"Did Mary Frances make this cake?" asked one of the guests. ("Fm awfully glad she didn't ask about the other," thought the little girl.) "Yes," said Eleanor's brother Bob. "Yes; know- ing the greatness of the present oc-ca-sion, I have written a poem, en-ti-tled, 'Ode to the Cook' (bowing to Mary Frances), which, with your kind indulgence, I will now read:" Frances make this, cakef "Qde to the (^ook " 156 The Mary Frances Cook Book "Begin!" laughed Mary Frances. Bob cleared his throat and began: "Mary Frances is a girl Who cooks for you and I; She can boil a fancy cake Or stew a cherry pie. " Once she made a pot of soup And served it for our dinner; We thought that we were like to die, It made us so much thinner." *'Time to weep?" asked Billy, pa-thet-i-cal-ly. "Now, this, our cook will save expense, For when she is your baker. You may save your doctor's bill — Just get an undertaker." "Now, Billy," cried Mary Frances, "what have you been telling?" "Oh, Bob, I say " said Billy. "Mary Frances, don't mind Bob," interrupted The Tea Party 157 Eleanor. ''You see what I have to stand all the time.'' And Mary Frances laughed heartily. ''Did you think I minded Bob?" she asked. "Show you forgive me, Mary Frances," begged Bob, "by letting me have another cup of cake, and another piece of cocoa." "Not another,''^ laughingly corrected Mary Frances, "To be polite, I believe I must pretend I didn't notice you'd had any." "You certainly are kind, Mary Frances," said Bob, "when I don't know how many pieces " "I know," cried Eleanor,^" this makes the fifth!" "Well, Nell," begged Bob, "don't tell Mother." "You deserve it," said Eleanor. "Come," said Billy, "all ready! another game! 'Blind feeds Blind!'" And they blindfolded the boys' eyes, and sat them opposite each other, each with a plate of little pieces of cake, and a spoon. They were to try to feed each other. The one who dropped the _^.. least number of pieces, and whose cake was first gone, M nt uPr won. It was very funny! Sometimes the spoon was poked into the other boy's ear; sometimes it hit his nose. "Don^ tell 158 The Mary Frances Cook Book "Everything was grand, Mary Frances," said Eleanor, "and it was the loveliest party!" "I think so, too," smiled Aunt Maria. "One last riddle," said Mary Frances' father, bidding the young people good-night: "^Why is Mary Frances the happiest girl in the world?' " Then they all guessed "Because 'Mother' is coming home to-morrow!" "Oh, Mary Frances," laughed Eleanor, "I've had more fun! Good-night, dear." And "So have we all of us," and "Thank you," cried the others. "Good-night!" "Good-night!" "Good-night!" XTevi^ mind, dear child, iiiunt ^ Tf^aj-ia comforted her. CHAPTER XXV MARY FRANCES GETS DINNER 66 o H, my dear Kitchen People, I'm so happy, I don't know whether I'm myself or not!" ''You are!" solemnly declared Sauce Pan, — ''I mean you are our little 'Miss' — Miss Mary Frances." "My, I feel so relieved!" said Mary Frances. "Since that is so, I'll tell you why I'm so excited! Mother is coming home to-day — and — I'm going to get dinner. Isn't it lovely?" "Everybody," shouted Tea Kettle, "ready!" With that, every utensil in the kitchen sprang to its queer little feet.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

"Did Mary Frances make this cake?" asked one of the guests. ("Fm awfully glad she didn't ask about the other," thought the little girl.) "Yes," said Eleanor's brother Bob. "Yes; knowing the greatness of the present oc-ca-sion, I have written a poem, en-ti-tled, 'Ode to the Cook' (bowing to Mary Frances), which, with your kind indulgence, I will now read:" Frances make this, cakef "Qde to the (^ook " The Mary Frances Cook Book "Begin!" laughed Mary Frances. Bob cleared his throat and began: "Mary Frances is a girl Who cooks for you and I; She can boil a fancy cake Or stew a cherry pie. " Once she made a pot of soup And served it for our dinner; We thought that we were like to die, It made us so much thinner." *'Time to weep?" asked Billy, pa-thet-i-cal-ly. "Now, this, our cook will save expense, For when she is your baker. You may save your doctor's bill — Just get an undertaker." "Now, Billy," cried Mary Frances, "what have you been telling?" "Oh, Bob, I say " said Billy. "Mary Frances, don't mind Bob," interrupted The Tea Party Eleanor. ''You see what I have to stand all the time.'' And Mary Frances laughed heartily. ''Did you think I minded Bob?" she asked. "To show you forgive me, Mary Frances," begged Bob, "by letting me have another cup of cocoa, and another piece of cake." "Not another," laughingly corrected Mary Frances, "To be polite, I believe I must pretend I didn't notice you'd had any."" "You certainly are kind, Mary Frances," said Bob, "though I don't know how many pieces." "I know," cried Eleanor, "this makes the fifth!" "Well, Nell," begged Bob, "don't tell Mother." "You deserve it," said Eleanor. "Come," said Billy, "all ready! another game! 'Blind feeds Blind!'" And they blindfolded the boys' eyes, and sat them opposite each other, each with a plate of little pieces of cake, and a spoon. They were to try to feed each other. The one who dropped the least number of pieces, and whose cake was first gone, won. It was very funny! Sometimes the spoon was poked into the other boy's ear; sometimes it hit his nose. "Don't tell The Mary Frances Cook Book "Everything was grand, Mary Frances," said Eleanor, "and it was the loveliest party!" "I think so, too," smiled Aunt Maria. "One last riddle," said Mary Frances' father, bidding the young people good-night: "^Why is Mary Frances the happiest girl in the world?' " Then they all guessed "Because 'Mother' is coming home to-morrow!" "Oh, Mary Frances," laughed Eleanor, "I've had more fun! Good-night, dear." And "So have we all of us," and "Thank you," cried the others. "Good-night!" "Good-night!" "Good-night!" Never mind, dear child, Aunt ^ Tf^aj-ia comforted her. CHAPTER XXV MARY FRANCES GETS DINNER o H, my dear Kitchen People, I'm so happy, I don't know whether I'm myself or not!" ''You are!" solemnly declared Sauce Pan, — ''I mean you are our little 'Miss' — Miss Mary Frances." "My, I feel so relieved!" said Mary Frances. "Since that is so, I'll tell you why I'm so excited! Mother is coming home to-day — and — I'm going to get dinner. Isn't it lovely?" "Everybody," shouted Tea Kettle, "ready!" With that, every utensil in the kitchen sprang to its queer little feet.

The Mary Frances cook book