A Day at the County Fair

								

The three girls laughed until they cried, as Uncle Billy bowed and
smiled at himself before the mystic mirror that made the tallest person
seem short and squatty.
"Let's ride on the merry-go-round," proposed Beth; "it's almost ready
to start."
"Jump aboard," ordered her uncle, "I'll see to the tickets."
Jerry had at once chosen a very wild-looking lion to ride upon, but
Mary and Beth decided on two beautiful white horses, that rose up and
down on the iron rods that ran through their wooden bodies, as the
platform circled about.
The music was a jolly tune that the girls had heard before, so they
laughed and sang and waved each time to Uncle Billy as they sped past
him.
When the ride was over they walked to the other side of the grounds,
where a great crowd had gathered.
"What is it?" asked Jerry. "What is the fun about?" for everyone seemed
to be laughing.
Uncle Billy soon found a place for the girls near the inner circle, and
to their great surprise they saw a number of boys trying to catch some
very shiny little black pigs within a small enclosure. The crowd roared
with delight whenever a pig would slip through the fingers of the boy
trying to catch him.
"What makes them so shiny?" asked Beth, "and why do they want to catch
them?"
"Why, grease makes them shiny," replied Uncle Billy, "and the boy who
is clever enough to catch one gets the pig, or a prize."
"I do hope that boy with the red hair and freckles will catch his,"
whispered Mary; "he looks just like a boy I know."
"Oh, I know whom you mean;--Reddy," said Jerry with a smile.
"Isn't it dreadful the way those pigs squeal," and Beth put her hands
over her ears to shut out the sound.
At last the red-haired boy, whom Mary hoped would win, drove a pig into
a corner, and as the crowd watched he managed to grasp it by a fore and
hind leg and held it close to him.
"Now I've got you, you little rascal!" he cried, and the crowd cheered
as the little black pig wriggled in his arms and tried in vain to get
away.
The boy was now shown a number of prizes from which to choose. He
selected a silver watch and chain, with which he started off as proud
as a peacock.
"You brought him good luck, wishing that he would win," said Beth to
Mary as they turned to go.

CHAPTER V
THE GREASED POLE

"Did you ever see such large tomatoes?" exclaimed Jerry, pointing to a
booth where some prize vegetables were being exhibited.
"I'm glad you like them," said a fat, smiling old woman who was
standing near them, "for I grew them myself and they're prize winners."
"Oh, I don't see how you ever did it," declared Jerry. "I had a garden
once and most everything died but the weeds."
"Well, my dear, wasn't that just too bad? Perhaps you forgot to water
the plants. It's a bit of care every day that brings them along," and
she patted Jerry's rosy cheeks.
"I guess the poor things starved to death," thought Jerry as she joined