How he saved Mary!
Once little Mary and her lamb really did get lost—and something dreadful almost happened! They had been pickingberriesin thebushesup Cloverhill, and couldn't find the way out. Thesunwas setting, andMarythought ofsnakesandbears! She was tired and hungry, too. She was eatingblueberriesfrom herpail, and crying, and thelamb, who would not eatberriesand wanted his milk in the oldcoffepotwas crying, too—"Ba-a-a!"—when a big, tallboywith ariflein hishandbroke through the bushes behind them. He sat down on astumpand stared at them, looking so white and scared thatMaryfelt sorry for him. "Did abearchase you?" she asked. "Oh no," said he, "It's only I'm so glad you are alive!" He didn't dare tell her he had mistaken her little brownheadbobbing among theleaves, for abird, and raised hisgunto shoot it when he saw a little whitelambbobbing beside it and stopped to look closer! So her littlelambhad saved Mary's life—but she never knew it. "Now how came you up here?" the boy asked. "Are you lost?" "Oh no," saidMary, winking away thetears, and smiling; "We aren't exactly lost—only we can't just find ourhome. And we want our supper, too." "You shall have it!" said theboy. "You are little Mary—I know yourhouse—and I'm going to carry you there, quicker than ahorsecan trot!" So he tookMaryin onearmand thelambin the other, and thegunhe left hidden in theforestunder atree. Then he quickly found theroad(it was close by, after all,) and in ten minutes they were safe home again; and Mary'smotherthanked the bigboyand gave them all some supper.
How he won the prize.
Now Mary and the bigboywith thegunbecame great friends. He used to bring hercandyin hissatchel; once he took her out in hisboatto gatherflowers; and he promised to take her to the County Fair. Early on that day he came for her with hishorseandcarriage. Mary was all ready, in her newhat, withbowson hershoes. "Where is thelamb?" he asked. "Fathersays he mustn't go," said Mary sadly, "so I shut him up in thebarn". "Oh but he must go!" cried theboy. "He's entered—they expect him."Marydidn't understand that, but she was very glad to take her dearlambwith her. They walked about the Fair grounds and saw thehorsesandcowsandsheepandpigsin thepens; and visited thetentwhere therabbitsandchickenswere, in theircages. And everywherethatMarywent thelambkept close beside her; and all thepeoplelooked at them and smiled. At last theboysaid, "Now we are going into theexhibit hallso we will leave ourlambin this nice littlepenbeside all the otherlambsto wait for us." They looked at thefruitsandflowersand thequiltsandpreservesin theexhibit hall. Then they found Marysfatherandmotherand had dinner together; and afterward they saw thehorserace, and thehot-air balloongo up, and heard themarching bandplay. It was a long time before they went for thelamb. Somepeoplewere looking at him, and just as Mary ran up they fastened a blueribbonon hishead. "Oh, thank you! How pretty!" she said. "Hurrah!" cried theboy. "Ourlambhas won first prize! That means he's the bestlambin town!" "Of course!" said littleMary. "He's the bestlambin the wholeworld!"
lamb