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A Missing Cake · The Bobbsey Twins at Cherry Corners

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  Chapter fourteen of The Bobbsey Twins at Cherry Corners by Laura Lee Hope. This
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  LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Martha Heaton a missing Cake.
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  Questioningly, Bert Bobbsey looked at his mother. Is a circus coming here?
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  He asked? Not the circus? She answered. It wouldn't pay a
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  big circus to stop at Cherry Corners, for not enough people would come to
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  see it. But the ticket agent at the railroad station said a big circus
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  train would pass through here tomorrow on its way to Denville over the railroad back
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  of Redgate Farm, asked Bird. Some distance back of the cherry orchard,
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  were the shining rails on a high embankment of dirt and cinders. Yes,
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  on our railroad, declared Freddie. As soon as he learned there was a
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  railroad back of the farm his father had got the little fireman spoke of it
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  as our railroad. And we're going to get up early and watch the train
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  go through, added FLOSSI aren't we, mother, I guess so, was
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  the smiling answer. You'll have to get up before breakfast. However, I
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  always get up before breakfast, announced Freddy. That is less I'm sick,
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  and I'm not sick now, and I'm glad of it because I want to
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  see the elephants. I guess you won't see many elephants, Bert said,
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  they keep them enclosed cars, and they do the same with all the other
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  animals. Some of the cars have slats on them, like the crate we
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  brought snap here in, suggested Nan. Maybe we can look through the slats
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  and see some of the animals, maybe, agreed Bert, who had not
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  thought of this. But are you going to let them get up to see
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  the circus train come through, he asked his mother, nodding at Flossie and
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  Freddy. I thought perhaps if you and Nan got up early enough and wanted
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  to walk back of the farm to see the train, you'd take Flossie and
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  Freddy with you, suggested missus Bobbsey. Oh sure we will, promised Bert.
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  It will be early before the cherry picking starts, and I can come
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  back as soon as the train goes. Sure we'll go. This delighted the
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  young twins, and they were soon talking of nothing but the chances of seeing
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  some of the circus animals. As the cars rumbled past cherry corners on the
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  way to the city beyond. Missus Bobbsey had learned from the station agent about
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  what time the circus train was expected. It was an hour before Dinah would
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  serve the Bobbsey breakfast, and Freddie was so afraid Bert might oversleep that he
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  begged his mother to set the alarm clock, which was done. The bell
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  sounded its warning tinkle, and Bert, awakened by it, could not for
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  a few moments remember what it was all about. But soon Freddie excitedly whispered,
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  come on, we're going to see the circus train. A little later,
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  the four twins were on their way over the back pasture and through a
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  patch of woods on their way to the railroad tracks. Snap went with them,
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  running here and there, sniffing and snuffing at holes in the ground,
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  at stone fence corners, where once he surprised a chipmunk, and again at
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  a hollow tree where some big animals seemed to be hiding. Maybe it's a
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  bear, suggested Freddy, a circus bear. The circus train isn't here yet,
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  so how could it be a bear, asked Flossie. Freddy did not
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  answer, for just then a whistle sounded, and he cried, here comes
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  the circus train. Now, let's hurry, begged Nan and Bert, calling
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  to snap to leave off the sniffing around the hollow log. Hastened on with
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  the smaller children. When they emerged from the woods, the railroad embankment was
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  in sight, and around a curve rolled a long train of gay, red,
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  and yellow cars. Some of the cars were flat, and on them
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  were the brilliant circus wagons. Most of them, however, were covered with
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  big pieces of canvas to keep off any rain, and so not much of
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  a view could be had of the chariots, except in places where the covering
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  was torn. Reaching a safe place and one where a good view could be
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  had, Bird and his brother and sisters watched the circus train rumble past.
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  Several pickers from Redgate Farm had gotten up early to come out and view the
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  site, and there were also men and boys who worked on the other three
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  farms. The railroad went up a grade back of Redgate Farm, and because
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  the circus train was heavy, the engines could not pull it very fast.
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  The slow movement gave the Bobbsey children and the others a good chance to view
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  the circus cars. Oh I see an elephant, suddenly cried Flossie pointing to
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  one car, the sides of which were made of heavy slats. And sure
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  enough, as this car came opposite to the children and elephants, thrust its
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  trunk out of a wide crack. Oh I wish he had come all the
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  way out, cried Freddie. Look exclaimed Nan, pointing to another car.
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  I see some zebras, and she indicated these prettily striped animals to the others.
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  Then followed a number of cars, gay in red, blue, yellow,
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  and gold paint, some with mirrors in gilt frames on their sides.
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  But what was in them, whether animals or circus tints? The children did
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  not know. The train was a long one and rumbled on up the small
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  hill. Then Bert heard a boy whom he had seen picking cherries on mister
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  Tansey's farm remark the train'll stop in a minute. How do you know,
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  asked another lad, and hearing a voice he knew, Bert turned and saw
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  Nick Dodge standing near. But Nick did not seem to see Bert, at
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  least he paid no attention to him or the other Bobbsey children. How do
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  you know the train's going to stop, asked Nick again, because all trains
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  stop at the top of the hill to get water for the engines, answered
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  the other boy, there's a water tank there. Do you think the train
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  will stop? Bird, asked Freddy, who had heard what Nick asked.
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  I don't know. I suppose so, was the answer. A moment later,
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  the hard puffing of the locomotives there were two on the train came to
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  an end and the car slowly rumbled to a halt. The first engine was
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  taking water, or rather the tender behind it was having its tank filled.
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  Oh now we can see everything, fine, cried FLOSSI. However, there
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  really was not much to see, for when the train stopped, the cars
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  opposite to the Bobbsey Twins contained only horses, and these were not much of
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  a novelty. But Flossie and Freddy at least were thrilled. Maybe when the
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  train goes on, suggested Freddy, we'll see cars with lions and tigers in
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  'em. I hope none of em gets loose, murmured FLOSSI don't worry,
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  none of them will get out, replied nan Bert. Now observed Nick Dodge
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  climbing up the railroad bank, and the boy who was with him called,
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  what are you going to do? Get on one of the circus cars,
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  was the answer. You don't dare, pooh, I never take a deer,
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  cried Nick, And then, to the surprise of Bert and the others,
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  they saw the boy climb up the side of a red and yellow car
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  that was coupled behind one containing a number of ponies, which could be seen
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  through the slats. The car on which Nick climbed was closed on all sides,
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  but it contained several windows, over which were heavy wooden shutters. What's
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  in that car, called the boy who was with Nick. Don't know,
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  but I'm going to find out, was the reply Bert. Nan and the
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  smaller twins saw Nick fumbling with an iron bar across one of the wooden shutters.
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  You'd better be careful, warned the other lad. If any of the
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  circus men catch you. Pooh, who's afraid, sneered Nick, And suddenly
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  he loosed the bar and the shutter dropped down, being hinged at the bottom.
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  Oh now you did it, shouted Nick's companion. Look, Bert whispered
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  Freddy Hush, warned Nan. We don't want to get into a quarrel with
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  that boy. Nick, in spite of his boast that he was not afraid,
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  seemed a bit alarmed at the result of his prank. He tried to
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  reach down and pull up the shutter again, but could not. Any animals
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  in there, asked the other boy. Before Nick could answer, another cherry
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  picker, a lad from the farm where Nick worked cried, look out,
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  the train's going to start. Two sharp whistles sounded from the engine at the
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  water tank. Nick began a scramble to reach the ground, and did so
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  before the train actually got There was a loud clatter as the heavy circus cars
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  yanked at their couplings, and then an iron grating that was fastened inside the
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  window the shutter of which Nick had loosened, swung back. Several animals appeared
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  at the opening, thus unexpectedly made Oh look monkeys, shouted Freddie monkeys,
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  monkeys, echoed Flossie. That's right, agreed Bert. As he and Nan
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  saw several of the monkeys putting their paws and queer faces out of the window.
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  Look what you did, Nick, said one of the lads. You'll
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  let those animals out. Maybe they're bears and lions in that car too,
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  added another lad. No, there ain't, said Nick, who had rejoined
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  his companions. There are only monkeys in that car. I looked in.
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  I guess they won't get out anyhow, I don't care if they do.
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  Nobody will know. I opened the window unless you fellows tell. We won't
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  tell, promised the two older lads, and Nick looked over toward Bert,
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  but he said nothing to the Bobbsey boy. The train was once more on
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  its way, but aside from several monkeys, one or two of them quite
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  large, who thrust their tails, paws or head out of the window,
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  nothing seemed likely to happen. I guess it's all right, said Nick,
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  and he seemed relieved that his mischievous trick would have no ill results. The
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  train puffed on its way up the grade and then came to a stop again.
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  Oh maybe they have found out some of the animals are going to get
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  loose, suggested FLOSSI I guess nothing like that will happen, said Bert,
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  though that window in the monkey car ought to be closed. The other engines
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  getting water now called a boy who was farther up the track, and this
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  was what was taking place. When the tinder of one locomotive was filled,
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  it pulled ahead out of the way so the other one could be filled.
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  When this was done, the circus train resumed its way in earnest. The
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  last of the red, yellow, gold, and mirrored cars passed before the
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  eyes of the Bobbsey twins, and then the excitement was over for the day.
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  I wish the circus was going to stay here, sighed Freddie. I'd
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  like to see some of the elephants. I mean a whole elephant, not
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  just its trunk. I'd like to see some monkeys, echoed Flossie. Maybe
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  some will get out, she added hopefully. I guess not, remarked Bert
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  with a laugh. And now I'm going back and pick cherries, he added,
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  I want to get enough money to buy my new fish pole. The
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  other boys and some men who had come to see the circus train also began
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  to leave, and soon the Bobbsey twins were eating breakfast, which Dinah,
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  listening with wide eyed wonder to tales of Freddie and Flossie, told her of
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  what they had seen served. The weather was fine and the cherries were ripening
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  nicely, which made the four farms busy places of work. Mister Bobbsey was
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  delighted with his cherry crop, and he said he hoped to make a goodly
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  sum by the sale of the fruit. If the rain holds off, we'll
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  do exceedingly well, he said to his wife. Can't we pick cherries in
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  the rain, asked Bert, Well, you could pick them, yes,
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  answered his father, But wet cherries are not good to pack and send away.
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  They wrought too quickly. We need dry weather. The sun continued to
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  shine, which was a good thing. Merrily the cherry picking went on.
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  There were one or two accidents. Once a boy on mister Winton's farm fell
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  out of a tree, broke his arm and was taken to the doctor's office
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  to have it set. Another time, a latter slipped and fell on a
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  stack of crates filled with cherries on mister Bobbsey's place, smashing into pulp several
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  quarts of the fruit. Once, when Bert had filled a large pail and
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  was coming down off the ladder with it, he slipped and, to save
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  himself, had to let go of the pail. His cherries spilled on the
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  ground, and he lost several quarts of them, not being allowed to turn
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  in the crushed fruit. But nothing more serious happened, and everything went very
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  well. The Bobbsey twins were glad they had come to cherry corners, and
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  Bert was very industrious, not letting a day pass that he did not earn
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  some money. Nan also picked, but she also wanted to learn to be
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  a housekeeper, so spent much time in the kitchen with Dinah and her mother.
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  Two days after the circus train had passed through, Nan baked a chocolate
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  cake. It was a fine one of several layers with thick chocolate in between.
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  Set it out on the back porch to cool. Dinah advised, and
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  Nan did so. She had promised Bert a piece of the cake if it
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  turned out well, and it had so Nan was anxious for her brother to
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  see the result of her efforts. After about an hour, she decided that
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  the cake was cool enough to set away in the pantry, and she went
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  to the back porch to get it. Was themata honeylamb, asked Dinah,
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  who heard Nan utter a startled cry my cake, my lovely chocolate cake.
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  It's gone, wailed Nan. Oh, Dear, my chocolate cake is gone.
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  End of chapter fourteen, read by Martha Heaton, September twenty twenty three.