Table of

e nursery with a big blank-book

paper dolls on the floor where she had been play

Dumps," said Diddie; "I'

ening wide in astonishment. "Who's

my head," said Diddie; "all about

Frank broke up my tea-set, an' Johnnie Miller tied er string so tight roun' Cherubim's n

er elbows on the table and face in her hands, looked on anxiously. "I'm not goin' ter write jes one straight book," said Diddie; "I'm goin' ter have little sho

ps; and Diddie wrote the name

his big paper will be long enou

e bottom of the second page Diddie

second story?" asked Diddie, b

Bad Little Girl,

t the top of the third page; and, allowing two pages for the story, she

aces for stories and poetry. She had three stories-"Nettie Herbert," "The Bad Little Girl," and "Annie's Visit to her Grandma." She had one place for poetry,

s and Chris went back to their dolls, a

ie He

or little girl;" and the

ave Nettie Herbert

said Dumps, conclusively, and Diddie drew a lin

a little wheelbarrer, and put all the things in it, and started fur home. When she was going a long, presently she herd sumbody cryin and jes a sobbin himself most to deaf; and twas a poor little boy all barefooted and jes as hungry as he could be; and he said his ma was sick, and his pa was dead, and he had nine little sisters and seven little bruthers, and he hadn't had a mouthful to eat in two weeks, and no place to sleep, nor nuthin'. So Nettie went to a doctors house, and told him she would give him the gold ring fur some fyssick fur the little boys muther; and the doctor give her some castor-oil and pa

stopped sudd

g it aloud, she said, "You see, I've only got six mo' lines of paper, an' I haven't got room to

arried the prince, an' lived happy ever afterwards

girls who read the book will want to know what become of her, an' there's only six lines to wind up in; an' she's only a little girl, an' she can't get married;

treated Dumps; "po' little Nettie,

let the Injuns scalp her, or the bears eat her up, an' I'm sure that's a heap worse than jes er horse r

'way all her candy an' little tubs an' iuns an' wheelbarrers, without lettin' the horses run o

s of the whole affair, went back to he

own the road, and she ran jes hard as she could; but befo she could git out er the way, the horse ran rite over her, and killed her, and all t

of Nettie

d of writin' books; Dumps, sposin' you make up 'bout the 'Ba

dolls, and coming to the table. Then, after think

yssick, you jes ought ter seen her cuttin' up! she skweeled, an' she holler'd, an' she kicked, an' she jes done ev'y bad way she could; an' one time when

terrupted Diddie, "y

ied Dumps; "an' ef you wrote down that she's dead, th

n choked her to de

s; "hit jes only give her spasums; an' now you'

playin' one day,"

nowed, she fell kersplash in the creek, and got drownded. An' one time her mammy tol' 'er not nuber ter clim' up on the fender, an' she neber min' 'er, but clum right upon the fende

in interrupted Diddie. "She couldn't be

dead, Diddie,"

fire burned her up

r died bout hit; an' ef you're goin' ter keep sa

id Diddie, "and I

t she had no business, the cow run his horns right through her neck, an' thro

at become of he

her," said Dumps. "She w

she's so bad," said Diddie; "th

, "an' the angel wan't er lookin', a

let it stay in the book-only you ain't finished it, D

uld be very nice to wind it up with a piece of poetry. Dumps was delighted at that suggestion, a

ittle girl, and

id, "Now, Dumps, sposin' y

s, and remained in deep study for

is dead, an'

ustn't never be glad when anybody's dead; that's to

ardly make that up; I jes had ter study all my might; and I'm

own, and her eyes tight shut, chewed the end

w was to run his horns throug

e no diffrence to

ddie, "ef 'twas her f

study and thought, Diddi

ittle girl, so w

s horns right slap

r to hebn all

in open, he pitc

he END of the B

d that's about 'Annie's Visit,' an' I'm tired of

"but I kin tell yer 'bout'n

t'll do jes as well,

die drew her pencil through "Annie

Tar B

hris

tech; an' one mornin' atter he git up, an' wuz er walkin' 'bout in his gyarden, he seed tracks, an' he foller de tracks, an' he see whar sumbody ben er grabbin' uv his goobers. An' ev'y day

on, sezee, 'I bet ye

by he sees de tar man er stanin' dar, an' he hollers out, 'Who's dat er stanin' dar an' er fixin' ter steal Brer Fox's goobers?' Den he lis'en, and nobody nuver anser, and he 'gin ter git mad, and he sez, sezee, 'Yer brack nigger you, yer better anser me wen I speaks ter yer;' a

un ter git madder'n he wuz, an' sezee, 'Ef yer fool 'long o' me mun, I'll butt de life out'n yer;' an' he hault off wid his head, an' butt de tar baby right in de chis, an' his head stuck. Den dar

an wat stole my goobers;

fire or de brier-patch; an' ef he say de fire, den we'll fling 'im in de briers; an' ef he say de briers, den we'll fl

ers, an' git me all scratched up; plee-ee-eeze tho me in de

y-ay over in de briers. Den Brer Rabbit he kick up his hee

rn an' riz in de briers!' And wid dat he lit right out,

TAR B

List of Il

with this story; and Diddie, afte

of The

day; so she closed the book, and gave it to Mammy to put a