13 Willow Trees and Energetic Colts!

CHAPTER 13 Willow Trees and Energetic Colts! The old willow tree in the yard at Plumfield was a favorite place for all the children. They climbed up its boughs and left many secrets behind in its leaves. One afternoon after Daisy and Nan finished washing their dolls' clothes in the brook, they decided to perch up in the tree's "nest" until the clothes had all dried.

Their conversation quickly turned from doll clothes to doll furniture and the benefits of feather beds for the dolls' weary heads. For the better part of the afternoon, a long talk about giving up dolls was had, with Daisy worried about how they would fare without their adoptive mother. Nan felt she was simply growing too old to care. "Oh piddle-paddle. I don't want a house or dolls when I grow up," Nan said. "One day I'll have a room full of bottles and drawers and cure sick people. I'm going to be a doctor—Mother Jo says so." "Ugh," Daisy said, "How can you stand the bad-smelling stuff and the nasty little powders?" "Oh, that doesn't bother me." Father Bhaer had shown Nan the herbs in the garden, and she was learning all about them. The boys took to calling her Dr. Giddy-Gaddy, and she adored it. From splinters to stomachaches, Nan cured them all. Jo was ever so pleased at her

progress. Nan's "doctoring," as she called it, had helped cure her flighty, tomboy nature. Daisy looked down and said, "We'd better get those clothes back up to the house before they blow away." Down they came from the old willow, and it wasn't but a moment before Nat and Tommy climbed up. "Now it's safe," Tommy said as he looked around, "and I can tell you a secret." Nat happily said, "Tell away." "I've got just the way to make it up to Dan for all of us suspecting him," Tommy answered. "What's that?" "I think we should give him a microscope," Tommy replied. "He wants one so terribly, and it would make a jolly good present." "Tip-top!" Nat cried. "Won't it be expensive, though?" "Of course it will, but I've got my five dollars, and that should be more than enough," Tommy

said. "What does Father Bhaer think?" Tommy replied, "He thinks it's a grand idea as well, and I think you should ask if you can come to town with us on Monday to pick it out." Nat smiled. "And you shall have my three dollars, too. I don't need a new fiddle. My old one suits me just fine. Let's go ask Father Bhaer now if I can come." Just as Tommy and Nat found their way down from the tree, Demi and Dan returned from a long walk in the woods and climbed up to have a rest in the shade. They had collected all sorts of leaves on their walk, so naturally Demi wanted to know more about them. The elder boy patiently answered every one of Demi's questions. When Dan spied Jo and little Teddy coming along underneath them, he said, "Shhh." Little Teddy cried, "Mama, I want to fish, fish.

But before Jo could break a branch off the tree to use as a pole, one landed at her feet. She looked up and found Dan and Demi laughing. The minute Teddy saw Dan, he shouted, "Up! Up!" Demi started down and said, "Yes, Teddy, you can come up because I'm getting down. I've got loads to tell Daisy." Dan called down to Mother Jo, "Why don't you come up, too—there's lots of room!" Jo laughed and said, "Well, I haven't been up a tree since I was married. I did use to love to do so when I was a girl. You know, I think I will." And up she climbed. While Dan made a fishing pole for Teddy, they talked about what a good influence he was becoming on the younger boys. Dan had been working so hard the last few months to be good, and he was very pleased with Jo's words. Their pleasant talk was interrupted by Teddy scrambling down and dropping the fine fishing pole into the brook.

"We'd better watch him," Dan said. "I think that's a lovely idea—I'll stay up here for a while and read my book." "You mean I'll be alone?" Jo laughed. "Why, of course. I trust you, dear boy, and Teddy would have a much better time fishing with you than with me!" Dan's smile burst from ear to ear. It was the dearest thing to his heart to know that Mother Jo trusted him with her precious son, who felt so much like a brother to him. Teddy and Dan spent a quiet hour by the brook listening to the water rush by, waiting for a fish to bite. Meanwhile, Jo sat, happy as a clam, reading her book. The old willow had never seen or heard so many secrets in one day! Not long after the lovely afternoon Dan spent