Read Online Corn-Farm Boy by Lois Lenski - Free Book Online

after the ball and gave it a sideswipe with his stilt whenever he could. At last he had a tumble. He fell on the rough thick bed of dry corncobs that covered the hog lot.
    Wilma came running to see if he was hurt. But he got up, brushed himself off and said, “I’ve got to go see my chipmunk.”
    â€œYour what ?” cried Wilma. “You got a new pet, Dick?”
    â€œYes, he has,” piped up Margy, “and its name is Chippy.”
    â€œOh you, shut up, Sassy Brat!” scolded Dick.
    â€œAre you talking to me or to Popcorn?” retorted Margy.
    â€œTo you, and you know it,” said Dick. “Guess what I did!”
    All four girls were listening now.
    â€œI amputated a chipmunk’s leg.”
    â€œYou did?” cried Donna. “Oh, I don’t believe you. Why didn’t you let me watch?”
    â€œGee,” said Rita. “He talks just like a doctor.”

    â€œâ€˜Doctor Dick’! That’s his nickname,” said Wilma.
    â€œHey, Doctor Dick,” demanded Rita. “You going to be a horse doctor?”
    â€œI would be if there were a few horses around,” said Dick. “I’d rather doctor horses than machines. Come and I’ll show you my new pet.”
    â€œOh, I don’t want to see it,” said Rita. “Is it bloody? The sight of blood turns my stomach.”
    Donna began to boast. “It doesn’t bother me. I’m going to be a nurse when I grow up.”
    â€œAnd take care of horses?” asked Margy.
    â€œNo, squirt—people,” said Donna.
    They went in the barn and the girls crowded round. Dick opened the box and lifted Chippy up for them to see.
    â€œIsn’t he cute?” they said.
    Dick was disgusted. “You girls think everything is cute, ” he said.
    â€œWill you teach him tricks, Doctor Dick?” asked Donna.
    â€œHis leg’s got to heal first,” said Wilma. “Even I know that much.”
    â€œCan Chippy sleep with me?” asked Margy.
    The other girls laughed.
    â€œNo,” said Dick. “He’s going to stay here in his box. As soon as the skin grows over his leg, I’ll let him go. Chipmunks don’t make good captives. He probably won’t eat much in captivity. If I kept him too long, he would starve to death. It will be safe to let him go in about a week, I think. Then he can take care of himself.”
    â€œJust hear that smart Doctor Dick!” giggled Rita. “He knows all about pets, don’t he? But why bother with a pet, if you can only keep it a week?”
    That night there was great excitement at the house. The girls cooked squaw corn for supper. They fried bacon in slices and put in onions for flavor, then added several cans of cream-style corn. When it was brown and sizzling hot, they served it on toast to the family. Even Mom said it was good.
    After supper, the girls had a long argument about who was to sleep together. They changed the arrangement several times. Finally it was settled that Wilma and Donna would sleep on the floor downstairs instead of the folding couch on the porch. The floor was more fun! Margy and Rita would sleep in the girls’ bed upstairs. Wilma set the alarm clock to go off at midnight, when they were all to get up and exchange places.
    Mom and Dad and Raymond and Dick went to bed at the usual time. So did the girls, but not to sleep. There was a great deal of giggling and running around in bare feet. After Dad called out several times, the girls quieted down. But the alarm never went off at midnight, so they did not waken. Early the next morning, the girls on the floor downstairs heard a noise. Wilma got up and tiptoed into the kitchen.
    â€œCome here Donna,” she cried. “It’s Peter Rabbit—he’s in the breadbox.” Donna came to see.
    Wilma got the rabbit out and Peter went hip-hopping across the linoleum floor. The girls went back to bed. Donna felt something at her