Now Mary and the big boy with the gun became great friends. He used to bring her candy in his satchel; once he took her out in his boat to gather flowers; and he promised to take her to the County Fair. Early on that day he came for her with his horse and carriage. Mary was all ready, in her new hat, with bows on her shoes. "Where is the lamb?" he asked. " Father says he mustn't go," said Mary sadly, "so I shut him up in the barn". "Oh but he must go!" cried the boy. "He's entered—they expect him." Mary didn't understand that, but she was very glad to take her dear lamb with her. They walked about the Fair grounds and saw the horses and cows and sheep and pigs in the pens; and visited the tent where the rabbits and chickens were, in their cages. And everywhere that Mary went the lamb kept close beside her; and all the people looked at them and smiled. At last the boy said, "Now we are going into the exhibit hall so we will leave our lamb in this nice little pen beside all the other lambs to wait for us." They looked at the fruits and flowers and the quilts and preserves in the exhibit hall. Then they found Marys father and mother and had dinner together; and afterward they saw the horse race, and the hot-air balloon go up, and heard the marching band play. It was a long time before they went for the lamb. Some people were looking at him, and just as Mary ran up they fastened a blue ribbon on his head. "Oh, thank you! How pretty!" she said. "Hurrah!" cried the boy. "Our lamb has won first prize! That means he's the best lamb in town!" "Of course!" said little Mary. "He's the best lamb in the whole world!"
lamb
