11 The Huckleberry Adventure

CHAPTER 11 The Huckleberry Adventure One day late in the summer, the boys decided to go huckleberry picking. A great clashing of pails could be heard all over Plumfield as they prepared for their adventure. Jo laughed to herself. They were making so much fuss, they may as well have been setting out to find the Northwest Passage.

"Now," she said to them, "Rob's safely out of the way, so get off as quickly as you can." But the boys weren't quiet enough, and little Rob heard the noise and came scampering toward them, pail in hand. Oh dear, Jo thought. Now we'll have a scene. She stepped forward and called out, "Come now, Rob. It's too far to go. You stay back with me." Rob pouted. "You said I could go when I was bigger. Now I am bigger." "It's very far," Tommy said, "and you might get tired. Better that you stay back." "I won't get tired!" Rob insisted. "I'll run, and I'll keep up, and I'll fill my pail, and I'll bring all the berries to you." The little boy's smile had all but disappeared. "Oh, please," he said. "I really want to go, and I won't get tired. I won't." Giant tears fell out of his eyes. Jo couldn't stand the sight of any one of her boys being

unhappy, and so an idea came to her. "Wait here, boys! I think I have a solution. One that will mean even Dan can go!" The boys stood holding their pans while Jo raced back into the house. When she came back a few minutes later, she had a huge smile on her face. "Franz will take you up the hill in the wagon and then pick you up at the end of the day. Dan, you may go as well. And be sure to let the girls take good care of you. Nan, you're to keep an eye on Rob." Rob threw himself on his mother in a fit of gratitude and promised to bring her back every berry he picked. Soon they were all packed into the wagon, with Rob, pleased as punch, snuggled in between Nan and Daisy. What a happy day they had—even if the picking didn't necessarily go as planned! Tommy fell into a hornet's nest and was stung, but being used to such woes, he bore it

gracefully. Daisy saw a snake, and it scared her so much that she threw her bucket in the air and lost most of her berries. Being a kind brother, Demi helped her fill it back up again. And Dan, who no longer needed his crutch, walked quietly among the hills and bushes, happy that his foot felt so much better. But of all the adventures that happened that afternoon, the one that Nan and Rob found themselves in, became one of Plumfield's best- loved stories. Having explored far and wide, torn her dress in three different places, and scratched her face while scrambling around in a barberry bush, Nan turned her attention to the huckleberries. The big, black, bead-like berries hung low on the green bushes. When her basket didn't fill quickly enough, Nan moved to a new bush, with little Rob in tow. "I'm so tired!" Rob said as his bucket toppled over. "I can't fill it up. It's just too much." Looking around, Nan said, "Look, there's a

cave over there—why don't we go hide and make everyone come looking for us? We can pick more berries on the way." And away they went, scrambling over a low stone wall and running down the hill until they were hidden among rocks and brush. They came across a little spring, and the two thirsty children drank a bit of cool water. The shade was a relief after gathering berries in the hot sun. "Now let's go rest in the cave and have our lunch," Nan said. Rob asked, "Do you know the way back to the huckleberry field?" "Of course I do!" Nan answered. And so the unlikely pair set off, with Rob scrambling to keep up with the quick Nan. They soon came to the cave Nan had spied earlier. "Isn't this nice?" Nan asked as she took out their lunch. "Yes," Rob nodded, and he took a bite of bread. "Do you think it'll take them long to find

us?" "They'll be here soon. I can feel it!" Nan replied. Rob looked around at the gloomy cave and said, "What if they don't come?" "Then we'll find our way back on our own." Little five-year-old Rob was very tired, and he wanted very much to find everyone and take the wagon home. But he sat and waited patiently while Nan left the cave to gather even more berries. The sun started to set, and a mosquito bit him. Then the frogs started to sing their evening songs. "Perhaps it will be dark soon?" Rob called out. Nan looked up from where she had been roaming about and noticed that it was indeed getting dark. "My, we'd better get going right away, or they will be gone!" She pulled Rob along behind her, back up the hill. But as they came to the top, she wondered