“Thank you kindly, sir;” and Aunt Jo made him a grand curtsey, for
she liked frolics as well as any of them.
“Now, young ladies, we must not keep them waiting; on with the
hats, and let us be off at once. I’m all impatience to know what the
surprise is.”
As Mrs. Bhaer spoke every one bustled about, and in five minutes
the three little girls and Teddy were packed into the
“clothes-basket,” as they called the wicker wagon which Toby
drew. Demi walked at the head of the procession, and Mrs. Jo
brought up the rear, escorted by Kit. It was a most imposing party,
I assure you, for Toby had a red feather-duster in his head, two
remarkable flags waved over the carriage, Kit had a blue bow on
his neck, which nearly drove him wild, Demi wore a nosegay of
dandelions in his buttonhole, and Mrs. Jo carried the queer
Japanese umbrella in honor of the occasion.
The girls had little flutters of excitement all the way; and Teddy
was so charmed with the drive that he kept dropping his hat
overboard, and when it was taken from him he prepared to tumble
out himself, evidently feeling that it behooved him to do
something for the amusement of the party.
When they came to the hill “nothing was to be seen but the grass
blowing in the wind,” as the fairy books say, and the children
looked disappointed. But Demi said, in his most impressive
manner,
“Now, you all get out and stand still, and the surprise party with
come in;” with which remark he retired behind a rock, over which
heads had been bobbing at intervals for the last half-hour.
A short pause of intense suspense, and then Nat, Demi, and
Tommy marched forth, each bearing a new kite, which they
presented to the three young ladies. Shrieks of delight arose, but
were silenced by the boys, who said, with faces brimful of
merriment, “That isn’t all the surprise;” and, running behind the
rock, again emerged bearing a fourth kite of superb size, on which
was printed, in bright yellow letters, “For Mother Bhaer.”
“We thought you’d like one, too, because you were angry with us,
and took the girls’ part,” cried all three, shaking with laughter, for
this part of the affair evidently was a surprise to Mrs. Jo.
She clapped her hands, and joined in the laugh, looking thoroughly
tickled at the joke.
“Now, boys, that is regularly splendid! Who did think of it?” she
asked, receiving the monster kite with as much pleasure as the
little girls did theirs.
“Uncle Fritz proposed it when we planned to make the others; he
said you’d like it, so we made a bouncer,” answered Demi,
beaming with satisfaction at the success of the plot.
“Uncle Fritz knows what I like. Yes, these are magnificent kites,
and we were wishing we had some the other day when you were
flying yours, weren’t we, girls?”
“That’s why we made them for you,” cried Tommy, standing on his
head as the most appropriate way of expressing his emotions.
“Let us fly them,” said energetic Nan.
“I don’t know how,” began Daisy.
“We’ll show you, we want to!” cried all the boys in a burst of
devotion, as Demi took Daisy’s, Tommy Nan’s, and Nat, with
difficulty, persuaded Bess to let go her little blue one.
“Aunty, if you will wait a minute, we’ll pitch yours for you,” said
Demi, feeling that Mrs. Bhaer’s favor must not be lost again by any
neglect of theirs.
“Bless your buttons, dear, I know all about it; and here is a boy
who will toss up for me,” added Mrs. Jo, as the professor peeped
over the rock with a face full of fun.
He came out at once, tossed up the big kite, and Mrs. Jo ran off
with it in fine style, while the children stood and enjoyed the
spectacle. One by one all the kites went up, and floated far
overhead like gay birds, balancing themselves on the fresh breeze
that blew steadily over the hill. Such a merry time as they had!
running and shouting, sending up the kites or pulling them down,