Read Online Freddy the Politician by Walter R. Brooks - Free Book Online Page A

like to.” And he hurried off to find Jinx.
    He found him in the cow-barn, where Mrs. Wiggins, surrounded by a group of admiring friends, was exhibiting a flag which she had designed for the new republic. With a pair of old blue overalls and an old white nightshirt and some old red flannel underwear of Mr. Bean’s which Georgie had begged for her from Mrs. Bean, she had laid out the flag, and then Adoniram had stitched it up for her on the sewing-machine. It was a good deal like the American flag, with two stars for Mr. and Mrs. Bean, and thirteen stripes for the thirteen original animals who had taken that famous first trip to Florida. There were also a number of buttonholes scattered about, which didn’t stand for anything except that they hadn’t been able to avoid them in cutting out the cloth.
    â€œI have to laugh every time I look at those buttonholes,” said Mrs. Wiggins. “What Mr. Bean will say when he sees his cast-off underwear flung to the breeze I’m sure I don’t know.”
    â€œHe’ll be very proud and happy,” said Robert.
    â€œI was going to have Adoniram cut a couple of blue beans, instead of stars,” said the cow. “But it did seem as if beans would be sort of funny on a flag. You can’t imagine going into battle under a flag with beans on it.”
    â€œPersonally, I can’t imagine going into battle under any kind of a flag,” said Freddy. “But I’m not very warlike. Anyway, I think it was very clever of you. I don’t see how you ever thought of it.”
    â€œI don’t know how anybody could help thinking of it,” said Mrs. Wiggins. “A country without a flag is as silly as a—as a—Well, I can’t think of anything it’s as silly as. As a pig without a tail, I guess, Freddy.” She laughed her deep, comfortable laugh. “And as far as being clever goes—well, you know what they usually say about me. They say: ‘That Mrs. Wiggins—she’s got a heart of gold.’ You notice they don’t ever say anything about my head. Still, when you all say I’m clever, it wouldn’t be polite to contradict you.—But what’s on your mind, Freddy? I can always tell when something is worrying you by the way you keep grunting.”
    â€œI wasn’t grunting,” said Freddy. “I may have sighed once or twice—”
    â€œIt sounded like a grunt to me,” said Mrs. Wiggins. “But, as I say, I’m not clever. Well, out with it.”
    â€œI just met Simon and Ezra out here,” said Freddy. “And if you ask me, they’re up to something.”
    â€œWhat!” said Jinx, jumping up. “You mean that they’ve dared to come into the barnyard? Why, wait till I get my paws on that old sneak-thief! I’ll—”
    â€œHold on, hold on!” said Freddy. “You can’t do that. Not until after election, anyway. As long as he behaves himself every animal that lives on this farm has a right to be at this meeting tonight, and to vote at the election. And as far as we know, the rats have been behaving themselves for the last two years. But here’s what’s worrying me. We’re the old crowd—the animals here in this cow-barn now. And as long as we stick together we won’t have any trouble in electing the president we want, and running things the way Mr. Bean wants them run. But there are a lot of animals living on this farm that we don’t ever have much to do with. Field mice, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks—and the birds. I dare say there are a hundred birds, and they all have votes. A good many of them will vote as we want them to. The squirrels will be with us. And I think I can guarantee the rabbit vote. I’ve employed a good many of them at one time or another in my detective work, and I’ve looked after their affairs for them.
    â€œBut what I want to point out is that we’ve got