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13 - Bobbsey Twins at Cloverbank by Laura Lee Hope · Bobbsey Twins at Cloverbank

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Read by Helen Kay. The Bobbsey Twins at Cloverbank by
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  Speaker 1: Laura leeho NaN's trolley ride. What's that you said, Flossi,
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  Speaker 1: where are you going? Asked Freddy, scrambling to his feet
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  Speaker 1: in her excitement over what she had seen. Flossie screamed
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  Speaker 1: in such a shrill voice that her brother hardly understood her.
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  Speaker 1: What's the matter? What are you running for? He called
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  Speaker 1: to her. I guess you'd run yourself if you saw
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  Speaker 1: a bear, panted Flossie. She could not run very fast,
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  Speaker 1: for the passage, like a wooden tunnel, was covered on
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  Speaker 1: the bottom with wisps of hay, and that made it slippery.
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  Speaker 1: A bear, gasped Freddy, did you see a bear? By
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  Speaker 1: this time, he and Flossie had gotten out of the
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  Speaker 1: passage and were back in the big barn on the
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  Speaker 1: other side of the small door they had opened. There
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  Speaker 1: was no one else near them, none of the peach workers,
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  Speaker 1: Noah's Bert, no Nan. The small twins had this part
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  Speaker 1: of the barn to themselves. Yes he was a bear,
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  Speaker 1: declared Flossie, not so excited now that she saw a
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  Speaker 1: door between herself and the beast. It wasn't a very
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  Speaker 1: big bear, she added, just a little bear. I'm going
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  Speaker 1: to look, declared Freddy, for unlike his sister, he was
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  Speaker 1: not afraid of wild animals like bears, wolves and lions.
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  Speaker 1: At least, Freddy said he wasn't. Oh you mustn't go
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  Speaker 1: in there, exclaimed Flossie when she saw her brother about
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  Speaker 1: to open the small door. The bear will get you.
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  Speaker 1: We'd better go tell Daddy or mother. I don't believe
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  Speaker 1: there's a bear in there, asserted Freddy. How could a
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  Speaker 1: bear get here anyhow? Bears don't eat peaches. Well, maybe
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  Speaker 1: they eat hay, and there's lots of hay in this barn,
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  Speaker 1: Flossi said, And I heard mister Watson say he was
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  Speaker 1: going to put more in soon. Maybe the bear wants hay.
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  Speaker 1: Bears don't eat hay, went on Freddy. They eat people.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm not afraid of a bear anyhow, not of
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  Speaker 1: a little bear. And I don't believe there's a bear here.
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  Speaker 1: They stay in the woods. Flossi knew that, as a rule,
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  Speaker 1: bears did do this, but she was sure she had
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  Speaker 1: seen some queer beast. So she ran to Freddy as
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  Speaker 1: he was trying to open the door, and cried, don't
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  Speaker 1: go in. Don't go in. If it wasn't a bear,
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  Speaker 1: it was some terrible wild animal, let's run. But Freddy
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  Speaker 1: wanted to show off before his sister to prove how
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  Speaker 1: brave he was. Bear won't hurt me, he insisted. You
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  Speaker 1: stay back there, Flossy, but I'll open the door and
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  Speaker 1: look at him, and if it's a big bear, I'll
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  Speaker 1: go call mister Watson. He has a gun. I saw
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  Speaker 1: it in the house. Flossy got ready to run further
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  Speaker 1: back into the barn, and Freddy was tugging at the door,
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  Speaker 1: which had swung shut rather tightly. When he was spared
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  Speaker 1: the trouble of opening it, the door opened itself, or
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  Speaker 1: perhaps something on the other side pushed it open, and
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  Speaker 1: the two children saw a strange beast staring at them.
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  Speaker 1: It was a creature with a black, bushy head, and
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  Speaker 1: at the sight of it, Flossy cried, there it is
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  Speaker 1: the bear. It is the bear. Now you'd better run,
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  Speaker 1: Freddie Bobbsey. Yes it's a bear, all right, gasped the boy.
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  Speaker 1: And it's a big one to you. I'll go and
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  Speaker 1: get mister Watson, and he's gone. The two children ran
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  Speaker 1: out of the side door of the barn, some distance
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  Speaker 1: away from that part of the building where the peachers
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  Speaker 1: were being sorted, they saw Zeke, the hired man, walking
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  Speaker 1: toward them. Oh there's a bear in here, screamed Flossie.
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  Speaker 1: A big pear, added Freddy, as if that explained why
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  Speaker 1: he was also running for he didn't want it to
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  Speaker 1: be known that he would retreat from a small bear.
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  Speaker 1: What's that you say, asked the hired man. A bear
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  Speaker 1: in the barn, added Flossy. He came out of the
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  Speaker 1: little door, went on Freddy. Oh you mean in the
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  Speaker 1: fodder tunnel, said the hired man. Well there can't be
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  Speaker 1: a bear there, But we saw him, insisted Flossie. And
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  Speaker 1: he had a black, bushy head, explained her brother. Zeke,
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  Speaker 1: laughing and shaking his head, entered the barn, followed by
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  Speaker 1: the two children. Hadn't you better get a gun, asked Freddy. No,
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  Speaker 1: I guess your bear will come and eat out of
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  Speaker 1: my hand, said Zeke. Oh is he a trained bear?
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  Speaker 1: Flossie wanted to know. She was not frightened now, and
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  Speaker 1: Freddy's courage also came back to him. Zeke did not answer,
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  Speaker 1: but led the way to the fodder tunnel door. The
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  Speaker 1: children followed him. Then, just before reaching the place, they
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  Speaker 1: were startled by a loud nay, there's your bear, chuckled Zeke.
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  Speaker 1: A moment later, a half grown calf ran toward him
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  Speaker 1: and Flossy and Freddy. But it was not like any
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  Speaker 1: calf the children had ever seen. Its head was large
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  Speaker 1: and black and bushy. What makes him look so queer,
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  Speaker 1: asked Freddy, as the calf, again uttering its mayor cry,
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  Speaker 1: began nosing Zeke's hand as if seeking a taste of salt,
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  Speaker 1: of which all cattle are very fond. Why this calf
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  Speaker 1: has been roaming around the pasture a lot, explained the hiredman.
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  Speaker 1: And he's got a lot of birdock burrs and other
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  Speaker 1: stickers all over his head. No wonder he looked like
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  Speaker 1: a bear. May But you are a sight suki, he
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  Speaker 1: said to the calf, to which he explained later he
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  Speaker 1: had given that odd name. We'll have to get a
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  Speaker 1: curry comb and brush and clean you up, he went on,
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  Speaker 1: as he began pulling the burrs from the animal's shaggy head.
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  Speaker 1: Is that all it was a calf, asked Flossie. That's all,
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  Speaker 1: said Zeke. It looked like a beard, aked both children,
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  Speaker 1: but especially Freddy felt a little disappointed now their fright
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  Speaker 1: was over, to find that their bear was only a calf.
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  Speaker 1: I haven't the least doubt of it, chuckled Zeke in
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  Speaker 1: answer to Freddy's remark, He's got a head almost as
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  Speaker 1: big as a buffalo's. This was true. Suki had rambled
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  Speaker 1: into one brier and bur patch after another. Then he
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  Speaker 1: had found his way down near a lower part of
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  Speaker 1: the barn connected with the fodder tunnel. The calf had
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  Speaker 1: gotten into this tunnel, which was used as a passageway
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  Speaker 1: from one part of the building to another, and pushing
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  Speaker 1: along the calf with his head looking like a bear,
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  Speaker 1: as Flossie thought had confronted the little girl. When she
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  Speaker 1: and Freddy ran back into the main barn, the calf
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  Speaker 1: followed them, and, hoping to get something to eat, possibly
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  Speaker 1: had pushed the door open. It will be a week
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  Speaker 1: before you look like yourself again, said Zeke to the calf.
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  Speaker 1: But I suppose you didn't know any better. Well, I'll
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  Speaker 1: turn you out where you belong, and he led the
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  Speaker 1: calf to a side door, and a little later the
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  Speaker 1: children saw the hired man using a curry comb on
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  Speaker 1: the creature. Never was there such a jolly place to
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  Speaker 1: have fun as Clover Bank. Not only was there the
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  Speaker 1: big farmhouse with its attic containing many wonderful things, but
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  Speaker 1: there were barns, an ice house, a smokehouse, and many
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  Speaker 1: other buildings where all sorts of games could be played.
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  Speaker 1: The attic alone would keep the children busy two or
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  Speaker 1: three rainy days at least, Missus Watson said, But as
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  Speaker 1: yet the Bobbsey twins had done no more than peer
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  Speaker 1: into the delightful attic. While the sun shone, they wanted
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  Speaker 1: to be out of doors, and for the first week
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  Speaker 1: of their visit to the farm the weather was fine.
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  Speaker 1: It was just what was needed to allow the peach
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  Speaker 1: crop to be gathered. In the days that followed the
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  Speaker 1: experience of Floss and fredday with the bear, the children
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  Speaker 1: often visited the orchards, where they helped pick the red
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  Speaker 1: and yellow fruit. At other times they would help sort
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  Speaker 1: it in the barn, And once they rode with Zeke
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  Speaker 1: to the canning factory with a load of soft peaches,
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  Speaker 1: which must quickly be made up into his marmalade lest
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  Speaker 1: they spoil. One day, when a lull came in the
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  Speaker 1: hard and fast work of picking and sorting the peaches. Nan,
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  Speaker 1: passing through the kitchen, saw Missus Watson getting ready to
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  Speaker 1: make some biscuits. Oh may I do that? Begged Nan.
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  Speaker 1: I know how mother showed me, didn't you, she asked
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  Speaker 1: Missus Bobbsey, who had just then come into the kitchen. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: Nan makes very good biscuits, was the answer. I'd be
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  Speaker 1: glad to let her bake mine, returned Watson. The baby's
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  Speaker 1: so fretful today, she doesn't want me to leave her,
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  Speaker 1: So go ahead, Nan, and I wish you look, you'd
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  Speaker 1: better wish us something else, put in Bert with a laugh.
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  Speaker 1: What do you mean, asked Jenny's mother. I mean you'd
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  Speaker 1: better wish that Flossi doesn't sit down in the batch
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  Speaker 1: of biscuits. Bert went on, FLOSSI did that to NaN's
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  Speaker 1: biscuits the time we were keeping house last winter, and
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  Speaker 1: he explained what had taken place, as has been related
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  Speaker 1: in the book before this one, that will never happen again,
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  Speaker 1: said Nan. I'll watch where I put the pan of biscuits,
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  Speaker 1: and I'll watch Flossy she won't sit in any more
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  Speaker 1: of them. Well, in that case, I'll let you do
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  Speaker 1: the baking, promised Missus Watson, And soon Nan was in
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  Speaker 1: her element. She loved to cook, and she really knew
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  Speaker 1: how to make very good biscuits. And as Flossie and
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  Speaker 1: Freddy were playing at sailing boats down in the brook,
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  Speaker 1: the little twin girl and boy did not appear on
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  Speaker 1: the scene to cause trouble. NaN's biscuits came out of
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  Speaker 1: the oven a lovely brown, and when mister Watson asked
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  Speaker 1: for a third helping of them at the table when
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  Speaker 1: supper was served, Nan felt just a little bit proud
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  Speaker 1: as well. She might the best biscuits I ever ate,
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  Speaker 1: except those my wife makes, said the farmer with a laugh.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Bobbsey had to return to Lakeport to see about
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  Speaker 1: some business matters, but he planned to return to the
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  Speaker 1: farm as soon as he could. He would have to
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  Speaker 1: make trips back and forth that way all during the summer,
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  Speaker 1: he told his family. It was the day after mister
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  Speaker 1: Bobbsey went away that Nan strolled out into the large
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  Speaker 1: barn in time to see a big wagon loaded with
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  Speaker 1: hay drive into the yard. She saw several men, a horse,
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  Speaker 1: a long rope, and what looks like a big iron
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  Speaker 1: letter you turned upside down near the hay wagon. What's
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  Speaker 1: it all about? Asked Nan. That's the hayfark an unloading trolley,
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  Speaker 1: explained Zeke, who was busily hurrying to and fro. You see,
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  Speaker 1: we have such a lot of hay that some of
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  Speaker 1: it has to be stored in the top story of
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  Speaker 1: the barn. It would take too long to carry it
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  Speaker 1: up one pitchfork full at a time, so we have
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  Speaker 1: this hayfark. It's like the letter you turned up, as
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  Speaker 1: you see. And on each of the legs, as you
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  Speaker 1: might call them, are prongs which fold up when they
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  Speaker 1: aren't in use. The man jabs the two ends of
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  Speaker 1: the ew down into the hay. Then he pulls on
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  Speaker 1: a rope and that makes the prong stick out and
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  Speaker 1: they hold a big bundle of hair. Then the horse
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  Speaker 1: starts walking along the ground and he pulls the hayfark
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  Speaker 1: full up to the top of the barn over the
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  Speaker 1: pulley wheel. The horse does most of the work, you see,
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  Speaker 1: and we can put in a lot of hay in
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  Speaker 1: a short time. Nan watched as the fok took up
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  Speaker 1: what seemed to be a quarter of the load on
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  Speaker 1: the wagon, and then as the horse pulled up the
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  Speaker 1: mass of dried grass rose in the air. Then It
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  Speaker 1: rolled along by means of a grooved trolley wheel on
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  Speaker 1: a tight rope until it reached the open door of
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  Speaker 1: the second story of the big barn. Into the door
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  Speaker 1: went the mass of hay, and a man there pulled
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  Speaker 1: on another rope, loosening the prongs of the legs of
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  Speaker 1: the ewe and the hay fell out. Then the empty
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  Speaker 1: fork coasted back down the inclined stretch rope until it
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  Speaker 1: was at the wagon again. Nan found this very interesting
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  Speaker 1: to watch, and in order to see better, she climbed
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  Speaker 1: up to the top story of the barn and found
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  Speaker 1: herself in the hay mow, which was being filled. Hello,
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  Speaker 1: who's there, asked see as he heard some one behind him.
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  Speaker 1: Dick had gone up to empty the hay fork after
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  Speaker 1: each full trip. I came up to watch, said Nan.
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  Speaker 1: All right, stand over there and you'll be safe, said
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  Speaker 1: the hired man. As one wagon was emptied of its
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  Speaker 1: load in this quick fashion, another drove into the yard
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  Speaker 1: and the fork began taking the hay off fat. Then
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  Speaker 1: someone called zeke away, and Nan was left alone in
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  Speaker 1: the moor. As she stood there, the horse on the
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  Speaker 1: ground below started off raising a fork full of hay
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  Speaker 1: and pulling it toward the open moor door. Oh, dear,
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed Nan. Here's a lot of hay coming and no
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  Speaker 1: one to open the fork. I wish I could do it.
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  Speaker 1: I think I could. I watched Zek. All he does
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  Speaker 1: is to pull the short rope. I'll do it. And so,
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  Speaker 1: when the fog full of hay swung into the barn,
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  Speaker 1: Nan made a jump for the dangling short rope and
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  Speaker 1: pulled on it. But the hay fork did not open.
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  Speaker 1: Something was caught or jammed. Nan fairly lifted herself off
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  Speaker 1: the ground in her eagerness to pull, and hung dangling
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  Speaker 1: by the rope, fast to the fork full of hay.
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  Speaker 1: Just then, Zeke, who had gone out of the barn,
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  Speaker 1: looked up and saw the fork full of hay in
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  Speaker 1: the open door. What did you hold that up for,
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  Speaker 1: he asked the man who was driving the horse. I'm
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  Speaker 1: not there to open the fork, Oh, said the man.
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  Speaker 1: I didn't know that. I thought you were there. I'll
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  Speaker 1: let the hay come back again, he spoke to the horse.
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  Speaker 1: The animal began backing, and the big bundle of hay
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  Speaker 1: began to roll down the inclined trolley rope as it
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  Speaker 1: came out of the barn. Zeke and the others were
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  Speaker 1: startled to see Nan Bobbsey clinging to the rope before
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  Speaker 1: she could let go, she was being given a dangerous
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  Speaker 1: hay trolley ride out of the barn, high in the
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  Speaker 1: air over the yard. Oh oh, gasped the little girl
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  Speaker 1: as she realized her plight. Hold On, hold on, shouted Zeke,
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  Speaker 1: don't let go, and you'll be all right in a minute.
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  Speaker 1: Hold On end of chapter thirteen.