  'Now I will tie you to the garden gate, and pretend I have put my horse in the stable,' Fanny said to her little brother Dick, with whom she had been playing horses until she was hot and tired. Her mother had gone to the market town, and would not be home until the evening, and so Fanny was left in charge of her brother. Dick thought it was rather interesting to be tied up in a stable, and so he was quite happy when Fanny said that she wanted to run down the road to see her friend, Dora Barnes, for a few minutes. At first Dick pretended to eat oats out of a manger; then he thought he would lie down and sleep. But that was dull, so he got up and pranced and kicked with impatience; and presently the time began to drag more and more slowly, and he wondered when Fanny would come back again. 'These knots are so tight, I cannot undo them, and I am so tired of playing at being a horse tied up in a stable,' he said sadly to himself. After a time he gave up trying to pretend, but curled himself up and fell fast asleep. And still his sister did not come; but somebody else did. In the meantime, Fanny had found her friend, and had heard the splendid news that a circus was just going to pass through the village. This was enough to drive everything else out of Fanny's head. The two little girls started off to see the fun, and poor Dick was quite forgotten. There were ladies riding in golden cars, and little piebald ponies, and an elephant, and all kinds of marvellous sights. Fanny and Dora followed the procession to the field in which the tent was to be put up, and it was growing late before they thought of setting out for home. Then there suddenly came into Fanny's mind the remembrance of the little boy she had left fastened to the gate. 'I forgot all about him,' she said to Dora. 'I do hope he is all right.' But when they reached the cottage, no Dick was to be seen! 'Perhaps he managed to untie the cords, and is in the house,' Dora suggested. They hunted high and low, but no Dick was to be found, and Fanny burst into tears. 'Oh, Dora,' she cried, 'perhaps the circus people have been here and stolen him! You know they do steal little boys sometimes, and make them walk on tight-ropes. And they may be unkind to Dick. Oh! what shall I do?' At this moment a man on horseback came down the lane, and there, riding in front of him, was Dick! Fanny thought her worst fears were realised. The man must be a circus rider, and how could she hope to rescue her brother if the man chose to turn and gallop away! She rushed to meet them. 'Oh, please, sir, don't carry Dick away!' she cried. 'He is so little, and he is too fat ever to learn to dance on a tight-rope!' 'Why, I am bringing him home,' the man said; 'and what have I to do with tight-ropes?' Then Fanny recognised the gentleman as a friend of the Squire's, who was staying with him at the Hall. 'I beg your pardon, sir; I thought the circus people had stolen him,' she stammered. 'They have stolen a little girl's wits, I think,' said the gentleman, smiling. 'I found Dick all alone and very forlorn, so I took him for a ride, and am now bringing him back to see if there is any one here to take care of him. Are you the sister who was left in charge?' 'I forgot all about him,' Fanny confessed, blushing and hanging her head, 'and I was so frightened when I came home and did not find him here.' 'Well, look after your little brother better another time,' the gentleman said, as he lifted Dick down and rode away. And forgetful Fanny remembered this lesson, and tried not to be so thoughtless again. |
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