gone means it’s sold.”

  “Yes,” came Bert’s voice. “Sold for twenty-five cents to the gentleman in the front row!”

  “It’s mine!” Freddie cried as he accepted the doll.

  “But it’s my doll!” Flossie wailed.

  “Don’t worry, dear,” Nan comforted her. “This is only a pretend auction.”

  “Yes,” said Freddie, walking over to his twin.

  “And I’m only using pretend money. I was buying the doll so I could give it to you!”

  “Oh, thank you,” Flossie cried. “I like auctions!” She hugged her rag doll.

  Mrs. Bobbsey smiled. “I think you’ll enjoy the auction at Meadowbrook much more now,” she said warmly.

  “It does sound like fun,” Nan remarked. “But how does Aunt Sarah know what we’d like to buy?”

  “I guess that’s a mystery you children will have to work on,” Mrs. Bobbsey said teasingly. She knew the twins loved new mysteries to solve.

  “Another mystery is how Freddie knew Aunt Sarah was going to write this letter,” Bert said, giving his little brother an inquiring glance.

  Freddie hung his head. “I heard Daddy tell Mother the other day that Aunt Sarah and Uncle Daniel were going to ask us to come to Meadowbrook. I thought I’d surprise you!”

  Mrs. Bobbsey stood up. “This is Monday. If we’re going to leave for Meadowbrook by Friday, we’ll have to start planning.”

  When the twins’ father came home to lunch they told him about the invitation. “We are going, aren’t we, Daddy?” Flossie asked eagerly.

  “Yes, my little sweet fairy,” he replied. “I think a visit on the farm will do you all good.”

  Mr. Bobbsey called his small daughter by this nickname to tease her. He called Freddie his little fireman because the little boy loved to play with toy fire engines, and often declared he was going to be a fireman when he grew up.

  “But aren’t you going with us, Daddy?” Freddie inquired.

  Mr. Bobbsey shook his head. “I can’t get away this week. But I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Aunt Sarah had invited Dinah to come with the family, so it was decided that Mrs. Bobbsey and Dinah would take the children to Meadowbrook on the Friday morning train.

  “Unfortunately there’s no diner on the train,” said Mr. Bobbsey.

  “Will you pack us a lunch, Dinah?” Flossie asked as the jolly cook passed a bowl of fruit.

  “Why sure, honey,” Dinah agreed.

  The next few days were very busy. Nan went with her mother to the shop for shorts, dungarees, and sweaters for all the children. Suitcases were brought down from the attic.

  The day before they were to leave Freddie and Flossie looked over their toys to decide which ones they would take with them.

  “I’ll have to take my pumper,” Freddie said. “You never can tell when a farm will catch fire and I’ll have to put it out. And I think I’ll take my new baseball cap, too.” He ran into his room and returned with a navy-blue cap which he tossed onto the heap.

  “I’m only going to take two dolls,” Flossie stated. “Linda and Bessie.”

  Bessie was only five inches tall. She was dressed as a ballerina in a fluffy white dress and on her feet were tiny black ballet slippers.

  “We have to take Snoop, too,” Freddie reminded his mother. Snoop was the black cat which had been given to Freddie when the little boy had been locked in a department store by mistake. This happened in THE BOBBSEY TWINS OF LAKEPORT.

  Mrs. Bobbsey looked doubtful. “I’m not sure we can take Snoop.”

  Freddie’s face fell. “But we have to!” he said desperately. “Snoop rescued me. We can’t leave him here all by himself!”

  “All right,” his mother agreed. “We’ll have to get a carrying basket for him.”

  Bert hurried to the store and returned with a wicker basket. It had plenty of air holes so that Snoop would be able to breathe, and a top which was easy to take off.

  Early Friday morning Sam brought the station wagon around to the front of the house. He and Mr. Bobbsey and Bert carried the suitcases out and stacked them in the rear. Then the family and Dinah piled in and Sam drove toward the station. Freddie held Snoop’s basket in his lap.

  As they neared the depot, Dinah suddenly gave a little cry.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.

  “I left our box of lunch on the kitchen table!” Dinah moaned. “All those good sandwiches!”

  “And no food on the train!” Bert spoke up.

  Mr. Bobbsey looked at his watch. “We’re almost at the station now,” he said. “Sam can let us out and then go back for the lunch.”

  Sam drove up to the station platform and they all hurriedly got out. When the last suitcase was on the ground, the colored man swung the car around and sped back to the Bobbsey house. The minutes went by.

  “Mother,” Freddie said nervously, “it’s almost time for the train. Do you think Sam can get back in time?”

  CHAPTER II

  SNOOP’S ADVENTURE

  THE BOBBSEY twins began to pace the railroad platform nervously. They would be starved before reaching Meadowbrook!

  To get everyone’s mind off the subject, Bert said, “I see a weighing machine. Let’s get weighed. The sign says you get a fortune too for a penny.”

  The twins went inside and Nan stepped onto the machine while Bert dropped a penny in the slot. There was a whirring noise and a small card dropped down into a slot.

  With a giggle Nan handed it to Bert. The card read:

  You weigh 92.

  Beware a dark man who is close to you.

  “It must be you, Bert,” Nan said, pretending to be frightened, and her brother laughed.

  When Bert got his card, he found he weighed five pounds more than his twin. His fortune read:

  A blond woman in your family will cause trouble.

&nbs
p; “I guess that’s Flossie.” Bert chuckled. “I’ll keep my eye on her!”

  At this moment they heard the train whistle far down the track.

  “Mommy!” Flossie cried. “Here comes the train, and Sam isn’t back!”

  “Never mind,” Mrs. Bobbsey replied. “We’ll just have to forget about lunch.”

  “But I want to eat!” Freddie said. “I’m hungry now.”

  By this time the engine had roared into the station and people were getting off the coaches. A conductor standing at the nearby steps helped the passengers getting off.

  When the last person had walked down, he turned to the group on the platform. “All aboard!”

  “I guess you’ll have to get on, Mary,” Mr. Bobbsey advised his wife, after he had kissed his family. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Here comes Sam!” Freddie shouted. He pointed to the man sprinting toward them across the parking lot.

  “All aboard!” the conductor warned.

  Mrs. Bobbsey and the twins climbed up the steps. Dinah hesitated. At last Sam dashed up and put the big white box in her hand and she stepped aboard.

  “Thanks, Sam! Good-by,” the twins chorused, as the train started to move. Sam waved, showing a big grin.

  The conductor, seeing Dinah’s box of lunch, smiled and said, “Maybe you folks would like to go to the club part of this car. See the table and four chairs, and seats across the aisle.”

  “Fine. We’ll sit there.”

  The conductor suggested they leave their luggage in the coach, so only Snoop and the lunch were carried into the club section. Freddie set Snoop’s basket on the table. Men and women passengers smiled.

  “You children can use the table,” Mrs. Bobbsey said. “Dinah and I will sit across the aisle.”

  The twins settled themselves as the train began to gather speed.

  “I wonder if Snoop is scared of the train,” Freddie mused. He took off the basket top and put in his hand to pet the cat.

  At the same instant Snoop gave a great leap and jumped to the floor. Then he dashed up the aisle toward the other end of the car.