''That I wanted to go?" asked Basket proudly. "My family are the most important 'picnickers' at any picnic! We always go!" "Well, to be sure!" exclaimed Mary Frances. "Here, wait — these eggs will be ready in a minute!" "Tuck the napkin in carefully, please," said Bas- ket. " I won't spill them out. Anything else?" "No," said Mary Frances. "Aunt Maria said I could bring just one thing — and to surprise everybody; so I have not told anyone what I am going to bring. I wonder if " But her thought was cut short by Coffee Pot's crying excitedly : "I want to go! I want to go! I — want \ jr^yA 4/% — to — go ! go ! go ! go ! I want to go — go — go — go !— ^•-** *" ^ y,Y go—go !" "Oh, you can't go!" said Sauce Pan. "Why — you! — you'd — you — you'd " "That will do," said Mary Frances. "I'll take you, Coffee Pot. Maybe Aunt Maria's little coffee -^0! "Qoody! Qood^! ]m all reaJy! " ^ 138 The Maky Frances Cook Book pot won't be large enough for all of the picnic. Eleanor and Bob are going with us!" Coffee Pot looked tri-umph-ant-ly at Sauce Pan, but seemed too happy to say anything. '' Good-bye, Kitchen People," said Mary Frances, '^I wish I could take you all." "Good-bye," cried the Kitchen People; "hope you'll have a lovely time!" "I'd be scared," said Sauce Pan, glancing at Coffee Pot. "Who knows what's in the woods?" And as Mary Frances closed the door, he was singing: "^If polar bears were every wheres, And leopards came to tea. And fearful bats and gnawing gnats All came to eat with me, And giant snakes ate all the cakes, What a "picnic" that would be!' " "Boo!!!" r"T?n r^^ 11 take ^ou, /feoffee" \J)ot'' CHAPTER XXII THE CANDY PULL a G ET scared at the 'Pic-wick/ — I mean 'Picnic/ -Coffey," teased Sauce Pan next morning. 'Nope/' said Coffee Pot, ''the 'airing' did me good. I feel lots clearer." "Tell us about it?" "Oh, I'm not good at story telling! The Aunt told about the funniest recipe she knew, — called 'Merry Land Biscuits,' I think. Anyhow, she said to 'beat 'em twenty minutes with an axe!'" "That's a kitchen person I never heard of," said Tea Kettle. "Did the Aunt hke the little Miss' cooking?" asked Aunty Rolling Pin, anxiously. "Yes, and she talked about Mary Frances' de-vel- op-ment of char-ac-ter — whatever that is. It seemed to have something to do with cooking, for at the same time, she told about the things our little Miss had made, and seemed so proud. '"May I see your book, my dear?' she asked Mary [139] Teased Sauce pan Tlid thevnunt like tde little MissVookind^^ 140 The Mary Frances Cook Book Frances (for our little mistress had the book tucked under her arm). ^How far are you?' And when Mary Frances showed her: '''Candy!' she exclaimed, 'Why, to-morrow, my dear (she never used to call her my dear), you can have a Candy Pull — only,' she laughed, 'it isn't the kind that is pulled.' '"Oh, Aunt Maria,' said Mary Frances, 'that's the loveliest thought — the Candy Pull, I mean.'" "Humph," said Sauce Pan, "I don't think so! That means we can't help her." "Oh, no, it doesn't," said Aunty Rolling Pin. "We can help her a great deal by just doing our part. Don't you see? She doesn't need us as she used LSnCiyJ "I 'spose we ought to be glad," said Sauce Pan. q1-|/;j "^ ******* PYrfaimP/l "Now, Eleanor," said Mary Frances that evening,

AI-modernized reading of the original text

''That I wanted to go?" asked Basket proudly. "My family are the most important 'picnickers' at any picnic! We always go!" "Well, to be sure!" exclaimed Mary Frances. "Here, wait — these eggs will be ready in a minute!" "Tuck the napkin in carefully, please," said Basket. " I won't spill them out. Anything else?" "No," said Mary Frances. "Aunt Maria said I could bring just one thing — and to surprise everybody; so I have not told anyone what I am going to bring. I wonder if " But her thought was cut short by Coffee Pot's crying excitedly : "I want to go! I want to go! I want to go! "Oh, you can't go!" said Sauce Pan. "Why — you! — you'd — you — you'd " "That will do," said Mary Frances. "I'll take you, Coffee Pot. Maybe Aunt Maria's little coffee "Goody! Goody! I'm all ready!" ^ 138 The Maky Frances Cook Book pot won't be large enough for all of the picnic. Eleanor and Bob are going with us!" Coffee Pot looked tri-umph-ant-ly at Sauce Pan, but seemed too happy to say anything. '' Good-bye, Kitchen People," said Mary Frances, '^I wish I could take you all." "Good-bye," cried the Kitchen People; "hope you'll have a lovely time!" "I'd be scared," said Sauce Pan, glancing at Coffee Pot. "Who knows what's in the woods?" And as Mary Frances closed the door, he was singing: "^If polar bears were every wheres, And leopards came to tea. And fearful bats and gnawing gnats All came to eat with me, And giant snakes ate all the cakes, What a "picnic" that would be!' " "Boo!!!" "I'll take you, Coffee Pot" CHAPTER XXII THE CANDY PULL a "GET scared at the 'Picnic,' Coffey," teased Sauce Pan next morning. "Nope," said Coffee Pot, "the airing did me good. I feel lots clearer." "Tell us about it?" "Oh, I'm not good at story telling! The Aunt told about the funniest recipe she knew, — called 'Merry Land Biscuits,' I think. Anyhow, she said to 'beat 'em twenty minutes with an axe!'" "That's a kitchen person I never heard of," said Tea Kettle. "Did the Aunt hke the little Miss' cooking?" asked Aunty Rolling Pin, anxiously. "Yes, and she talked about Mary Frances' de-velop-ment of char-ac-ter — whatever that is. It seemed to have something to do with cooking, for at the same time, she told about the things our little Miss had made, and seemed so proud. '"May I see your book, my dear?' she asked Mary 140 The Mary Frances Cook Book Frances (for our little mistress had the book tucked under her arm). ^How far are you?' And when Mary Frances showed her: '''Candy!' she exclaimed, 'Why, to-morrow, my dear (she never used to call her my dear), you can have a Candy Pull — only,' she laughed, 'it isn't the kind that is pulled.' '"Oh, Aunt Maria,' said Mary Frances, 'that's the loveliest thought — the Candy Pull, I mean.'" "Humph," said Sauce Pan, "I don't think so! That means we can't help her." "Oh, no, it doesn't," said Aunty Rolling Pin. "We can help her a great deal by just doing our part. Don't you see? She doesn't need us as she used "I 'spose we ought to be glad," said Sauce Pan. "Now, Eleanor," said Mary Frances that evening,

The Mary Frances cook book