Nappy Has a New Friend by Inez Hogan - HTML preview

 

FOR
 TOMMY CHANDLER

Nappy saw his friend the Trashman coming down the street.

“Look!” called Nappy, “I have a new airplane—I have lots of airplanes.”

“Are you collecting airplanes?” asked the trashman.

“What’s collecting?” asked Nappy.

“That’s what I’m doing,” said the trashman. “I’m collecting trash.”

“You have a wagon load,” said Nappy. “Are you going to the dump now? I’ve been waiting for you to come along. Mother said I could ride with you if you’ll let me. Will you?”

“Sure,” said the trashman. “Climb up.”

“Mut wants to go, too.”

“Let him come,” said the trashman. “That’s where you and I found that dog, at the town dump, remember?”

“Yes sir,” said Nappy, “I wanted a dog and you helped me find one. He’s a good dog, too. And he likes to go to the dump.”

“Well, here we are,” said the trashman.

Nappy climbed down off the wagon and started looking around while the trashman was dumping the trash. And he saw a boy who was doing the same thing—looking around.

“Hello,” said Nappy. “Have you found anything?”

“I found a brown jug,” said the boy. “It’s cracked, but I can keep things in it.”

“I found a tin box,” said Nappy. “It’s dented, but I can collect things in it.”

“What’s your name?”

“Tommy,” said the boy.

“Well, my name is Nappy. Let’s hunt for things together; it’s more fun that way.”

“Look! there’s a wagon wheel,” said Tommy. “I saw it first so it’s mine.”

“Finders keepers,” said Nappy. “I see a door knob and here’s a marble. I’m collecting marbles. I have lots of them.”

“I bet I have more marbles than you have,” said Tommy.

“I bet you don’t,” said Nappy.

The boys kept on hunting together until....

The trashman called, “Time to go back.”

“Want to ride back?” asked Nappy.

“Sure,” said Tommy.

So Nappy asked the trashman if his new friend could ride.

And the boys sat together on the back of the trash wagon.

“I’ll trade you my door knob for your wagon wheel,” said Nappy, as they bumped along.

“Nothing doing,” said Tommy. “My big brother is building me a wagon and we need another wheel.”

“Gee,” said Nappy, “I wish I had a big brother. I only have a big sister. I’ll trade you.”

“Nothing doing,” said Tommy. “I have two little sisters. They’re twins.”

“What are you boys talking about?” said the trashman. “You can’t trade brothers and sisters like you trade marbles.”

The boys laughed.

“We’re only kidding,” said Nappy.

When the trash wagon came to Nappy’s house the boys got off.

“Thanks for the ride,” said Nappy. “We collected lots of things. Come on, Tommy, I’ll show you my marbles.”

Tommy waited on the front steps while Nappy got his marbles. They were in a little cloth bag with a draw string.

“Gee!” said Tommy. “That’s a neat bag! Where did you get it?”

“My big sister made it for me,” said Nappy.

“Well,” said Tommy, “maybe a big sister would be a good trade for a big brother after all.”

Just then Nappy’s sister came out of the house.

“Hello, Sis,” said Nappy. “I have a new friend. His name is Tommy. Will you make a marble bag for him like the one you made for me?”

“I was going out to pick blueberries,” said Sister. “If you boys will pick the berries I’ll make the bag.”

“It’s a trade,” said the boys. “Let’s go.”

So Nappy’s big sister got two little pails for the berries, and a piece of cloth and a string for the bag, and they all went to the woods.

Nappy left Mut behind because he was always chasing rabbits.

Sister sat under a tree to sew the bag, and the boys started off to pick the berries.

“Let’s have a race,” said Nappy, “to see which one can fill his pail first.”

“The first one back here with a full pail wins,” said Sister.

So Nappy went one way and Tommy went another way. And there must have been more berries where Tommy went because.…

Before long he was back with a pail full of berries.

“I won,” said Tommy. “Here’s your berries.”

“Here’s your bag,” said Sister, “but where’s Nappy?”

“Let’s go find him,” said Tommy. “I know the way he went.”

“Dear me,” said Sister, “I hope he’s not lost!”

“He can’t be far,” said Tommy. “We’ll find him.”

And they did find Nappy. He had something in his arms—something he was trying to hold on to—something wiggling. The pail of berries was over-turned on the ground.

“Look!” said Nappy. “Look what I caught!”

“It’s a little raccoon,” said Sister. “However did you catch him?”

“I put down my pail,” said Nappy, “to pick some more berries, and when I looked around, this little fellow was in the pail with his tail sticking out ... so I grabbed him. I’m going to keep him for a pet.”

“You have enough pets now,” said Sister. “Besides, your dog wouldn’t like a raccoon. Why don’t you let him go?”

“Oh, no! Don’t!” cried Tommy. “I haven’t any pets. Oh, Nappy, I’ll trade you anything I have for that raccoon! Come to my house and you can choose anything I have.”

So they all went to Tommy’s house.

And Nappy looked over the things Tommy had.... There was a ball, and a bat, and some skates, and some stilts, and a wagon, and a drum.

“You mean I can choose anything?” asked Nappy.

“Well,” said Tommy, “anything except the drum.”

“How about the stilts,” said Nappy. “Will you show me how to walk on them?”

“Sure,” said Tommy. “My big brother can make me another pair of stilts. We’ll have fun together.”

So the boys made the trade.

“Why didn’t you want to trade your drum, Tommy?” asked Nappy’s sister.

“Because my big brother plays the harmonica and I beat the drum,” said Tommy, “and you should see my little sisters dance!”

“Oh, I’d like to see them dance,” said Nappy’s sister. “Could we see them, Tommy?”

“Sure,” said Tommy. “Come on.”

They found the twins in the back yard making mud pies.

“You wait here,” said Tommy. “I’ll get my big brother. They’ll drop those mud pies and dance as soon as they hear the music.”

Tommy went to get his brother.

“Aren’t they cute?” said Nappy’s big sister.

“I hear music,” said Nappy.

Out of the house came Tommy, beating his drum, and his big brother, playing the harmonica.

As soon as the twins heard the music they dropped the mud pies and began to dance.

“Oh, boy,” cried Nappy, “they can dance!”

“It’s a wonderful act,” said Sister. “Good enough for a show.”

“Let’s have a show!” said Nappy. “We could fix up our barn like a theater and....”

“I’ll make the costumes,” said Sister.

“Swell idea,” said Tommy’s big brother. “I’ll fix up the barn.”

“And I’ll train my raccoon to do tricks,” said Tommy.

“My dog can do tricks,” said Nappy. “We can have lots of acts.”

“But the twins’ dance will be the best in the show,” said sister. “We can call their act ‘The Twirling Twins.’”

“Let’s get to work,” said Nappy.

Nappy’s sister took Tommy’s brother to see the barn so he could start fixing it up like a theater.

Tommy taught his raccoon to walk up and down steps.

And Nappy learned to walk on stilts.

Everybody worked——

Tommy’s big brother built benches in the barn for the audience to sit on.

Nappy’s big sister made costumes.

She made dresses out of crepe paper for the twins.

They looked exactly alike.

“You look just darling,” said Sister.

Then they all got together in the barn to make plans for the show.

Nappy brought his old friend, Spike, to the meeting.

“Spike wants to be in charge of tickets,” said Nappy. “How much shall we charge to see the show?”

“I think five cents will be enough,” said Sister, “and I’ve made up a verse to tell about it the way we did when we had the pet show. Listen:

Come to see our ‘Saturday Show.’

See the Twirling Twins,

Music, stunts and fun galore....

You will surely cry for more

In the barn our show will be

Five cents is the entrance fee.”

“That’s a good verse,” said Spike. “It tells when the show will be, where the show will be, and how much it costs to get in. I’ll make copies of it and give one to every kid in town.”

“Oh boy!” cried Nappy. “I just thought of a great act for our show. You kids just wait here. I’ll be back.”

Nappy ran down the street to Wong’s Chinese Restaurant.

He found the Wong boys playing marbles in front of their father’s restaurant.

“Hello,” said Nappy. “How would you boys like to be in a show? You can do your tumbling act. We’re planning a show in our barn now. Will you come and show the other kids how you can tumble?”

“Sure,” said the Wong boys.

And they went back to the barn with Nappy, and did their stunts.

“That’s great!” said Tommy.

“This is going to be the best show ever,” said Nappy.

And it did turn out to be a great show because all of the children worked to get ready for it. They worked hard. They worked together.

Nappy and Tommy helped build the stage.

Nappy’s sister made a curtain out of sheets, and the Wong boys hung it.

Then they had rehearsals while Spike went around town selling tickets and at last....

The big day came.

Spike stood outside the barn to collect tickets.

Children came from all over town to see the show.

“Have your tickets ready,” shouted Spike. “Step right in—plenty of seats inside. Have your tickets ready, please, for the Saturday Show, the greatest show on earth. See the Twirling Twins.”

“Step right up—have your tickets ready, please.”

Inside the barn, Tommy beat his drum and his big brother played the harmonica.

The children took their seats and clapped, and then.…

The curtain went up. Out on the stage came the Wong boys, turning hand springs.

They did somersaults forward and backward while Tommy beat the drum.

They stood on their heads. They tumbled all over the stage and ended up with the smallest Wong boy standing on his brothers’ shoulders.

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” Shouts and cheers came from the audience.

The next act was Tommy and his raccoon.

Tommy was dressed like a clown and the raccoon climbed up on his shoulder.

Then the raccoon walked up and down steps.

The audience clapped and Tommy bowed and led his raccoon off the stage.

But when he came back, walking on stilts, with his friend Nappy, what do you think happened?

That raccoon came back on the stage and climbed up the stilt, all the way up, and sat on Tommy’s shoulder!

Then came the big act.

Nappy led his colt on the stage, and sitting on the colt’s back were Tommy’s little twin sisters.

They were holding on tight because when Tommy and his brother began to play——

The colt began to dance; then Nappy lifted them off so they could dance themselves.

How those twins danced! They kicked and spun and whirled and twirled.

The audience shouted and cheered.

“Hurrah for the Twirling Twins!”

It was surely the best act of the show.

But it wasn’t the last one.…

The last act was....

Nappy and his dog.

Mut played ‘dead dog’ until ... he heard the Star Spangled Banner and Nappy waved an American flag.…

Then Mut stood up and saluted.

Indeed, everyone in the barn stood up when they heard the Star Spangled Banner and then.…

The curtain came down.

The actors bowed.

The audience clapped.

And that was the end of the show.

And that is the end of this story, too.