MAP or A
ri y T/i E
' FOREST
rT°
^r-\A ^-.Ms
JU
l~ Heart o'the Town Hall
2~Forest Gate Tower Room
3~River Gate Tower Room
4~Molly & Morton's House
5-Good Neighborhood St. School
6~Middle St. School & Playground
7~Libra ry
8—Findlej/'s House
9-House of Boy with the Red Cap
io~House inh^ckofRouse orBoy vWtMAeRed Cap
11-Sammy Goldberg's House
12-Sammy'S Father's Store
13-Hamilton's House
14-Miss Helpful's
15-Mr. RichmanS
16-Marie's
17-Lawrence Hadley's House
%Aj ^
V T O W 7\
Trt B
MOUNTAIN S
^entity's
0-W33
21-Teddys
22-Anytown. Hospital
23-General Store
24-Movie House
25-Wharton Store
26 -ClarkA-lice kBobby Freysers
27-Peter's House
28 - The Swinnerton's
29 —Old Mr. a Mrs. Belding's
30-Raymond's
31-Jimmy's
32~Good neighborhood St. Church
33-Busy St. Church
34-Ethel's
35~Laura Belle's & Frederick's
36-Artie's
37-Anytown Hotel 38-Mr. Brown's
THE KNIGHTS OF ANYTOWN
PILGRIM PLANBOOKS FOR WEEK-DAY RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION
A Three-Year Group Cycle for Children Six, Seven and Eight
Years of Age
I THE MAYFLOWER PROGRAM BOOK
A Week-Day Course of Twenty-six Sessions in World Friend-
ship and Training in Service for Primary Children
By Jeanette Eloise Perkins and Frances Weld Danielson
II THE SECOND YEAR MAYFLOWER PROGRAM BOOK
Continuation of The Mayflower Program Book. A Week-
Day Course of Twenty-six Sessions in World Friendship
and. Training in Service for Primary Children
By Jeanette Eloise Perkins and Frances Weld Danielson
III (A) THE KNIGHTS OF ANYTOWN
Twelve Stories of Children who try to make Good Neighbor-
hood Street of Anytown worthy of its Name, and keep various
Destructive Giants from Heart o' the Town, and who are
Helped by the Neighborhood Angel
LEADER'S MANUAL, THE KNIGHTS OF ANYTOWN
and THE REST OF THE FAMILY
A Guide showing how to use these Stories as a Week-Day
Course of Twelve Sessions
By Jeanette Eloise Perkins
III (B) THE REST OF THE FAMILY
Twelve Stories on the Subject of World-wide Sympathy and
Brotherhood
LEADER'S MANUAL, THE KNIGHTS OF ANYTOWN
and THE REST OF THE FAMILY
A Guide showing how to use these Stories as a Week-Day
Course of Thirteen Sessions ^
By Jeanette Eloise Perkins
THE KNIGHTS
OF ANYTOWN
By
JEANETTE ELOISE PERKINS
Illustrated by
FLORENCE LILEY YOUNG
THE PILGRIM
BOSTON
PRESS
CHICAGO
Copyright, 1923
By SIDNEY A. WESTON
Printed in the United States of America
THE JORDAN & MORE PRESS
BOSTON
CJ^HODA and Douglas and Frances and Jewel,
^—* John, and the others, too,
Who have wandered with me through Good Neighhorhood Street,
This hook is a present to you.
You gave me the stories yourselves, first of all,
And have helped to make them come true;
So now I have gathered them all in a hook
And am giving them hack to you.
THE STORIES
page
I The Knights of the Silver Shield
(By Raymond MacDonald Alden) ..... 1
II Introducing the Children of Good Neighborhood Street,
their Angel, and the Giants . . . . .14
III Sammy Goldberg and the Boy with the Red Cap . . 33
IV Hamilton's Hallowe'en Pumpkin ..... 46
V The Lemonade Bazaar . . . . . . .62
VI The Conspiracy ........ 73
VII Pretend-Stories . . . . . . . .86
VIII The Travelog Circus . . . . . . .98
IX How Johnny Won His Star ...... 110
X Rosa Mondella's Christmas Stocking .... 124
XI How Marie Became a Good Fellow ..... 136
XII Anytown's Christmas Party ...... 147
THE PICTURES
opposite page
The Three . . . Were Running Down the Street ... 22
"Hamilton's Pumpkin! ........ 60
As Soon as School was Over . . . the Sale Began . . . 68
The Circus Parade at the BelIjings . ..... 106
"I Can Give My Village to the Children in the Hospital . 146
"Carol, Children, Carol. . ....... 158
I
THE KNIGHTS OF THE SILVER SHIELD1
(By Raymond MacDonald Alden)
There was once a splendid castle in a forest, with great
stone walls and a high gateway, and turrets that rose
away above the tallest trees. The forest was dark and
dangerous, and many cruel giants lived in it; but in the
castle was a company of knights, who were kept there by
the king of the country, to help travelers who might be in
the forest, and to fight with the giants whenever they
could.
Each of these knights wore a beautiful suit of armor and
carried a long spear, while over his helmet there floated a
great red plume that could be seen a long way off by any
one in distress. But the most wonderful thing about the
knights' armor was their shields. They were not like those
of other knights, but had been made by a great magician
1 From Why the Chimes Rang and Other Stories, by Raymond MacDonald Alden. Copyright,
1908. Used by special permission of the publishers, the Bobbs-Merrill Company.
2 \The Knights of Anytown
who had lived in the castle many years before. They were
made of silver, and sometimes shone in the sunlight with
dazzling brightness; but at other times the surface of the
shields would be clouded as though by a mist, and one
could not see his face reflected there as he could when
they shone brightly.
Now, when each young knight received his spurs and
his armor, a new shield was also given him from among
those that the magician had made; and when the shield
was new, its surface was always cloudy and dull. But as
the knight began to do service against the giants, or went
on expeditions to help poor travelers in the forest, his
shield grew brighter and brighter, so that he could see his
face clearly reflected in it. But if he proved to be a lazy or
cowardly knight, and let the giants get the better of him,
or did not care what became of the travelers, then the
shield grew more and more cloudy, until the knight be-
came ashamed to carry it.
But this was not all. When any one of the knights
fought a particularly hard battle, and won the victory, or
when he went on some hard errand for the lord of the
castle, and was successful, not only did his silver shield
grow brighter, but when one looked into the center of it
The Knights of the Silver Shield 3
he could see something like a golden star shining in its
very heart. This was the greatest honor that a knight
could achieve, and the other knights always spoke of such
a one as having "won his star. It was usually not till he
was pretty old and tried as a soldier that he could win it.
At the time when this story begins, the lord of the castle
himself was the only one of the knights whose shield bore
the golden star.
There came a time when the worst of the giants in the
forest gathered themselves together to have a battle
against the knights. They made a camp in a dark hollow
not far from the castle, and gathered all their best war-
riors together, and all the knights made ready to fight
them. The windows of the castle were closed and barred;
the air was full of the noise of armor being made ready for
use; and the knights were so excited that they could
scarcely rest or eat.
Now there was a young knight in the castle, named Sir
Roland, who was among those most eager for the battle.
He was a splendid warrior, with eyes that shone like stars
whenever there was anything to do in the way of knightly
deeds. And although he was still quite young, his shield
had begun to shine enough to show plainly that he had
4 The Knights of Anytown
done bravely in some of his errands through the forest.
This battle, he thought, would be the great opportunity
of his life. And on the morning of the day when they were
to go forth to it, and all the knights assembled in the
great hall of the castle to receive the commands of their
leaders, Sir Roland hoped that he would be put in the
most dangerous place of all, so that he could show what
knightly stuff he was made of.
But when the lord of the castle came to him, as he went
about in full armor giving his commands, he said, "One
brave knight must stay behind and guard the gateway
of the castle, and it is you, Sir Roland, being one of the
youngest, whom I have chosen for this.
At these words Sir Roland was so disappointed that he
bit his lip, and closed his helmet over his face so that the
other knights might not see it. For a moment he felt as if
he must reply angrily to the commander, and tell him
that it was not right to leave so sturdy a knight behind,
when he was eager to fight. But he struggled against this
feeling, and went quietly to look after his duties at the
gate. The gateway was high and narrow, and was reached
from outside by a high, narrow bridge that crossed the
moat which surrounded the castle on every side. When an
The Knights of the Silver Shield 5
enemy approached, the knight on guard rang a great bell
just inside the gate, and the bridge was drawn up against
the castle wall, so that no one could come across the moat.
So the giants had long ago given up trying to attack the
castle itself.
Today the battle was to be in the dark hollow in the
forest, and it was not likely that there would be anything
to do at the castle gate, except to watch it like a common
doorkeeper. It was not strange that Sir Roland thought
some one else might have done this.
Presently all the other knights marched out in their
flashing armor, their red plumes waving over their heads,
and their spears in their hands. The lord of the castle
stopped only to tell Sir Roland to keep guard over the
gate until they had all returned, and to let no one enter.
Then they went into the shadows of the forest, and were
soon lost to sight.
Sir Roland stood looking after them long after they
had gone, thinking how happy he would be if he were on
the way to battle like them. But after a little he put this
out of his mind, and tried to think of pleasanter things.
It was a long time before anything happened, or any word
came from the battle.
6 The Knights oj Anytown
At last Sir Roland saw one of the knights come limping
down the path to the castle, and he went out on the bridge
to meet him. Now this knight was not a brave one, and
he had been frightened away as soon as he was wounded.
"I have been hurt, he said, "so that I cannot fight any
more. But I could watch the gate for you, if you would
like to go back in my place.
At first Sir Roland's heart leaped with joy at this, but
then he remembered what the commander had told him
on going away, and he said, "I should like to go, but a
knight belongs where his commander has put him. My
place is here at the gate, and I cannot open it even for you.
Your place is at the battle.
The knight was ashamed when he heard this, and he
presently turned about and went into the forest again.
So Sir Roland kept guard silently for another hour.
Then there came an old beggar woman down the path to
the castle, and asked Sir Roland if she might come in
and have some food. He told her that no one could enter
the castle that day, but that he would send a servant out
to her with food, and that she might sit and rest as long
as she would.
"I have been past the hollow in the forest where the
The Knights of the Silver Shield 7
battle is going on, said the old woman, while she was
waiting for her food.
"And how do you think it is going? asked Sir Roland.
"Badly for the knights, I am afraid, said the old
woman. "The giants are fighting as they have never
fought before. I should think you had better go and help
your friends.
"I should like to, indeed, said Sir Roland. "But I am
set to guard the gateway of the castle, and cannot leave.
"One fresh knight would make a great difference when
they are all weary with fighting, said the old woman. "I
should think that, while there are no enemies about, you
would be much more useful there.
"You may well think so, said Sir Roland, "and so
may I; but it is neither you nor I that is commander
here.
"I suppose, said the old woman then, "that you are
one of the kind of knights who like to keep out of fighting.
You are lucky to have so good an excuse for staying at
home. And she laughed a thin and taunting laugh.
Then Sir Roland was very angry, and thought that if it
were only a man instead of a woman, he would show him
whether he liked fighting or no. But as it was a woman, he
8 The Knights of Anytown
shut his lips and set his teeth hard together, and as the
servant came just then with the food he had sent for, he
gave it to the old woman quickly, and shut the gate that
she might not talk to him any more.
It was not very long before he heard some one calling
outside. Sir Roland opened the gate and saw standing at
the other end of the drawbridge a little old man in a long
black cloak.
"Why are you knocking here? he said. "The castle is
closed today.
"Are you Sir Roland? said the little old man.
"Yes, said Sir Roland.
"Then you ought not to be staying here when your
commander and his knights are having so hard a struggle
with the giants, and when you have the chance to make of
yourself the greatest knight in this kingdom. Listen to me!
I have brought you a magic sword.
As he said this, the old man drew from under his coat
a wonderful sword that flashed in the sunlight as if it
were covered with diamonds.
"This is the sword of all swords, he said, "and it is
for you, if you leave your idling here by the castle gate, and
carry it to the battle. Nothing can stand before it. When
The Knights of the Silver Shield 9
you lift it the giants will fall back, your master will be
saved, and you will be crowned the victorious knight—
the one who will soon take his commander's place as lord
of the castle.
Now Sir Roland believed that it was a magician who
was speaking to him, for it certainly appeared to be a
magic sword. It seemed so wonderful that the sword should
be brought to him, that he reached out his hand as
though he would take it, and the little old man came
forward, as though he would cross the drawbridge into
the castle. But as he did so, it came to Sir Roland's mind
again that that bridge and the gateway had been in-
trusted to him, and he called out "No! to the old man,
so that he stopped where he was standing. But he waved
the shining sword in the air again, and said, "It is for
you ! Take it, and win the victory!
Sir Roland was really afraid that if he looked any longer
at the sword, or listened to any more words of the old
man, he would not be able to hold himself within the
castle. For this reason he struck the great bell at the gate-
way, which was the signal for the servants inside to pull in
the chains of the drawbridge, and instantly they began to
pull, and the drawbridge came up, so that the old man
io The Knights of Anytown
could not cross it to enter the castle, nor Sir Roland to go
out.
Then as he looked across the moat Sir Roland saw a
wonderful thing. The little old man threw off his black
cloak, and as he did so he began to grow bigger and bigger,
until in a minute more he was a giant as tall as any in the
forest. At first Sir Roland could scarcely believe his eyes.
Then he realized that this must be one of their giant
enemies, who had changed himself to a little old man
through some magic power, that he might make his way
into the castle while all the knights were away. Sir Roland
shuddered to think what might have happened if he
had taken the sword and left the gate unguarded. The
giant shook his fist across the moat that lay between
them, and then, knowing that he could do nothing more,
he went angrily back into the forest.
Sir Roland now resolved not to open the gate again,
and to pay no attention to any other visitor. But it was
not long before he heard a sound that made him spring
forward in joy. It was the bugle of the lord of the castle,
and there came sounding after it the bugles of many of
the knights that were with him, pealing so joyfully
that Sir Roland was sure they were safe and happy. As
The Knights of the Silver Shield 11
they came nearer, he could hear their shouts of victory.
So he gave the signal to let down the drawbridge again,
and went out to meet them. They were dusty and blood-
stained and weary, but they had won the battle with the
giants; and it had been such a great victory that there had
never been a happier home-coming.
Sir Roland greeted them all as they passed in over the
bridge, and then, when he had closed the gate and fas-
tened it, he followed them into the great hall of the castle.
The lord of the castle took his place on the highest seat,
with the other knights about him, and Sir Roland came
forward with the key of the gate, to give his account of
what he had done in the place to which the commander
had appointed him.
The lord of the castle bowed to him as a sign for him to
begin, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, one of
the knights cried out, "The shield! the shield! Sir Ro-
land's shield!
Every one turned and looked at the shield which Sir
Roland carried on his left arm. He himself could see only
the top of it, and did not know what they could mean.
But what they saw was the golden star of knighthood,
shining brightly from the center of Sir Roland's shield.
i 2 The Knights of Any town
There had never been such amazement in the castle
before.
Sir Roland knelt before the lord of the castle to receive
his commands. He still did not know why every one was
looking at him so excitedly, and wondered if he had in
some way done wrong.
"Speak, Sir Knight, said the commander as soon as
he could find his voice after his surprise, "and tell us all
that has happened today at the castle. Have you been
attacked? Have any giants come hither? Did you fight
them alone?
"No, my lord, said Sir Roland. "Only one giant has
been here, and he went away silently when he found he
could not enter.
Then he told all that had happened through the
day.
When he had finished the knights all looked at one
another, but no one spoke a word. Then they looked
again at Sir Roland's shield, to make sure that their eyes
had not deceived them, and there the golden star was
still shining.
After a little silence the lord of the castle spoke.
"Men make mistakes, he said, "but our silver shields
The Knights of the Silver Shield 13
are never mistaken. Sir Roland has fought and won the
hardest battle of all today.
Then the others all arose and saluted Sir Roland, who
was the youngest knight that ever carried the golden
star.
II
INTRODUCING THE CHILDREN OF GOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, THEIR ANGEL,
AND THE GIANTS
Oh, Heart o> the Town is the part o> the town
That belongs to you and to me,
And every one knows ids the place that shows
What you want your city to be!
The children I shall tell you of lived miles and miles
away from here, and in a place where people used a dif-
ferent kind of calendar from ours, so we have no way of
telling what year it was, 1923, or 1850, or 2051.
They dated things by what happened. They would say,
"John must go to the dentist's; he hasn't been since
Heart o' the Town was nearly burned, or, "The baby was
born the week before Ethel drove away the Selfish Giant,
or, "The next picnic will be the day after Teddy wins
his star. And if you ask me, I think it is a very sensible
way, and much more interesting than plain January,
1835, or June, 1919.
The name of the city was Anytown, and if you visited it
I suppose it would look much like this town, if we had a
Children of Good Neighborhood Street i 5
river on one side and a forest on the other, and the prin-
cipal streets, instead of going straight, went around in a
circle. The houses looked like ours, and so did the people.
In the very center of the town was a park. It was in the
shape of a circle, of course, and Main Street, which was the
first street, and where the hotel and Wharton's big store
were, went all around it. In the park was a big public play-
ground, where children could swing and race and teeter
and slide, and a pond where they could wade and sail
their boats. There was a beautiful big white building, too,
in the park, where old and young met for good times in-
winter, and where the Christmas parties were held. I must
tell you about the first Christmas party sometime.
The name of the beautiful park was Heart o' the Town,
and the big white building was Heart o' the Town Hall.
There were parks and playgrounds and halls on other
streets, too, but they belonged only to those streets.
Heart o' the Town belonged to every one. Every single
person in Anytown had helped to make it beautiful, and
each one was so proud of it that he took great pains to keep
it beautiful. If the wind blew, the children would run out-
of-doors and pick up any stray papers on their lawns or
sidewalks, for fear they might be blown over to Heart o'
i 6 The Knights of Any town
the Town, and make it untidy. The river which flowed
around one side of the city was kept clear and pure, for a
pipe led from it to the pond and drinking fountain in
this park, and everything in Heart o' the Town must be
clean and good.
All around Anytown was a stone wall. The wall had two
gates, the River Gate and the Forest Gate. A Keeper
stood at each one, and although visitors to the city were
welcome, they must first show their passports.
Strangers entering by one of these gates found them-
selves at once on Good Neighborhood Street, the nicest
street in the town. It was, of course, the longest, for it
went all the way around the city. One thing which made
it so desirable was its view. Whether you looked out across
the river to the blue mountains beyond, or into the green
forest with its tall fir-trees, it was beautiful. Another
thing was the appearance of the street itself. The houses
were all pretty, the lawns were tidy, the gardens here and
there made the street bright and colorful, and the children
playing about were happy and clean. Besides this, Forest
Gate Street and River Gate Street were the only streets
that ran through it, which meant only two crossings,
and consequently very few accidents.
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 17
Now Good Neighborhood Street had a guardian angel.
I suppose all streets have guardian angels if people would
only recognize them. Everybody on Good Neighborhood
Street recognized this one, and the children called him
their Neighborhood Angel. They loved him dearly, for
he was always helping them in one way or another. He
carried a big Book with him wherever he went, and when
children asked him questions, he would often say, "It is
written"—and then open the Book and find the answer.
It seemed as if that Book held an answer to nearly every
question any one could ask. Often the Angel read them
stories from this Book, and at other times he would tell
them of strange and wonderful adventures and suggest
the most fascinating and interesting things for them to
do. So usually they tried very hard to please him.
At the time I am telling you of, however, the Neighbor-
hood Angel was very sad, because the children on Good
Neighborhood Street had not been trying, and as a result
the whole city, even to Heart o' the Town, was made
miserable. For whatever affected the city, you must know,
affected Heart o' the Town the worst of all. This is how
it happened:
If you wanted to make a town a safe and healthful place
i 8 The Knights of Anytown
to live in, you would make some rules for people to follow,
wouldn't you? Well, that's exactly what the lawmakers
of Anytown did. The rules showed well people how to keep
well, and sick people how to grow better, and they told
every one how to keep diseases from spreading from one
person to another.
Somehow or other measles came to Anytown. Nobody
knew how they came, or where they came from, but as soon
as people knew that Molly and Morton on Good Neigh-
borhood Street had them, they did everything they could
to keep them from going farther.
In public places they put printed rules, saying that
children with measles should stay at home from school;
that they should not visit other children, nor should
other children visit them. They put big posters at all the
entrances to Heart o' the Town, asking children with
measles to please keep out, for it would be a dreadful
thing if their beloved park, which was always kept sweet
and safe for people to enjoy, should have in it any-
thing as horrid as measles. Molly and Morton had
a bright red placard on their house, which said in big
letters,—
MEASLES
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 19
It had been there for nearly two weeks, and warned the
people to keep away from there.
All the mothers on Good Neighborhood Street had
said to their children, "Molly and Morton have the
measles. We mustn't let it spread, so do not play with
them until the sign has been taken away from their
door.
And Molly and Morton's mother had said to Molly
and Morton, "We mustn't let the measles spread, you
know, so do not play with any other children until the
sign is taken away from our door.
It was nearly two weeks since Molly and Morton had
seen any of their playmates. For a while they had been
too sick to care, but they were getting well now, and were
wishing they could go to school again and see some one
besides each other. For the last two days, which had been
warm and sunny, their mother had let them play out-
doors in their big back yard. Today the telephone had
called her away to see their grandmother, who needed
her.
She had come to the back door and said, "Will you be
good children, dears, and play here in the yard while I
run over and see what grandmother wants?
2 o The Knights of Anytown
"Yes, mother, they had answered, and she had
gone.
"I'm tired of playing house, said Molly, after a little.
"Let's play Hide-and-Seek.
So Morton was It, and Molly looked for a hiding-place.
She thought of a cluster of fir-trees on the lawn in front
of the house. They were close together and the branches
were thick.
"I'll hide there, Molly thought; "he'll never find me.
Quickly she ran around the house, parted the branches of
the trees, slipped into the center of the cluster, and called,
"Coo-oop!
It seemed forever and ever before she heard Morton
come around to the front of the house. When at last he did,
he kept away from the fir-trees. First he looked all through
the hedge at the side of the lawn; then, by peering through
the branches, Molly could see him hunting among the
shrubs near the front gate. Suddenly he stopped.
"Hello, he said.
"Hello, answered a Stranger Boy.
"Where are you going? asked Morton.
"I'm running away, answered the Stranger Boy.
"Where are you running to? Morton asked.
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 2 i
"Oh, a place where I can have some fun! was the an-
swer.
The conversation was growing interesting. Molly de-
cided to leave her hiding-place and run to the gate.
"He's running away, Morton told her as she joined
them. "Wish we could run away. I'm tired of staying
around here.
Molly looked at the red sign on their door. So did
Morton. So did the Stranger Boy.
"We're 'most well now, she murmured, "but mother
"Come on and run away with me, said the Stranger
Boy.
"He's going to a place where we can have some fun,
Morton put in,—"and we're 'most well.
Before another minute Molly and Morton were on the
other side of the gate, and the three, hand in hand, were
running down the street, past the school. It was Saturday,
but the school yard had a playground in it. It was full of
children using the parallel bars, playing ball, and swing-
in g.
"Oh, look! cried one, "there are Molly and Morton.
"Is your sign down? called another.
2 2 The Knights of Anytown
"No, but we're 'most well, Molly answered.
"Where are you going? the children asked.
"Oh, to a great place, where we can have some fun!'
Morton announced. "Come with us.
They hesitated an instant. The sign was not down yet.
But here were Molly and Morton looking as well as ever.
It had been a long time since they had all played together.
"Come on! cried one, and jumped down from the
bars. The others followed. Down Forest Gate Street they
went, crossed Next-to-the-Nicest Street, and came to
Middle Street. Here the Stranger Boy led them to another
playground where games of all sorts were going on.
Quickly the children from Good Neighborhood Street
joined them, and for a while they had a gay time, playing
London Bridge and Garden Scamp and Cat-and-Rat.
Suddenly Molly found herself growing very tired. She
even fell down when she was being chased by the Cat and
felt almost too tired to pick herself up. Morton helped her.
"Let's go home, he whispered.
He was growing uncommonly tired himself. So they
said good-bye to their playmates and started for home.-
It seemed a very long way. They dragged one foot after
another, barely speaking. They hoped their mother would
The Three . . . Were Running Down the Street
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 23
be there to make them feel better, and put them to bed.
As they opened their front gate and came slowly up the
walk they said nothing at all, for the red sign stared at
them and made them both too ashamed.
Their mother had not come home yet, but she did come
a few minutes later. When she saw them huddled up on
the couch and looking very white, she cried, "Why, chil-
dren! what have you been doing to make you so tired?
The children burst into tears as they told her. Her face
grew sadder and sadder while she listened. She did not
need to tell them that because of their disobedience all the
children on Good Neighborhood Street might be as sick
as they had been, and not only those children, but the
Middle Street children too. They knew, and the thought
made them cry still harder.
As they climbed into bed, Molly whispered to Morton,
"0 Morton, supposing measles should reach Heart o'
the Town on account of us !
Morton had been thinking the same thing, but he
said, "Oh, they couldn't! We only got as far as Middle
Street, you know.
What Morton did not know was that a few days later
a great festival was to be given in Heart o' the Town, that
24 "The Knights- oj Anytown
little boys and girls from all over the city would be pres-
ent, and that the beginnings of the measles which Molly
and Morton had given to the children of Good Neighbor-
hood Street and Middle Street would be carried to Heart
o' the Town, and given there to boys and girls from every
part of the city. No wonder Anytown was miserable, and
no wonder the Neighborhood Angel was sad !
When at last the measles had disappeared, the Neigh-
borhood Angel called together all the children of Good
Neighborhood Street. They met in a big Tower Room on
the city wall.
"In the first place, began the Neighborhood Angel,
"the name of our street must be changed.
"Changed! the children all cried in dismay. They
were proud of living on a street with such a name.
"Changed, said the Angel firmly. "You certainly
want to tell the truth about your street, don't you?
"Of course, the children nodded, wondering what was
coming.
"Well, you surely don't think the street is a good
neighborhood, do you?
>The children made no answer.
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 25
"What makes a good neighborhood, anyway? he
went on.
Bobby said nice houses. Ethel said tidy lawns. Egbert
said clean children.
"I didn't say a pretty neighborhood, the Angel ex-
plained; "I said a good neighborhood.
Well, what would you have answered yourselves, if
you'd been there? Wouldn't you have said obeying and
being unselfish and careful and polite?
Those are exactly the things those children said!
The Angel listened. Then he asked, "Do you think
children have anything to do with making a neighbor-
hood a good one or a bad one? He seemed to be remem-
bering something, for he went on, without waiting for
them to answer, "I should think they have! Why, if you
could visit some of the places I do and hear what people
say! Just the other day I heard a woman in another town
say, 'Oh, dear me, no, I should never live on that street!
It' s a very undesirable neighborhood. It's full of children,
and such children!' I didn't ask her what she meant by
'such,' but it sounded as though the children had a great
deal to do with making that neighborhood what it
was.
26 The Knights of Anytown
He took a big white paper and a piece of black chalk
in his hands.
"Let's write down here, he said, "some of the ways
children can make a good neighborhood.
Then he printed across the top:
To Make the Kind of Neighborhood kFhich
Every One kKill Say is Good the
Children Giving in it Should —
Now what should you have put down there—obey, be
polite, be honest, be careful?
Those are some of the very same things the children
told the Neighborhood Angel to write. When he came to
"Obey he stopped a moment.
Then he said, "Do you think our street has been a good
neighborhood lately?
Every single child hung his head. They were all think-
ing how they had disobeyed, first their mothers, and then
the rules of the town, when Molly and Morton had the
measles.
Suddenly Morton stood up.
"0 Neighborhood Angel! he said, "I see what you
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 27
mean about changing the name of the street. Maybe it
isn't true now, but can't we make it true, to show we're
sorry?
The Neighborhood Angel's face was beautiful to see.
"Dear children, he asked, "do you all feel that way?
"Yes, yes, came a hundred voices, and "I do! "Oh, I
do! from every direction.
"Then, said the Angel decidedly, "the only thing to
do is to get rid of the Giants.
"Giants ! the children echoed.
"Yes, Giants, repeated the Angel. "If the street is
made free from Giants it can keep its name. Do you see
this list? He pointed to the paper on which he had been
writing. "For every one of these things you've said are
needed to make a good neighborhood, there's a Giant
who does his best to prevent it.
"Where do they live? asked Merrill.
"In the forest, and across the river, answered the
Angel.
"How do they get into Anytown? Elizabeth wanted
to know.
"You let them in.
 We let them in!
2 8 The Knights of Anytown
"Of course, explained the Angel, "they can't get in
through the regular gates, for they haven't any passports,
but they sneak in through other gates.
"But Forest Gate and River Gate are the only two
there are, objected the children.
"The only public gates, agreed the Angel. "It's your
own private gates, near each of your houses, that I'm
speaking of.
The children looked at each other in surprise. They
hadn't the faintest idea that there were private gates in
the wall.
"Look, said the Angel, and to one after another he
showed his wonder glasses, which, when the children
looked through them, showed little gates all along the
wall near their own houses.
"Every child here, the Angel went on, "is his own
gatekeeper. When you're thinking about the gate, you're
on guard. When you forget about it, or think it isn't
important to guard it, you're off guard, and that is the
time the Giants open it a crack, and slip in.
"What do they do when they get in? the children
asked eagerly.
"Well, they find themselves on Good Neighborhood
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 2 9
Street first, and do all the mischief they can on the way to
Heart o' the Town, for that is the place they're really
bound for. They don't like their homes outside. They're
just aching to take Heart o' the Town for their home.
"Oh! oh! cried the children at the awful thought,
"Giants in Heart o' the Town ! Oh, we can't let them take
it!
"That's just it, said the Angel; "you can't. If you
children can drive them out of town while they're still
here on Good Neighborhood Street, and before they can
reach River Gate Street, or Forest Gate Street, they can't
ever get as far as Heart o' the Town, of course, so it's you
who can save the city. Dear me! He looked at the sun.
"It's time I was going.
"Oh, don't go! the children pleaded. "Tell us more—
what the Giants look like, and how we can drive them
away, and everything.
"I'm sorry, dears, said the Angel, "but I must leave
now. I'll just tell you, though, before I go, that they have
a-great many different names. Every time you disobey,
you let in one of the Disobedient Giants. Every time you
decide to please yourselves instead of other people, you
let in one of the Selfish Giants. The Truth Haters are
30 The Knights of Anytown
some of the worst. There is a whole tribe of them, but I'll
tell you the names of the rest when I come again. Just
now the whole city is full of Giants of the Never-Mind and
Won't-Obey tribe, and it really looks as if they might
take the city by storm. But there's a way to drive them
out.
"How? cried the children. "Tell us how!
The Angel opened his Book. "'It is written,'  he began,
and then read,  'He will give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.' You see, I can help you about
everything if you really want to be helped. It's my busi-
ness to take care of you. Just send for me and I'll come at
once.
"But how do we send for you? the children asked.
"Oh, just close your eyes, and think about the Father
of all children, and ask him to send his Angel, and I'll
come! 'Father, send thine Angel,' you can say, and may-
be you won't see me, but I'll be there. And I'll help you
drive away those Giants. Every time you think one's
around—you can tell, because they whisper to you not to
mind, or advise you not to obey—just send for me quickly
and then turn around and say, T will mind!' like
that, and they'll disappear in a flash. When they
Children of Good Neighborhood Street 31
can't get children to heed them they either die on the
spot for shame, or run just as fast as they can back to
their homes.
"I'd just love to kill one dead, said Molly.
"It's great fun to watch them shrivel up, said the
Angel. "The more you laugh at them the more ashamed
they are. I'll tell you what I'll do, he offered. "I'll give
you each a little present to remind you that I can help
you if you want me.
"Goody! said the children, for though the Angel had
told them before that he would come to them if they called
him, it seemed as if they always forgot when they needed
him most.
Into each outstretched hand the Angel placed the secret
reminder—-a little card on which were printed in gold let-
ters these words,—
IT IS WRITTEN
"Remember the rest of it is your secret, said the Angel.
 'It is written, he will give his angels charge over thee, to
keep thee in all thy ways.' Now, he said, in a tone that
meant something interesting was coming, "if you can
rid this street of the Disobedient Giants, I'll let you see
3 2 The Knights of Anytown
some of them and the others in their homes the next time
I come. They're very small until they've come through the
wall, but my glasses show them clearly. And I'll tell you
all their names. Will you try? Good !
For every single child had said, "I'll try!
Ill
SAMMY GOLDBERG AND THE BOY WITH
THE RED CAP
To make the kind of neighborhood
{.Heigh-oh, for I know !)
That every one will say is good,
{Heigh-oh, for I know !)
We'll keep the Angel's shields about.
{Heigh-oh, for J know!)
It helps us drive the Giants out.
{Heigh-oh, for I know!)
Story Hour at the library was just over. The children
were thronging down the steps.
"Hi, Findley! shouted Max to a boy across the street.
"Why didn't you come to the Story Hour?
"Couldn't, answered Findley briefly. "Mother said
she wanted me to stay outdoors this afternoon.
The others nodded understandingly. They knew what
that meant. If Findley's mother wanted him to stay out-
doors, she had a good reason for it, and of course he could
not go to the Story Hour; for wasn't every child on Good
34 The Knights of Anytown
Neighborhood Street working with might and main to
drive the Disobedient Giants from Anytown? Every sin-
gle one had promised the Neighborhood Angel to help.
That was why the children, instead of calling out to
Findley, "Oh, you don't know what you missed! an-
swered, "Good for you, Findley! and crossed the street
to tell him about the stories.
"There was one about a queen, began Helen. "Her
name was Esther. She saved all the Jews because she was
so brave.
"There was a man the king liked, went on Bert. "His
name was Haman. And what do you think? Just because
he was the king's favorite, he thought he was the whole
thing, and he said, Everybody's got to bow down to me
when I pass by.' 
"Yes, but everybody didn't Raymond broke in.
"There was a man. His name was Mordecai. Catch him
bowing! He sat at the palace gate every day, and when
Haman passed, he just wouldn't. My, but didn't it make
Haman mad! He found out that Mordecai was a Jew,
and he was so cross at him he wanted to kill every Jew in
the whole kingdom.
"Just to pay Mordecai back? asked Findley.
Sammy Goldberg 3 5
"Just to pay Mordecai back, answered Johnny.
"And he pretty nearly did it, too, said Helen. "He
went to the king and told him there were people who
didn't obey the laws, and asked what should be done to
them. And the king, who wasn't thinking, I guess, said,
Anything you like. Here's my ring,' and gave Haman his
ring to stamp the order with. And then that wicked
Haman wrote an order to kill every single Jew there was.
"Just because Mordecai wouldn't bow to him? asked
Findley again. He couldn't believe it.
"He just thought he'd get even with him, said Johnny.
"And that's where Queen Esther came in, explained
Winifred. "She was a Jew, but the king didn't know it.
And it was against the law to go in and speak to the king
unless you were sent for; you might even get killed for it.
But when she heard what Haman was doing she just had
to go and ask him to save her people. And she hadn't been
sent for for a long time. She must have been awfully
scared, for unless the king held out his golden scepter to
you, like this,"—Winifred graciously held out her hand
which seemed to all who were listening to have in it a
beautiful golden scepter "—it showed he was cross with
you for interrupting. But she was so pretty that he loved
36 *The Knights of Anytown
her to pieces and when he saw her he did hold out his
scepter right away.
"Well, asked Findley, "was she in time to save the
people?
"Yes, said one little boy, who had not spoken before,
"and he was so angry at Haman that he gave Mordecai
his place. I've heard the story before.
The children turned to look at the boy who was speak-
ing. His name was Sammy Goldberg. He had not lived
on Good Neighborhood Street long, and except for the
Neighborhood Angel, he had no friends there. The boys
he knew lived down near the center of the town, for until
a little while ago Sammy's home had been over his father's
store on Main Street.
 'Course he's heard it, said a boy with a red cap near
by, pointing at Sammy, "because he's a Sheeny too.
There was silence for a whole minute. Everybody was
too surprised to speak, and too ashamed of the Boy with
the Red Cap, and too sorry for Sammy. Sammy himself
had turned very red, and his eyes looked as if they might
have tears in them.
Then a little girl spoke. It was Martha. Every one loved
Martha.
Sammy Goldberg 3 7
"Queen Esther was a Jew, said Martha, "and she
was a great deal better than Haman, who wasn't. Maybe
Sammy's lots nicer than some of us, and she looked
straight at the Boy with the Red Cap.
"Come on, let's fight him for calling Sammy names,
cried Billy, but the Boy with the Red Cap was ashamed,
and had run away.
Billy turned to Sammy. "I'd like to see anybody call
me names, he said. "I'd send him right through the
roof.
"If I were you, suggested Bobby, "I'd run after him
and give him the worst licking he ever had.
"Anybody that makes me mad, boasted Ted, "had
better look out or he'll get his head knocked right off.
Sammy said nothing, but started toward his home.
His feelings had been badly hurt. He had thought when his
father and mother bought the pretty new house on Good
Neighborhood Street that he would soon find friends
among the children who lived there. But one of them, in-
stead, had called him Sheeny. He hated to be called that.
The other children stayed to tell Findley about the
Story Hour. Sammy walked on. He had to pass the home
of the Boy with the Red Cap. He hoped he should not see
3 8 The Knights of Anytown
him again. He would rather meet anybody just then than
the Boy with the Red Cap.
Suddenly a breeze brought him an odor of smoke.
Sammy sniffed. Somebody was probably having a bon-
fire. It was a pretty windy day to be having a bonfire,
Sammy thought. Another whiff came to him. He decided
to investigate. There was no bonfire in sight. But he
was sure he smelled smoke. He hurried on toward the
house of the Boy with the Red Cap, and at every step the
smoke was stronger. It must be coming from that very
house. Nobody seemed to be about. He ran up the steps
and rang the bell. No answer. He tried the door. It was
locked. What should he do? He hesitated. After all, why
should he care if the house of the Boy with the Red Cap
burned down? Here was a good chance to get even with
him for calling him Sheeny. He could just go right along
home and if the house was on fire, it could burn down.
What business was it of his?
Just then he seemed to hear in Findley's unbelieving
voice, "He did that just to get even?
How Sammy had hated that wicked Haman when he
first heard about him ! And yet—here he was thinking of a
way to get even, too. Still, this was different. Haman was
Sammy Goldberg 39
going to hurt lots of other people besides the one he
wanted to punish. Sammy caught his breath. What about
the mother of the Boy with the Red Cap? And the father?
And the baby sister, who had never done anything to hurt
Sammy? Supposing the fire should spread to the house
back of Sammy's, on Next-to-the-Nicest Street, and then,
for it was a windy day, farther and farther until—oh,
horrors !—until it reached Heart o' the Town itself!
He saw now what the Neighborhood Angel meant
when he had said that wrong thoughts and deeds which
started in Good Neighborhood Street might spread and
reach even to Heart o' the Town. The Neighborhood
Angel! Sammy put his hand in his pocket. There was the
little card the Angel had given him. "It is written, it
said, and Sammy remembered the rest—"he will give
his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy
ways.
His heart beat fast as he thought of the Angel and said,
"Oh, come quickly and help me!
Then something seemed to get into his legs, and make
him rush around the house, looking in one window after
another. He reached the laundry at last, and saw a sight
which made him give a loud cry.
40 The Knights of Any town
An electric iron which somebody had forgotten to dis-
connect had burned its way through the ironing board
and fallen to the floor. It was burning a hole in the floor
now, while flames were creeping along the sheets on the
board, and down the wooden standard. Even while
Sammy looked it collapsed, and a big flame sent out
its tongue to lick up a pile of clothes hanging over a chair.
"Help ! Fire! cried Sammy, forgetting that it was the
home of the Boy with the Red Cap, and remembering
only Good Neighborhood Street, and Heart o' the Town,
and the Angel, "Help1 Fire!
He ran to the next house and gave the alarm; then to the
street. Two men passing heard him and hurried back with
him. While they and the next-door neighbors were working
to smother the flames, the fire company came and their
great hose put out even the smallest spark.
It was all over very quickly. The house was safe and
unhurt except for the laundry, and when the owners
came at last they looked in vain for the person to thank,
for Sammy had gone home. Men told them that a little
boy had given the alarm, but they did not even know his
name.
Sammy Goldberg 41
One never knew when the Neighborhood Angel might
turn up. That was one delightful thing about him. Of
course the children felt him near them when they needed
his help, but his meetings in the Tower Room, when he
talked to them together, were always a surprise.
The children were particularly anxious to have him
visit them now, partly because they had all worked very
hard to drive the Disobedient Giants from Anytown, and
they knew he would be pleased, and partly because, as
you will remember, he had promised on his very next
visit to let them look through his wonder glasses, and
see the Giants in their homes in the forest and across the
river.
And one day he came!
"You are dear children, he said. "You have tried
hard, and even with my wonder glasses I can't see a Dis-
obedient Giant on the street. Let's see, he said, pretend-
ing he had forgotten, "weren't we going to do something
special today?
"The Giants! The wonder glasses! the children all
shouted at the top of their lungs, until the Angel had to
stop his ears, they made so much noise.
"Why, to be sure! said the Angel. "How could it have
42 The Knights of Anytown
slipped my mind ! and he started to open a huge box on
the floor.
"I ordered a crate of them, he explained, "for one pair
of glasses would never in the world go around. Here you
are ! and to each child, to the delight of them all, he gave
a pair of wonder glasses.
"Oh, oh! came squeals of surprise, as one child
after another looked toward the forest, "I see them, but
they're so little!
"I told you they were little, over there, the Angel
reminded them. "It's only when you let them through the
wall that they grow big and dangerous. And the farther
into the town they come the bigger and more powerful
they grow. Those green ones are the Selfish Giants. I love
to have any one get ahead of them. Next to them the
Disobedient Giants usually live. You can see what's
happened to them, though. The few that are left look
starved to death. They're dreadfully thin and weak. I've
never seen them so delightfully shriveled.
"Hurrah! shouted the children who had helped to
shrivel them.
"Who are those lazy ones asleep under the trees?
Bobby asked.
Sammy Goldberg 43
"Those are the twins, Put-It-Off and Wait-a-Minute.
They have a large following, explained the Angel. "Next
is I-Don't-Care; next to him, Scared-To-Death. The Tat-
tiers are very unpleasant, Tell-On-'Em and Somebody
Said.
"Over across the river, he went on, "are the Truth
Haters. See their pretty silver and blue coats? But look,
there's one raising his arm. You can see the black lining.
There are any number of them. There's old Giant Break-
Your-Promise, and It-Might-Be-True, and Don't-Tell
and the Trespassers and the Stealers—oh, any number!
Near them live some brothers who have a whole band of
followers, very powerful, when they're full size. Their
names are Pay-Him-Back and Get-Even. Why—why,
they're not thereI Who has driven them away? He looked
around at the children. No one spoke.
"I think, said the Angel kindly, "that we need our
armor. It's the only way of knowing some things. And
then he told the children the story which you have all
heard, about the Knights of the Silver Shield.
"The fact is, he ended, "I happen to have a number of
shields of this very sort, and he opened a door of a secret
room.
44 The Knights of Any town
It was piled high with shields, helmets and spears.
The children crowded around the Angel expectantly. To
each child the Angel gave a full set of the magic armor,
but it was dull, like the armor of the knights in the
story.
When they were all distributed the Angel said, "These
are mystic shields, and can grow bright only by brave
and fine deeds. Somebody, since I was here last, has
destroyed the powerful Giants, Pay-Him-Back and Get-
Even. Let's look at the shields and let them tell us who it
was. Remember, they never make mistakes.
One shield alone glowed with a silvery brightness which
looked as if some one must have just polished it.
"Sammy! the children cried in surprise, and looked
enviously and admiringly at the shield.
"Whe-ew! whistled the Boy with the Red Cap, "and
I called him Sheeny.
"Yes, said Billy and Ted together, "and we wanted
him to get even with you, and fight, and he wouldn't.
"Why, one of the children exclaimed, as a thought
suddenly struck him, "maybe that's when he drove away
those old Giants!
Sammy looked at the Angel. The Angel smiled. Sammy
Sammy Goldberg 45
smiled, too, for he and the Angel had a secret. The rest of
the children knew that Sammy would not fight the boy
who had called him names, but nobody but the Angel
and Sammy knew that he had saved that boy's house
from burning—and maybe Heart 0' the Town itself.
IV
HAMILTON'S HALLOWE'EN PUMPKIN
If it belongs to some one else, we know it isn't ours,
A painted fence, a swinging gate, our neighbors' fruit,
or flowers.
If we would keep the Giants out, we'd better leave alone
All property of any kind that isn't quite our own.
Anytown was to have a Hallowe'en carnival. A carnival
is a great celebration when the whole town gives a big
party, and decorates the streets, and invites all the people
to dress up and march in parades and have a gay time
generally.
Everybody was busy getting ready for it. Heart o' the
Town was being strung with colored lights, the bands
were practising, and those who weren't making costumes
for themselves for the parade were helping others make
theirs.
The parade was to start as soon as it was dark. It was
to form in Heart o' the Town, near the hall, march through
the park to Main Street, march around Main Street and
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 47
back into Heart o' the Town again to hear the decision of
the judges. The judges would sit in a booth and, as the
parade passed, would look at each costume, and each
decorated carriage, motor-car, bicycle, or cart, and decide
which were the best. The girl with the best costume would
be chosen queen of the carnival, and the boy with the best
the king. It was very exciting.
When Hamilton heard-of it he thought with joy of his
pumpkin. Hamilton's whole back yard was a big garden,
for his father supplied the houses on Good Neighborhood
Street with vegetables. There had been several pumpkins,
but they were all sold now except one which his father
had promised to Hamilton. It was the biggest one in the
whole garden, bigger than any Hamilton had ever seen.
"It will make a dandy Jack o' lantern to carry, he
thought as he hurried home with the news of the carnival.
Now Hamilton had two very special neighbors. His
church-school teacher, Miss Helpful, lived on one side,
and Mr. Richman, who had a great house and lawn and
three motor-cars, lived on the other. So as soon as his
mother said he could march in the parade, he ran straight
across to tell Miss Helpful.
Miss Helpful said, "O Hamilton, I know a splendid
48 I'he Knights of Anytown
way for you to dress! Why don't you march as a great,
tall Hallowe'en ghost, and carry that huge pumpkin
your father gave you as a head? We could make a high
frame to rest on your shoulders, and we'd put the Jack o'
lantern face 'way up on the top of the frame. Then we'd
cover you and the frame together with sheets, making
holes for you to see through, and you'd look like a giant
ghost.
• Hamilton was so delighted he turned a somersault
right on Miss Helpful's lawn. He could see in his mind just
how funny he would look, with the biggest Jack o' lantern
in town for a head, and stalking along as if he were on
stilts. It was a wonderful idea. He weiyt right back to tell
his mother, who promised to find enough sheets to cover
him, and his father, who set straight to work building a
frame.
Then he ran over to tell Mr. Richman, who was sitting
on his porch reading a paper. Mr. Richman looked
thoughtful.
"Hamilton, he said suddenly, "I have another idea.
How would you like to be a Hallowe'en ghost and drive
in a ghost chariot?
Very much excited, Hamilton went with Mr. Richman
Hamilton s Ha Howe en Pumpkin 49
out to the stable. A little Shetland pony lived in the stable,
and a pony cart. Mr. Richman kept them for his small
nieces and nephews who often came to visit him and some-
times he had let Hamilton exercise the pony.
"I was thinking, Mr. Richman said, "that we might
cover the sides of the cart to look like a chariot and paint
witches and things on it and then throw a sheet over the
pony. You could stand in the chariot with your Jack o'
lantern head and look as if you all came straight from
ghostland. How would you like that?
How would he like that? How would you like it? It
seemed almost too good to be true. Every afternoon for a
week Hamilton came straight home from school to work
on the chariot. Hastings, who took care of Mr. Richman's
cars, helped him, and when Mr. Richman came home he
helped too. All the children on Good Neighborhood
Street who heard about the wonderful pumpkin and
chariot and who came to watch the work on it were sure
Hamilton would be chosen carnival king.
Finally came the day before Hallowe'en. The chariot
was covered with pictures of owls and black cats and
witches; the frame which was to hold the Jack o' lantern
in the air had been made to fit on Hamilton's shoulders;
50 The Knights of Anytown
and the sheets for his ghostly costume were in the sewing-
room waiting to be wrapped around him. He made a last
trip to the garden to see his precious pumpkin before he
went to bed. Tomorrow he would cut off the top, scoop it
out, and with a sharp knife cut eyes, nose and a grinning
mouth. He could hardly wait for tomorrow to come. He
did not quite dare to hope with the other children that
he would be chosen king of the carnival, but he was pretty
sure the judges would give him an "honorable mention
badge for all his work. How proud he would be and how
good every one had been to help him ! He gave his mother
a big good-night kiss and hugged his father hard as he
said good-night, and they knew he was saying, "Thank
you for helping me, and hugged and kissed him back.
The sun was barely up next morning before Hamilton
sprang out of bed and ran to the window which looked
out upon the garden. Today was the day of the parade!
In a few minutes he would bring his pumpkin in from the
garden and begin to make the ghost's face. He looked
down where it had been growing for so long. But suddenly
his eyes grew big. He looked again. His pumpkin wasn't
there1
For a minute he stared. Then the thought came to him
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 5 1
that his mother or father had been ahead of him and had
already brought it in. He hurriedly put on his clothes
and ran downstairs. But neither his mother nor father
had come down yet. Well, perhaps they had brought in
the pumpkin last night. He ran into the kitchen to look
for it; no pumpkin there; on to the pantry; no pumpkin
there; into the shed; still no pumpkin. Where could they
have put it? He heard footsteps overhead, and ran to the
stairs.
"Mother! father! he called, "where's my pumpkin?
His mother's voice was heard first speaking to his
father, and then calling to Hamilton, "We haven't
touched it, dear. Isn't it in the garden?
Suddenly the bottom seemed to drop out of everything.
His pumpkin was gone! The principal part of his costume
was gone. His chance of being chosen king of the carnival
was gone; even the fun of being in the parade. When his
mother and father came downstairs they went all through
the garden with him but the pumpkin was too big to be
hidden under leaves or cornstalks. There was no doubt
about it, the pumpkin had disappeared in the night, and a
miserable little boy sat down to eat his breakfast.
"It's too bad I've sold all my pumpkins, said his
5 2 The Knights of Anytown
father, "but perhaps I can buy another down on Main
Street.
"But it won't be a big one like mine, said Hamilton,
trying to keep back the tears. "0 mother! who could have
taken it?
His mother said, "Some one who didn't know how
badly it would make you feel, you may be sure. Perhaps
somebody saw that it had been left in the garden, and
thought we didn't want it.
"But it was mine, mother, just the same. It wasn't
theirs to take right out of the garden. It was taking/what
didn't belong to them.
Poor Hamilton ! All the talking or feeling badly in the
world would not bring back his pumpkin. He rushed over
to tell Mr. Richman before he went to his office, and then
Miss Helpful. Miss Helpful was sure Hamilton's father
could find another pumpkin, though a smaller one. Mr.
Richman said that Hamilton could still ride in his cart
without a pumpkin.
"You can wear a mask over your face, and a sheet
around you, and be a small ghost, he comforted
him.
But that was not the same as the tall Jack o' lantern
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 53
high up in the air, driving a ghostly steed, and Hamilton
grew more and more unhappy as the day wore on. He
walked along the street, telling every child he met, "I've
lost my pumpkin. It was a little comfort just to see how
sorry they all were.
Then something happened. A message flashed through
the street, "The Neighborhood Angel's here! Come to the
Tower Room!
Now you will remember that no one ever knew just
when the Neighborhood Angel would come, but no mat-
ter when it was, the children thronged to the Tower Room
to see what surprise he had for them this time.
Hamilton's heart leaped up when he heard the mes-
sage. It would help to pass this long, sad day to go to the
Tower Room. And he joined the others.
"Well, said the Angel when they were all together,
"have you been having a good time, or have there been
any Giants hanging around?
"I guess, said Theodore, "there've been some Stealer
Giants. Hamilton's lost his pumpkin.
"I know, said the Angel, putting his arm around
Hamilton. "It was hard, wasn't it? Now what can we do
about it?
54 The Knights of Anytown
"We don't know, said the children. "We all wish he
could find it.
"0 Angel dear! said Martha, "how could the Stealer
Giants get into Anytown? JKe couldn't have let them in,
could we?
The Neighborhood Angel was certainly the most sur-
prising creature! Instead of answering, what do you
think he said? Not even you would have expected it.
"How would you like some moving pictures? he asked.
"Yes, yes, cried the children gleefully, clapping their
hands. Wasn't the Neighborhood Angel delightful!
Quickly he started his machine, and the children looked
at the white wall ahead of them. Before another minute
they were clapping and laughing harder than ever, for it
was pictures of themselves that they were seeing. First
came one of Good Neighborhood Street, with its shady
trees and pretty lawns. Then there was the school at
recess time, and one child after another cried, "Oh, look
at Morton on the bars! "Why, there's me! "That's
Jane swinging Ruth! It was great fun. Then came a
picture of the wall around Anytown, and in a flash one
showing the other side of the wall with the funniest look-
ing Giants trying to get in. You know those comical
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 55
pictures called animated cartoons, where the people and
animals, instead of being photographed, are drawn with
a pencil, and when they move they do it in jerks? Well, the
Giants looked just like those pictures, and the queer
little figures went round and round the wall trying to find
an opening, and looked so disgusted when they couldn't
find one!
"Goody! said Henrietta, "you can't get in, you can't
get in!
Then there was a picture of Mr. Richman's lawn in the
spring. He and Hastings were scattering grass seed all
over it. Mr. Richman's house was on a corner, and it was
easier sometimes to cut across it than to go around.
Hamilton did it quite often himself. In fact the very next
picture showed Hamilton and some of his friends first
looking at the clock in Hamilton's house, then rushing
out. The clock had showed that it was -nearly time for
school and they wanted to catch the car going down
River Gate Street. You see the school was near Forest
Gate. Out Hamilton's back door they went, came to a
sign on Mr. Richman's lawn, which said, "Please keep
off the grass, and without even stopping to read it, all
ran across the new grass, trampling it'down as they ran.
5 6 The Knights of Any town
Then the picture showed the wall again, and one funny
Giant fairly jumping up and down in delight, for he had
found some little openings. In he hopped, beckoning to
his friends to follow.
Now the picture changed. Mr. Richman was looking
unhappily at his lawn and sadly shaking his head at the
path the boys had made.
"Oh,dear,"said Hamilton out loud,"I never thought!
But a new picture was before them. The scene was in
front of Marie's house. Marie was a little lame girl who
lived with her mother in a house set back from the street.
Marie's mother made dresses for the other children's
mothers. The front gate swung to and fro, and as the
children came along the street from school, one after
another jumped on the gate for a "ride. Back and forth
they swung. Then the picture showed the wall again.
More little figures which would be Giants later on were
trying to get through, and suddenly they saw their
chance. The next picture showed the gate breaking with
the weight of the children, and there it hung, looking very
badly. The children ran on.
Then came a picture of Marie and her mother looking
out of the window at the broken gate, and these words:
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 57
Oh, Dear! They've Broken our Gate! They Don't
Know that we Have No One to Fix it.
The children in the Tower Room were very still. Marie's
gate had hung like that for two weeks.
Next came a picture of Mrs. Friendly planting some
flower seeds, and then one of Lawrence Hadley next door.
Lawrence owned chickens, and very proudly sold eggs
to his neighbors. This picture showed Lawrence opening
the door of his henhouse, and the hens straggling out.
All over Lawrence's lawn they walked, then into the
neighboring garden. There they scratched and scratched,
digging up the very seeds Mrs. Friendly had just planted.
And again, outside the wall, delighted little Giants were
seen discovering holes and jumping through them into
Any town.
The word LATER was flashed before them, and there
was a picture of Mrs. Friendly calling upon Molly and
Morton's mother. On the table was a great bunch of
flowers and Mrs. Friendly was admiring them.
Then the screen made Mrs. Friendly say sadly, "I
haven't a single flower this year. The hens next door ate
all my seeds.
5 8 7"he Knights of Anytown
"I didn't think' about that when I let my hens out,
said Lawrence aloud. "Why, I let my hens let in the
Stealer Giants!
"We didn't think, either, said the other children, as
one picture after another showed them carelessly hurting
other people's property—making chalk marks on fences
which had just been painted, taking flowers and fruit
which grew near the street, but which certainly were not
theirs, writing on the walls of the school, scratching
initials on park benches and school desks—and more and
more of the little figures outside gaining an entrance
into Anytown.
Hamilton said, "Mr. Richman and Mrs. Friendly and
Marie and her mother and the rest all looked as though
they felt just like me when I lost my pumpkin.
Just then the Angel said, "My dears, I hear Sammy
calling me. He's down on Busy Street with two other boys.
Would you like to wait here till I go and help him? Per-
haps he'll come back with me, and as the children all
cried, "Yes, yes, only hurry, dear Angel, the Angel
hastened away.
"Wonder why Sammy didn't come to the Tower
Room? the Boy with the Red Cap asked, for he had
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 59
made friends with Sammy lately and did not want him
to miss any good things.
In a surprisingly short time the Angel returned, bring-
ing with him not only Sammy, but two little boys with
dirty faces, curly black hair and bright black eyes. In the
arms of one was the biggest, yellowest—
"Hamilton's pumpkin! cried all the children to-
gether, and Hamilton himself rushed up to them to make
sure.
"I thought it was, said Sammy, all out of breath, but
with eyes sparkling. "Say, those Stealer Giants had got
'way to Busy Street when I caught 'em!
"Sammy, Sammy! the children cried, "that's 'most
to Heart o' the Town.
"I know it, Sammy went on. "These boys just moved
into Anytown a little while ago. They didn't know about
Heart o' the Town, nor the Giants, nor anything—just
the parade. They wanted to be in it. I was on the way to
my father's store when I saw them, and I caught up with
them and said, 'Did Hamilton give you his pumpkin?'
And when they looked frightened and started to run I
just said, 'My, the Giants have gotten clear down here
and we've got to drive them back quick!' And I told them
60 'The Knights of Anytown
about Heart o' the Town and the Angel and the Giants
and then I sent for the Angel, and we kind of felt as if we
had spears and shields, and we had a fight right there.
And then the Angel came and he said we shriveled 'em
up, because when the boys said they'd bring back the
pumpkin, the Angel looked all around with his glasses
and couldn't find a one. Could you, Angel?
"Not one, said the Angel. "Wasn't it fortunate that
Sammy happened to be around?
"Hurrah for Sammy! the children shouted.
They were growing to like him better and better.
One of the little dark-eyed boys took a knife from his
pocket and saying to Hamilton, "I mak-a da face, be-
gan cutting into the pumpkin.
The children watched him as he worked, and when he
had finished and given the funny ghost head to Hamilton,
Hamilton said, "Oh, that's lots nicer than I could have
made! Thank you, and started out of the Tower Room
with it.
"Where are you going? asked the Angel.
"I'm going to Mr. Richman and say I'm sorry about
his lawn, said Hamilton, "and tell him I'll never cut
cross-lots again.
Hamilton s Hallowe en Pumpkin 61
"And I'm going right home,"' announced Lawrence,
"and get some of my egg money to buy some seeds for
Mrs. Friendly and tell her she needn't be afraid of my old
hens any more.
"Let's go and ask our fathers if they'll fix Marie's gate,
suggested the children whose pictures had shown them
swinging back and forth. "And let's tell the other chil-
dren they mustn't do it any more, 'cause it isn't theirs.
"Let's wash off the marks we made on the Bradshaws'
fence, came from a boy near the door, and before you
could say "Jack Robinson! the children had scattered
in all directions.
"Dear me, said the Angel, "I seem to be left alone!
But he did not appear at all put out about it, in fact, he
smiled to himself as he packed up his moving picture
machine.
He did like to see children happy, and he couldn't help
thinking how glad Hamilton and all his friends were
going to be a little later when the carnival king was
chosen.
V
THE LEMONADE BAZAAR
Next time, when things are not quite clear,
Pll hunt among the grasses :
It may he that I, too, can find
A pair of wonder glasses.
There had been several pin sales on Good Neighbor-
hood Street, sales where the children sold dolls' furniture
that they had made from cockle-burs and corks and spools
for five pins, or ten pins, or twenty-five pins. The Wilcoxes
had even had a cooky sale once, where everything bought
had to be paid for with cookies. That had been the most
popular of all, for the Wilcox children could not possibly
eat all the cookies taken in without being sick, so the sale
had turned into a sort of party, everybody helping to eat
up the proceeds. Of course no one wanted the Wilcox
children to be ill. But until Emery West and Louise Hoi-
man and Teddy Baker thought of it, nobody on Good
Neighborhood Street had dared to have a real sale for
real money.
7'he Lemonade Bazaar 63
Every year the older people of Anytown held a big
bazaar, where they sold all sorts of things to make money
for the city hospital. The bazaar was held in Heart o' the
Town Hall, just before Christmas. Emery and Louise
and Teddy heard their mothers talking about it weeks
beforehand, and one day as they were leaving school an
idea popped into Emery's head.
"Say, exclaimed Emery, "let's have a bazaar of our
own!
It was too big an idea to take in all at once.
"Where'd we get things to sell? asked Teddy.
"Make them, or ask people for them, the way they do
in the big bazaar.
"And not have cookies or pins? asked Louise.
 'Course not. What good would cookies or pins do in a
hospital? Emery demanded.
"A hospital! Ooooo! You mean sell things for real
money and give it to the hospital?
 'Course, replied Emery. "That's what bazaars are
for, isn't it?
"Oh, cried Louise delightedly, "nobody's ever
had a money sale on our street before! It'll be lots of
fun.
64 The Knights of Anytown
"About how much do you think we'd make, Emery?
asked Teddy, in the tone of a business man.
"Oh, I couldn't say! Emery returned in the same
tone. "First thing to do is to 'point a committee. I'd
better be on it, 'cause I thought of it.
"It would be a good thing for me to be on it, Teddy
remarked; "then my father could help us.
"And men can't make things as well as women, so I'd
better be on it, too, Louise added. "I can get ideas from
my mother. She's on the committee for the real one.
"Well, Emery decided, "I'll be the head one, anyway,
and you two can find out how to start it. We'll meet
tomorrow to get everything settled.
The next morning the three met in front of the school.
"Well, Emery began, "my mother thinks it's a fine
idea, and daddy says he'll build a kind of booth near our
front gate. We can have the bazaar there.
That was a splendid beginning.
"I told my mother about it, Louise said, "but she's
afraid we're too little to make anything good enough to
buy. She says why don't we just sell lemonade? She
looked anxiously at the other two to see how they took it.
"Not bad, admitted Emery.
The L emonade Bazaar 65
To tell the truth, the question of what they could sell
at their bazaar was worrying Emery. He had started several
things the night before, but had agreed with his mother
that no one would care to buy them. Lemonade was a
good idea.
Teddy proudly held out a shiny new quarter.
"My father says every business has to have capital to
begin on, he explained, "and this is to start ours. We pay
it back out of the money we make.
Why, the bazaar was already a success !
"Hurrah ! the other two partners shouted.
They decided that the sale should be on Friday after-
noon, for Emery's house was so near the school it would
be easy to catch the children on their way home.
The committee began to advertise. They collected all
the calling cards of all three mothers, and Teddy's older
sister and Louise's older brother helped them print on
the plain side of the cards,—
LEMONADE BAZAAR
AT EMERY'S
FRIDAY 3-6
FOR THE HOSPITAL
66 The Knights of Any town
When they were done they were distributed to all the
children in the first, second and third grades.
The booth which Emery's father built was quite near
the street. There was a counter on which the glasses would
be put, and behind which Emery would, stand and sell
the lemonade which Louise made. Louise's mother had
shown her how to squeeze the lemons and pour in water
and stir in the sugar.
There was a little roof over the top which was held up
by poles at the corners, and these poles were wound with
red and white and blue crkpe paper. At the top of each
was a flag, and on the roof were tacked two big signs. One
said LEMONADE BAZAAR and the other HELP THE
HOSPITAL.
The committee bought four lemons to begin with, and
spent the rest of Teddy's quarter for sugar. It was agreed
that as soon as the lemonade from those four lemon,s was
sold, Teddy should run with some of the money which
had been taken in to the General Store on Forest Gate
Street, and buy more. Then Louise would make more
lemonade.
"How much is it going to be? asked the children, who
were excited about anybody's having a sale for real money,
The Lemonade Bazaar 67
and had watched with great interest the building of the
booth.
"Three cents a glass, announced Emery, "two for
five.
All the children decided at once to ask their parents for
five cents instead of three, it was so much cheaper that
way.
As soon as school was over Friday afternoon the sale
began. Teddy stood at the corner beating upon his drum
and shouting, "Right this way to the Lemonade Bazaar!
Help the hospital! Lemonade three cents a glass, two for
five!
All their friends looked enviously at him. It was such
fun! Indeed they would have liked to be any member of
the committee, for they noticed that the three partners
drank a great many glasses of lemonade, and since it was
their store, of course they did not have to pay for it. All
who could had brought five cents so they could
have two glasses, and in a surprisingly short time the
pitcher was empty. Teddy was hastily sent for more
lemons.
A man attracted by the drum and the sign came over
to the booth.
68 The Knights of Anytown
"For the hospital, eh? he said. "Well, that's fine,
and he gave them five cents for one glass.
More children came, and several more grown people.
They seemed very much pleased when they read the sign
HELP THE HOSPITAL, and one of them said, "We'd
better look out or the children's bazaar will make more
money than ours!
Then everybody laughed, for they all knew that the big
bazaar in Heart o' the Town Hall always made hundreds
and hundreds of dollars for the hospital.
Once more Teddy had to be sent for lemons, but by
five o'clock children and grown people alike had stopped
coming to the booth, so the committee divided what
lemonade was left.
Then they said, "Let's count the money.
First of all they counted out twenty-five cents and laid
it aside to pay back to Teddy's father. Then they started
with the rest, for whatever was left over the twenty-five
cents was clear gain for the hospital.
"One, two, they began counting, and got up to fifteen,
twenty, twenty-five, thirty. Then they counted the pen-
nies—"Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four,
thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven.
As Soon as School was over . ... the Sale Began
The Lemonade Bazaar 69
There were thirty-seven cents.
"Not bad, said Emery, in a voice he tried to make
sound not a bit disappointed.
"Is that all? exclaimed Teddy, showing very plainly
that he was disappointed.
"It isn't such an awful lot, confessed Louise.
"It won't buy much for the hospital, admitted Emery.
"I heard my mother say the hospital needed hundreds
and hundreds of dollars, said Teddy.
"Well, this will help a little, said Louise hopefully.
"H'm, guess not much, Emery answered. "We might
buy them something, though, instead of giving them the
money; then it wouldn't seem like so little.
"What could we buy?
"Oh, toys, or something for the children's ward.
"You can't get many toys for thirty-seven cents, said
Louise.
"That's so, the others nodded, and all three were silent
a moment.
"Charlie Chaplin's going to be in the movies tomor-
row, said Teddy. "Just saw the posters when I went to
the store.
Quiet again.
jo The Knights of Anytown
"Ten cents for children, Emery observed.
Pause.
"We have thirty-seven cents, said Louise.
Another pause.
"There'd be seven cents left for peanuts, Emery said.
"And we earned the money ourselves.
"And it wouldn't do the hospital any good anyway,
added Teddy.
"But, Louise suddenly remembered, "some of those
people bought lemonade because we said it was for the
hospital, didn't they?
"Oh, well, the boys told her, "they wouldn't care!
Besides, it's too little to do the hospital any good.
"I wonder if it would be all right, Louise puzzled.
She really wanted to go to the movies very much. "I'll
ask mother, she decided, and jumped up. Just in front
of the gate she stopped.
"It's our money, we can do what we like with it,
Emery was saying, when Louise cried, "Oh, look, look,
boys!
She had stooped and picked up something. It seemed
to be a pair of glasses. The boys hurried toward her.
"It looks like, she began excitedly, "oh, it is, it is!
I'he Lemonade Bazaar 7 1
and then, as she held them to her eyes, "0 Emery! 0
Teddy! the Angel must have dropped a pair of the wonder
glasses. Oh, oh !"—she was dancing up and down now in
her excitement—"I can see them. Somebody's let some
more in—those Stealer Giants. Ooooo—maybe it was us!
Oh, it was ! I can see it all now. Boys, that money isn't ours.
It doesn't belong to us. It was given to the hospital. Look
yourselves!
Emery seized the glasses, trembling in his excitement,
and whistled. "She's right, he said. "0 Angel, quick!
and he handed the glasses to Teddy, while he and Louise
squeezed their eyes together and asked the Angel to help
them.
Teddy gave one glance at the Giants and rushed for the
money-box.
"You can't have it! he shouted. "It's the hospital's!
You just scoot!
"Did I drop a pair of glasses? asked a familiar voice
near them.
The children turned.
"0 Angel! they cried, "you came just in time. And we
found the glasses just in time to see things as they truly
7 2 The Knights of Anytown
 'It is written,'  said the Angel, and Louise said,
"Oh, you do take care of us, don't you?
"Angel, begged Emery, "won't you please tell us
how we can make this money do some good? It's only
thirty-seven cents, but it belongs to the hospital.
"Thirty-seven cents ! repeated the Angel. "Why, that's
a lot of money! Have you seen those patterns of birds and
animals down at Wharton's? (Wharton's was the big
department store on Main Street.) "You can get some
stiff paper and those patterns and make a whole circus
parade and a skyful of birds for thirty-seven cents. Just
the thing for sick children to play with.
"Oh, thank you, Angel! Thank you! cried all three
children at once, and then Louise asked anxiously, "Angel,
will you look again, please, and see what's happened to
those Giants?
The Angel promptly put the glasses to his eyes.
"Shriveled up, he announced, with a nod, and smiled
down at the children.
VI
THE CONSPIRACY
If I should start a Giant fight,
Pm almost sure that I could win it,
Especially with easy ones
Like Put-It-Ojf and Wait-a-Minute.
Clark had to stay after school to finish his number
work. There had been plenty of time in school to do it, but
he had become so interested in the stories in his reading
book that he had put off the number work. On his way
home he stopped to watch some boys playing ball.
When he finally reached his house he met his mother
just starting out.
"0 Clark! she said, "where have you been? I waited
and waited for you to do an errand at grandma's, and
now it's so late there's only just time for you to do your
practising before supper.
Clark went disappointedly into the house. He loved to
visit his grandma, and he was old enough now to go by
himself.
74 T'he Knights of Anytown
His little sisters must have seen their mother from the
play-room window, for Clark heard them call, "Oh, wait
a minute, mother, wait a minute! Then they came turn-
bling pell-mell down the stairs, asking, "Where are you
going, mother? Can't we go too?
He heard his mother's voice saying, "I'm in a great
hurry, children. Will it take long to get your coats ?
"No, just a minute, mother, they said, and rushed
upstairs again.
From the piano stool Clark could see his mother wait-
ing outside. The Good Neighborhood Street 'bus came
along. She would have taken it if she had not been waiting
for the girls. He saw her look at her watch again. It was
several minutes before the children tumbled downstairs
again, this time carrying coats in one arm, and dolls in the
other.
"We had to find our dollies' coats, explained Alice
breathlessly, as their mother came back to help them into
theirs.
Clark began practising. He saw another 'bus come
along, and his mother and the girls get in. Then he heard a
whistle. That was Peter. Peter lived next door, and always
whistled when he wanted Clark. Clark jumped up. Of
The Conspiracy 7 5
course he ought to go on practising, but this was probably
something important.
"I'll just go out for a minute, he thought, "and see
what he wants. Oh boy! he exclaimed as he stepped out-
side, "where'd you get him? For Peter had in his arms a
brand-new puppy.
"It's a bull, said Peter proudly. "Isn't he a wonder?
Clark agreed that he was. He thought of his practising
again, but saying to himself, "Oh, well, I can put it off
till after supper, he followed Peter over to the barn. Once
there the two were so interested in watching the puppy
try to walk on its wabbly little legs that it was after supper
time before either one would have believed it, and when
Clark ran home, he found the whole family waiting for
him.
"Did you finish your practising? his mother asked
Clark as soon as supper was over.
"Well, no, answered Clark, looking a little ashamed.
"I thought I'd put it off till after supper, because Peter
has a new dog.
Mrs. Frayser hardly ever sighed. But she did now.
"You could have done my errand to grandma as well
as play with Peter, she said, "Now I wanted you to try
J 6 The Knights of Anytown
on the shirts I'm making for you, and I'll have to 'put it
off' because you must practise.
| ^ Clark went in to the piano. He was sorry. His mother
spoke in such a disappointed voice that Mr. Frayser
looked up, worried.
"You look tired, my dear, he said.
"Really, she answered, "I don't know why I should
be tired. I haven't done a thing all day that I had planned
to do. There seems to be a conspiracy against me to make
me put everything off. 'Put-It-Off' and £Wait-a-Minute,'
they're regular lions in my path.
She lifted Bobby (short for Barbara) on her lap, and
unbuttoned her shoes with one hand while she unfastened
Alice's dress with the other.
"Oh, wait a minute, mother! said Alice, as she felt
her dress being unbuttoned. She did not want to go to bed
yet. "I want to fix my dolly's hair.
The strangest sound was suddenly heard. It was a great
big, tremendous roar. Alice had not even known she had
said "Wait a minute until the roar came.
"0 daddy, she laughed, "you're such a funny lion !
But she did not say anything more about her doll's
hair.
The Conspiracy 77
Mr. Frayser picked the little girls up like bundles, and
carrying one under each arm, started up the stairs.
"Come on, Clark, he called, "let's do some more put-
ting off. Your mother's too tired to listen to practising.
Besides, I need your help.
Clark fairly bounded off the piano stool. He was so
glad his father needed his help !
"What're you going to do, dad? he asked when they
were upstairs.
"Well, answered his father, "to tell the truth, I don't
know. Did you hear your mother say there was a con-
spiracy against her? That 'Put-It-Off' and 'Wait-a-Min-
ute' were regular lions in her path?
"Put-It-Off and "Wait-a-Minute"—why, those were
the names of the twin Giants they had seen through the
Angel's wonder glasses that day!
"Not lions, dad, Clark corrected; "they're Giants.
"Urn, said his father. "Well, lions or giants, they're
in your mother's way. She can't get anything done while
they're around. She thinks there's a conspiracy. That's a
scheme, you know, that people cook up to prevent cer-
tain things from happening.
"Probably it's the Giants, said Clark wisely.
7 8 I'he Knights of Any town
"Know any way to get rid of them? asked his father.
"The Angel helps us get rid of Giants, put in Alice.
"Well, said his father, "I wish you'd speak to him
about these, then. They're an awful trial to your mother.
"Dad, said Clark after a while, "why couldn't we
have a conspiracy, and get rid of 'em?
Mr. Frayser looked at him. "A fine idea! he said. "I
knew you'd help me. And they put their heads together,
all four of them, and they made a plot.
Mrs. Frayser was downstairs thinking of the things she
wanted to do tomorrow. It would be Saturday, and she
had hoped to finish those shirts for Clark before Sunday.
But there were errands she would probably have to do her-
self, because it always took Clark so long, and he must
make up his practising. Then there was that song Alice
must learn for church school Sunday, and—
"Yes, children, she called, for they were all ready to be
tucked in, and waiting for their good-night kiss.
"We have a thecret, whispered Bobby as she put her
arms around her mother's neck. But not one of them told
her what it was.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the
morning ? Do you jump right out of bed and into the bath-
The Conspiracy 79
tub the very minute you waken? Mr. Frayser didn't. He
liked to lie a little while and think and stretch and yawn,
and put off getting up as long as possible. Alice generally
jumped out of bed at once, but Clark and Bobby were a
little like their father.
The day of the conspiracy, however, was different. No
"Put-it-offs for them. Mrs. Frayser was still sleeping
when her husband crept into the children's room and told
them what day it was. Up they jumped, and began to
dress. Clark was actually downstairs and had started
his scales before his mother woke. She thought she was
dreaming. Clark never practised before breakfast! And
there was her husband nearly dressed! She got up and
went into the little girls' room.
"Why, children! she exclaimed, as she kissed them,
"how could you manage to do so much without me?
Alice answered proudly, "I helped Bobby just the way
you do.
Mrs. Frayser hurried back to get into her own clothes,
for she was far behind the rest. When she came downstairs
Clark had practised a whole half-hour, breakfast was on
the table, the coffee was bubbling in the percolator, and
everybody was in the dining-room. She rubbed her eyes
80 T*he Knights of Anytown
She must still be dreaming—all there—all clean all
ahead of time!
"Did you tell Mary to have breakfast earlier? she
asked. "Why, I feel as if I'd been given a present of half an
hour! It usually takes that long to get you all together.
The day was starting finely. As soon as breakfast was
over, Clark took off his coat and shirt, while Alice and
her father disappeared.
"Come on, mother, said Clark, "let's try on those
shirts, and when they were tried on,his mother said, "I
can finish these in no time now, and you can wear one
tomorrow. I didn't realize they were so nearly done.
Clark was getting on his clothes again when a loud,
shrill whistle caught his ear. Peter and the puppy, prob-
ably. He started toward the door. His mother heard him
stamp his foot firmly on the floor and turn around.
What she did not hear was a Giant whispering to Clark,
"You can put off practising till later. No need to do it all
at once, and Clark answering scornfully, "O Put-It-Off,
don't you come anywhere near me!
Mrs. Frayser finished the shirts at the same time that
Clark finished his practising, and just about the time
Alice came downstairs with her father, both looking as
The Conspiracy 81
though they shared a delicious secret. Mr. Frayser kissed
his wife good-bye and left for his.office.
"Clark, said his mother, "you're just a dear boy to
finish your practising without my saying a word. Mary
needs some things from the store right away. Can I trust
you to get them quickly?
 'Course, said Clark, putting the list in his pocket
and reaching for his cap.
"Hi! shouted Peter, as Clark passed, "come on over
and see the bull.
Clark hesitated. It was still early in the morning. He
would like to see that puppy. Giant Put-It-Off, who
seemed to be very hard to squelch, came nearer.
"Put it off—the errand! he whispered.
Clark felt in his pocket. He had something there to re-
mind him—a little cardboard shield. Yes, there it was.
And as he felt it, his hand touched the list his mother had
given him, and he remembered what the conspiracy was
for.
"Get away! he told the Giant again, and out loud to
Peter, "Later, maybe, busy now, and then, for fear Peter
would call him again, he began to run. He never stopped
until he came to the General Store.
8 2 T'he Knights of Anytown
With his arms full of groceries he started home again.
Up on the school playground was a football team prac-
tising.
''Oh, wait a minute/ urged something, as he passed
the school.
"I won't ! said Clark, and stamped his foot so hard
that he dropped a package of soap.
"Good thing it wasn't the sugar, he thought as he
picked it up. "Well, old Wait-a-Minute, I hope I stepped
on you too! I won't even hear you if you speak again,
and he walked quickly down Good Neighborhood Street,
without stopping.
"Why, Clark! I wasn't expecting you for another
fifteen minutes, said his mother, surprised. "I didn't
know you could go to the store and get back as soon as
this.
"Good! said Clark. "Mother, if you don't need me
any more, I'm going over to play with the pup.
"Nothing more, dear, until dinner. Remember, twelve
o'clock! Come, Alice, we'll learn your song now.
Alice had been waiting for this. Her eyes danced
as she watched her mother take the paper to the
piano.
The Conspiracy 83
"We'll look at the words first, and then try it without
looking, said her mother.
But Alice turned her back on the words and sang the
whole song straight through without once looking on the
paper.
"Why, you darling child! cried her mother when it was
ended, and caught Alice in her arms. "When did you learn
it?
"Daddy taught it to me this morning, Alice answered
gleefully. "For a s'prise. Aren't you s'prised, mother?
"Surprised! exclaimed her mother. "Why, here's an-
other present of a half-hour given to me. Darling, mother
will have so much time she won't know what to do with it.
Out in the barn behind Peter's house Clark and Peter
had been thinking hard for a long while. They had sug-
gested at least twenty names for the puppy, but none had
been good enough.
Clark happened to glance at the Big Ben clock on the
tool shelf. It said ten minutes before twelve.
"I've got to go, he said, getting up from the floor and
brushing himself.
"Aw, wait a minute, till we think of a name! Peter
teased.
84 The Knights of Anytown
Clark almost jumped. Wasn't it funny how often that
old Giant popped up ! Clark recognized him at once.
"You said the very words to make me go home all the
quicker, he shouted, and he took to his heels, leaving
Peter a very much surprised boy.
Up in the play-room Alice and Bobby were furnishing
their doll-house. The curtains were up in all but two win-
dows when they heard their mother's voice saying, "Come,
little girls, it's time to wash and get ready for dinner.
"Let's wait, began Alice, and then seizing Bobby's
hand, she turned and faced the Giant that she couldn't
see, but which she knew was there.
"No, we can't wait, so there! and saying to Bobby,
"That's the way to get rid of 'em, Alice led her into the
bathroom to wash their hands.
Downstairs everybody was ready for dinner, even their
father, who came home at noon on Saturdays. Mrs. Fray-
ser didn't have to wait a single minute for a single person.
"I don't know what's happened, she said happily, as
soon as the blessing had been asked. "Yesterday I said
everything seemed to conspire against me to keep me
from getting things done, and today there seems to be a
conspiracy to make me get them done!
The Conspiracy 85
Bobby turned to her father. "She guethed our thecret!
she whispered.
Mrs. Frayser looked from One to the other of the con-
spirators, and said suspiciously, "Ah, I thought some-
thing was up!
"Have you much to do this afternoon? Mr. Frayser
asked her.
"Why, no, she answered. "I've done this morning what
I thought it would take two days to do. I keep feeling as if
I'd been given a present of lots of extra time.
"Then, said he, "let's celebrate. Let's take our supper,
and pile into the car and drive off toward the mountains
and do nothing all the rest of the day but look at autumn
leaves and have a good time.
And Bobby and Alice and Clark and their mother
agreed in an enthusiastic chorus, "Let's !
VII
PRETEND-STORIES
Pd like to play the Angel9s game,—
I think Pd know which tales of mine
Would make his shield grow dull and dark,
And which would make it glow and shine.
Nobody could find Jimmy. And the Angel wanted par-
ticularly to see him. He had a new game for the children
to play in the Tower Room, and he knew Jimmy would
like to learn it. Word had gone round a whole hour ago
that the Neighborhood Angel had come, and the children
on Good Neighborhood Street, as fast as they heard the
good news, rushed to the Tower Room, to see what sur-
prise he had for them this time.
But when they were all there the Angel asked, "Where's
Jimmy? and sure enough, he was missing.
"That's funny, Johnny said. "I told him as I came
along past his house to come to the Tower Room.
"And I saw him out in his front yard, said Louise,
whose house was near Jimmy's.
Pretend-Stories 87
"Maybe he didn't hear, said Hamilton. "I'll go back
and get him.
But Hamilton was not able to find him. Morton and
Sammy and Teddy all volunteered to go and hunt up
Jimmy, and they scoured Good Neighborhood Street,
asking everybody they met if they had seen him. Some had,
but could not tell where he had gone.
"I know he heard me when I told him the Angel was
here, insisted Johnny, "because he looked so funny.
And when he didn't come along, I told him again and said
to hurry up.
It was very mysterious.
"Do you suppose he didn't want to come? asked the
Angel anxiously.
"Oh, no! the children cried. "We always want to come
—and then one or two of them looked thoughtful.
The Boy with the Red Cap remembered once when he
had not cared about seeing the Angel, and Mabel Lock-
wood thought of that day when the teacher had asked
who scattered the papers on the school lawn, and she had
not raised her hand. You see, she had scattered them.
"I'm not telling a lie, she had thought, "for I'm not
saying anything, but when the Neighborhood Angel had
8 8 The Knights of Anytown
come afterward, Mabel somehow had not felt like seeing
him.
"Well, said the Angel, opening the door of the secret
closet, "let's get out our shields and play, anyway, so
he handed the shields to the children one by one.
It was always exciting to see their shields after a long
time, and discover which ones had grown brighter, and to
see if perhaps somebody had not won a star.
The Angel looked sorrowfully at Jimmy's shield a
moment before he stood it up against the wall. It was
quite dull, the others noticed.
Then he started a game which was the most fun, es-
pecially if you liked to make believe and could tell won-
derful stories like Annie Swinnerton. But every little
while the Angel would look toward the door as if he rather
expected somebody to come. The children knew he was
hoping for Jimmy. Jimmy liked to make up stories, too.
But Jimmy by this time was as far from the Tower
Room as he could be. When he saw the children going
toward Forest Gate he walked straight in the opposite
direction. He did not want to see the Angel, nor the chil-
dren in the Tower Room, nor his shield, nor even his
mother. When he came to Mr. Richman's he turned the
Pretend-Stories 89
corner down River Gate Street. Mr. Richman's lawn and
garden stretched all the way to Next-to-the-Nicest
Street. There was a hedge at the end of the garden, and
just inside the hedge were grape-vines. Jimmy gave one
look at the grape-vines, and walked rapidly down River
Gate Street.
He wondered what the children were doing in the
Tower Room. Probably something that was fun. The
Angel always had something new for them. But thinking
of the Angel sent an achey feeling through him, so he tried
to whistle and think about something else. It did not seem
as if he wanted to see the Angel ever again. Wasn't it
queer, when usually he would run to greet him?
He walked on toward Heart o' the Town. But Heart o'
the Town made him think of the Giants who wanted to
live there, and he did not like to think of Giants. There
were some good swings in Heart o' the Town, but—oh,
dear, nothing seemed any fun any more!
Where could he go? There was not a child to play with
on Good Neighborhood Street. Every single one had gone
to the Tower Room, every one, except little Marie, who
was lame. Without thinking he started up Oak Street,
and when he reached Next-to-the-Nicest Street where
90 The Knights of Anytown
Oak Street ended, he went through Marie's back yard to
her house. He really had not intended to go there, but
now he was near he might as well.
"Oh, I'm so glad you came, Jimmy! Marie said,
when he walked in. "See what Uncle Will just sent me! I
wanted some one to show it to, and there's not a single
child on the street. Where do you suppose they've all
gone?
Jimmy did not tell her they were at the Tower Room, for
fear she would ask why he was not there too. He looked at
the box Marie had opened. It held a whole toy village.
"Let's make Anytown, Jimmy suggested, so while
Marie held a flat board on her lap, Jimmy put up the little
houses.
They began with Heart o' the Town, of course, and
ended with Good Neighborhood Street, with a wall around
it of blocks.
"Now let's play Giants, said Marie, for she knew all
about the Tower Room and Giants and shields. The
Neighborhood Angel was her friend, too, and there was a
shield in the Tower Room for her, which, the children
told her, was growing brighter all the time.
"You tell a pretend-story, Jimmy, about how some-
Pretend-Stories 91
body lets in some, and how they 'most get to Heart o' the
Town, and how you and I drive them out. Here's a boy
to be you,"—she showed him little figures which came
with the village,—"and a girl for me, and here are some
other people.
"What'll we have for the Giants? Jimmy asked. He
was not sure he was going to like this game'.
Marie looked around the room. On the table was a
plate of Delaware grapes. She answered promptly.
"We'll use grapes. We can roll them around, and then
we can eat them to get rid of them. We can leave the skins,
'cause they look so shriveled up.
It was a good idea, wasn't it?
"Well, began Jimmy, and then he caught his breath.
There was only one story he could think of, and that was
about grapes, and he did not feel a bit like telling it. But
he seemed to have to.
"Well, he began again, "once there was a man and he
had grapes in his garden.
"Mr. Richman has grapes, Marie put in. "He sent
mother these. We'll play it was Mr. Richman, and she
placed a little figure next to the house that stood for Mr.
Richman's.
92 The Knights of Anytown
"And there were some boys and they thought it would
be fun to get into his garden and take some.
"That's where the Giants come in, said Marie, put-
ting some of the grapes outside the pretend-wall. "Soon
as they think it's fun, that makes a hole in the wall. She
made a hole in the wall.
Jimmy continued, "And they sneaked around and
found a place in the hedge.
Marie moved some little figures up from different parts
of the town.
"They couldn't live on Good Neighborhood Street,
she explained,  'cause since the Angel showed the Stealer
Giants in the movies, none of us would.
Jimmy took a long breath but went on, while Marie
moved the Giants through the holes in the wall, and on to
Good Neighborhood Street.
"And they picked a lot, and then they heard somebody
coming, so they slid through the hedge again and ran
home.
"Oh, my! exclaimed Marie, sending the boys back to
their homes, and bringing the Giants farther into town.
"Now you and I have to get them out.
"Well, that isn't all, Jimmy said, shaking his
Pretend- Stories 93
head, and took more grapes off their stems for Marie.
"One of 'em went home and his father said at supper
that Mr. Richman didn't know what to do 'bout the boys
taking his grapes, and this boy was afraid he'd be caught,
and he told his mother he was walking past the garden, and
he saw a great big dog come and eat all the grapes.
"0 Jimmy! cried Marie, horrified. "That lets in more
still—the Truth Hater Giants! We've got to work like
everything to drive them out. You go after those, and I'll
go after these, and she rolled some of the Giants farther
into the town, and let in several more.
"Hurry, or they'll get to Heart o' the Town! she said,
sending one figure after some of them, and handing
Jimmy another to chase the rest.
It was very exciting and hard work, but they finally
succeeded in getting rid of them all, driving back some,
and eating up others, leaving only the shriveled-up
skins.
"That was fun, Marie said, when they were all driven
out. "Tell another pretend-story, Jimmy.
"That wasn't a pretend-story, said Jimmy.
Marie looked at him, startled. "Not pretend? But Jim-
my, it isn't true?
94 The Knights of Any town
Jimmy did not say anything, for he looked as if he were
going to cry. He just nodded his head.
"0 Jimmy! Marie exclaimed again. "Then they really
are inside! And we really have to get rid of them. But you
didn't take Mr. Richman's grapes and tell your mother
what wasn't true, did you?
Jimmy bit his lip and nodded again.
"I thought it was a pretend-story. Did you tell it to
your mother for a pretend-story, Jimmy, or a true one?
"True, said Jimmy, winking back the tears.
"But you told her afterward it wasn't true, didn't you ?
Jimmy shook his head.
"But, Jimmy, cried the little girl, with red spots of
excitement in her cheeks, "you've let in a great lot! You've
just got to do something to get rid of them.
Suddenly a light came into Jimmy's eyes, and he stood
up.
"I will! he almost shouted, doubling up his fist.
"I'll go and tell mother right now, and Mr. Richman, and
the Angel.
"The Angel knows, Marie reminded him. "Oh, I
wish I could help you, Jimmy! I can. Jimmy, I'll lie right
here and keep asking for the Angel to help you while you
Pretend-Stories 95
try to drive them out. And she began the minute Jimmy
closed the door after him.
Poor Jimmy! It wasn't very easy. It never is easy, is it,
to say you've done wrong? But his mother was hoping he
would come, for she knew before he told her. Mothers and
Angels always know. That's one reason they're so much
alike.
They both agreed that he must tell Mr. Richman too.
Jimmy was so afraid his courage would give out that he
ran all the way to the big house on the corner. If he only
could have known it, Giants just dropped flat as he ran,
and by the time he had told Mr. Richman the whole story?
you could not have seen one with a microscope.
When he had finished he felt much better. It was queer,
but the whole world looked different. He suddenly wanted
to see the Angel. He wondered if he would be in the Tower
Room still.
Mr. Richman was just going out. As he stepped into
his car, he said, "How about a ride with me, Jimmy? I'll
let you out wherever you say.
Now wasn't that nice of Mr. Richman? Of course
Jimmy thought of the Tower Room and how quickly he
could get there in the car, so he looked gratefully into Mr.
96 The Knights of Anytown
Richman's face and said, "Thank you, sir, and jumped
in beside him.
Over in the Tower Room the children had been playing
the most interesting game with a special shield which grew
bright or dull while the Angel pretended to be different
children and told different stories. When he told a true
story, and said it was true, the shield shone. When he
told a make-believe one, just to entertain them, it was still
bright. But when he told a make-believe story and tried
to make them think it was true, it grew dark. When he
pretended he was a child and told a make-believe story to
save himself from punishment, it grew still darker. Then
the children took turns doing it. They liked to think they
could tell when the story would make the shield shine.
You remember that the Angel had stood Jimmy's
shield up against the wall when he took it out of the
closet? Suddenly as the children were playing, one of
them cried, "Look at Jimmy's shield! Even as they
looked the dullness all went away, and it grew brighter
and brighter before their very eyes. You could almost see
your face in it. The children had hardly got through
wondering at it when in through the door burst Jimmy
himself.
Pretend- Stories
97
"Look at your shield, Jimmy! the children all cried,
but Jimmy ran straight into the Angel's outstretched
arms. For there wasn't anything or anybody that he
wanted to see just then as much as his Angel.
VIII
THE TRAVELING CIRCUS
They say there's a way
To make every day
Seem sunny and fine the year through,
So you even forget
That skies can be wet.
Now I wonder if that could be true ?
It was raining hard, and it was Saturday. All along
Good Neighborhood Street you could have heard the
same wail,—"Oh, dt-ar! why did it have to go and rain on
Saturday?
In the Swinnerton house it was a mighty wail, for the
Swinnerton house had eight children. You could say their
names in rhyme, like this: "Harley, Ready, Annie, May,
Charlie, Bonnie, Fannie, Fay. Fay was the baby. That
was not really her name, but Fay means fairy, and she
looked so much like one that everybody voted to call her
that so she would rhyme.
Harley was the oldest. She was fourteen, and her father
The Traveling Circus 99
called her "Boss, because she could manage the rest so
well.
Then there was Ready, who had red hair, and was cov-
ered out to the tip of his nose with freckles. The boys
called him Reddy because of his hair, but his mother
spelled it Ready, because if she ever wanted an errand
done, somehow or other it was always he who was ready
to do it.
Annie came next. Annie could tell the most marvellous
stories you ever listened to, and she always had plenty of
listeners, you may be sure.
May was as pretty as a sunny day in spring. She and
Annie together could hold the children spellbound, for
while Annie told the stories, May would draw pictures to
illustrate them.
Charlie—I wish you could have seen Charlie! Only
nobody ever called him that. They called him Tubby,
because he looked just like a tub. He was one of the jolliest
of them all. Everybody laughed no matter what he said or
did. It was partly because he was so fat, and partly be-
cause he was so funny anyway.
Bonnie and Fannie were the twins, whom nobody could
tell apart except the family. They could, because of course
ioo The Knights of Anytown
they had always known the difference. That was all ex-
cept little Fay, who was too small to care what the weather
was.
Seven very long faces appeared at the breakfast table
on this day. Even Tubby hadn't a joke to make. The
minute breakfast was over Harley went to her room and
began to put her bureau drawers in order. She always
kept that for rainy days. Bonnie and Fannie teased
Annie for a story, but Annie said she would rather read a
story herself, and took her book up to the attic. May
went into the parlor and drummed on the piano with one
finger. Ready and Tubby, who happened each to want
the drum at the same time, argued very noisily, and
sounded as if they would be quarreling in a minute.
Bonnie began to ride round and round the living-room
on her velocipede and Fannie on her kiddie-kar, until
they suddenly bumped into each other, and even the
baby joined in the crying.
Not a very happy family, was it? Mrs. Swinnerton
was in the kitchen, and when Harley heard the little
girls crying, and the baby howling, and Tubby and Ready
almost quarreling, she rushed downstairs.
"For goodness' sake, come on up to the attic. We'll
The Traveling Circus 101
find something to do, she said, taking up the baby, and
as the children were used to doing what Harley told them
to they stopped crying and almost quarreling, and
clumped upstairs. Annie, who had thought she would
not be disturbed at her reading, was a little cross when
she saw the whole troop thronging in. The attic was fitted
up as a great play-room, and most of the toys were kept
up there.
Along the walls were pinned pictures the children had
cut from magazines, and on one wall was a whole row of
little white cardboard shields. They faced Harley as she
stood on the top stair.
"I guess the Neighborhood Angel wouldn't be very
proud of this family, she observed, as she looked from
one gloomy face to another.
"Wish it would stop raining and he'd tell us to come
to the Tower Room, Tubby said.
"H'm, Ready returned, "shouldn't think you would.
You don't suppose your shield would be bright, do you?
This sounded like quarreling again. Harley looked at
the cardboard shields.  Tt is written.'  she read.
The children were quiet a moment.
"Well, remarked Annie, who had to put away her
i o 2 7JJie Knights of Any town
book, "if he comes around whenever we want him, I wish
he'd come right now and tell us something to do.
Harley had an idea. "Let's ask for him to spend the
day with us today.
The rest gasped. "The whole day? With just us?
Harley nodded. "He promised, she reminded them,
"that he'd always come if we needed him. Tt is written,'
you know.
"Oh, let's! the others all chimed in, and then they
closed their eyes tight and thought of the One who sends
his Angels about to keep his children, and asked if their
own dear Neighborhood Angel could not please come and
spend the day with them because they needed him. And
when they opened their eyes again, lo and behold, they
were all smiling!
Annie said, "I was horrid to go off by myself with a
book. Want me to tell you a story now? And Ready said
to Tubby, "I don't want to be a pig. Here, take your old
drum ! And Tubby said, "I didn't want it anyway.
Suddenly the whole room was bright and cheery. It
is wonderful what just thinking about Angels does
for us.
"I feel as if I'd been invited to a party, said a familiar
The Traveling Circus 103
voice, and there was the Angel, tossing the baby into the
air and making her squeal with delight.
Then he rolled Fannie and Bonnie over in a mixed-up
pile, pretending he was trying to sort them out; and he
dropped a flower in May's lap, and put his fingers on
Annie's lips so that she wanted to start right in telling
the most interesting story; and he showed Tubby a pic-
ture of a funny circus clown and said, "You remind me of
him, Tubby"; and then he took out his wonder glasses
and looked right into Harley's and Ready's brains. Every-
body was waiting to see what he would do or say next.
The Angel was so unexpected!
He nodded approvingly at what he saw, and then he
said to them all, "How about an adventure? Feel like
one?
That was exactly what they did feel like. Wasn't it
wonderful how the Angel always knew!
"Well, the Angel went on, "I'm glad I was invited
early, for we have a good long day. You know years ago a
few people who could entertain others would travel from
place to place, and give shows. It just occurred to me
that you children would make a good traveling circus. I
know Annie can tell stories, and May can draw and Tubby
104 T'he Knights of Anytown
can make people laugh. Every one of you has some gift,
and the whole fun of having a gift or a talent is in being
able to use it for other people. Harley is a fine manager.
She could run the whole program, for she knows
what you can all do best. You can dress in funny
clothes and call yourselves the Swinnerton Traveling
Circus, and entertain all the shut-ins on Good Neigh-
borhood Street.
Well, the children took to the scheme like ducks to
water! Part of them rushed to the dress-up trunk to see
what they could find. Harley ran downstairs to ask her
mother, who thought it the finest kind of way to spend a
rainy day. She made a list of people she thought would
like to see them, and Harley called them all up on the
telephone.
"Would you like a visit from the Swinnerton Traveling
Circus? she would ask, and the people at the other
end would always say, "We'd love it, thank you. Come
as soon as you can.
Up in the attic the Angel was pulling things out of the
trunk and trying them on the children.
"I can play two pieces on the harmonica, volunteered
Ready, "and I have a box of tricks I can do. And, say,
The Traveling Circus 105
doesn't a circus have to have a Ring Master? I'd like to be
that.
"We could do our dance, said Bonnie to Fannie, and
Harley said, as she joined them, "And I can play the piano
for you.
"I'll tell 'The Three Bears' for one story, promised
Annie, "because May can draw such good pictures for
that. And then I can make one up.
They were so glad for all the gifts they had. Each one
would help to make the circus better.
Harley was a fine manager. She too,k a pencil and paper
and wrote down the different things they could do. Ready
would announce them. He called them "numbers.
First there would be a parade. There would be combs, a
drum, and Ready's harmonica, and they would all play
the two pieces Ready knew, "Go Tell Aunt Rhoda, and
"The Mulberry Bush.
The Angel helped them make some animal costumes for
the twins out of brown flannel. You could not be sure
what kind of animals they were, but it didn't matter.
The twins could just be trained animals, and dance, and
turn somersaults, and do gymnastics, and pick out let-
ters as the Ring Master directed.
106 'The Knights of Anytown
Ready had once had a clown suit which fitted Tubby
now, so Tubby, as clown, would imitate the trained
animals, doing everything they did, but in a funny way.
This was Harley's program:
1. Parade by Everybody. 2. Somersaults by the Trained
Animals and Clown. 3. Stories by Annie, Pictures by May.
4. Animals dance and pick out letters, also Clown. 5.
Tricks by Ready. 6. Singing America by all.
When every one was dressed and had on rubbers and
waterproof coats and HATS, they said good-bye to their
mother, and crossed the street to the Beldings. Old Mr.
and Mrs. Belding loved to see the children, but hardly
ever went out. Mrs. Belding opened the door wide when
she heard them coming, and told them she was so glad it
rained, if it brought a circus to town. They went through
the whole program, and old Mr. Belding laughed so hard
at Tubby that it made Tubby all the funnier, and even
the twins—I mean the trained animals—laughed, too.
Mrs. Belding thought Annie was a beautiful story-teller,
and wanted May to leave her pretty pictures. And when
they left, they felt that the circus had been a great success,
for old Mr. Belding said that they made him laugh until
he felt young again.
The Traveling Circus 107
"Wasn't it fun? they said to each other, and hurried
on to Raymond's house. Raymond had fallen from a tree
and broken his leg, and his mother said that he had been
looking forward to the circus ever since Harley's telephone.
He thought Ready's tricks were wonderful, so before they
left Ready showed him how to do two of them. Raymond
said he had never seen such a nice circus.
Next they went to the hospital. Out on the sun porch
were some children who looked very lonely and tired when
the circus arrived, but who began to laugh as soon as
they saw Tubby. They loved Annie's stories, and May's
pictures, and Ready's tricks, and the little trained ani-
mals, and especially the funny clown, and begged them
all to come again soon. As they went out, the head nurse
said the circus had done them all good.
Little lame Marie's was the next house, and here they
were greeted with a good audience. For as soon as Harley's
message had come, Marie's mother had telephoned some
other children to come in and see the circus. Tubby was
funnier than ever, and kept thinking of new antics, until
the children and Marie's mother were in gales of laughter.
And when it was all over, Marie's mother brought cups
of chocolate and bread and butter for them all, so it was a
108 "The Knights of Anytown
real party. The Traveling Circus was having a beautiful
time.
Everywhere they went people thanked them for bright-
ening a dull day and invited them to come again.
The news of the circus had traveled along the street
faster than the circus itself, and as it passed people would
wave to the actors from their windows, and say to each
other, "Isn't this a beautiful neighborhood? I think it has
the nicest children. I'm so thankful to be living in it!
It was a tired but happy little company that took a
'bus home from Marie's. As soon as they had told their
mother what fun it had been, they trudged up to the attic
to take off their costumes.
"Did you have a good time? asked the Angel, who
was there before them.
"O Angel, we had a lovely time! they chorused, and
Harley added, "I never spent such a nice rainy day in my
life.
"Me either, asserted Tubby, "and it started being no
fun at all.
"It's all on account of the Angel, said Annie, but the
Angel said, "I did very little. I have some news for you,
children. I just dropped around to the Tower Room and
The Traveling Circus 109
happened to glance at the shields. My dears, yours look
as if some one had just shined them with silver polish !
"Oh! cried every one of them joyfully.
"And just one thing more, then I must go. When I
came in this morning the street in front of your house was
so crowded with Selfish Giants I could hardly get through.
"Oh! cried the children, horrified.
"But, my dears, there's not a sign of even a thin one
left.
"Oh! cried the children, much relieved.
"Thank you for inviting me to spend the day, children.
I've had a perfectly beautiful time, and before they could
thank him for coming, he was gone.
IX
HOW JOHNNY WON HIS STAR
The Giants aren't so strong when they come sneaking
through the wall,
It isn't hard to shrivel them to nothing when they're small,
But if you let them stay, before you know what they're about,
They've grown so big, it's all a child can do to drive them out.
In a pretty little brown cottage, set back from the street,
lived Marie and her mother. Because Marie had a lame
back she could not run about and play like other children,
but each morning her mother would lift her to the couch
by the window, and from there she could watch the chil-
dren of Good Neighborhood Street and wave to them as
they passed. Often they came in to play with her, and tell
her all about what they had been doing.
In the summer the little lawn in front of the cottage was
bright with flowers, but it was the beginning of winter
now, and the flowers were gone. Marie was glad of that,
for the men who had been putting their new furnace in the
cellar would have trampled them all down and killed the
plants with the litter they made. It was really cold today.
How yohnny Won His Star i 11
"Isn't it fine, said Marie's mother, "that our furnace
was put in before this cold weather? I wish, though, that
Mr. Brown had told me what to do to make it burn
brighter. It isn't quite warm enough yet.
Mr. Brown was the man who took care of the furnaces
in that part of the town. He lived on Middle Street, but
early each morning he came to Good Neighborhood Street,
shook the ashes from the furnaces, and shoveled in enough
coal to last until he came again at night.
"I think, said Marie's mother, "that I will go down
in the cellar and open up some dampers. This new fur-
nace isn't like the old one, but I'm sure I can find the right
thing to do.
Sure enough, in a few minutes the radiators began to
sssss-zzzzz, and by afternoon the house was so warm
that Marie's mother went down cellar again. Above the
door of the furnace was a little glass tube. Mr. Brown had
told her yesterday what it was for.
"It shows how much water is in the boiler, Mr. Brown
had said. "You see it is half full now. That's about right.
If it should ever be empty, send for me, for I must draw
more water into the boiler. It would be dangerous to try
to do it yourself, for if the boiler should really be empty,
112 The Knights of Anytown
it would explode. I can tell whether there's still some
water there or not.
She looked now at the little tube. She looked again.
She could hardly believe her eyes. In the morning it had
been over half full. Now it was nearly empty. She must
get hold of Mr. Brown.
She rushed upstairs and looked out of the window.
Not a single person was in sight. She could not leave her
little sick daughter long enough to go to Middle Street,
and Mr. Brown had no telephone. She looked at the
clock. In a little while school would be out. Perhaps one
of Marie's little friends would do the errand for her. She
did not tell Marie what was making her so anxious, but
she kept wishing that school would close. She picked up
her sewing and tried to do a little work. In a few minutes
she laid it down and went again to the cellar. The tube
was empty!
What was it that Mr. Brown had said about the boiler
bursting? Suppose it should burst, and flood the cellar,
and put out the fire, or maybe make an explosion! It was
too terrible to think of, with little Marie in the house. She
flew upstairs and looked out of the window again.
Johnny was the first second-grade child out of school
How Johnny Won His Star 113
that day. He had jammed on his hat and started on a run
for Mr. Friendly's house. Mr. Friendly lived two doors
beyond Marie. Johnny was in a great hurry, for it was a
special day in school. The teachers had given to each child
sheets of gaily colored stamps, and had explained that
by selling these stamps for a penny apiece they would be
helping sick people to get well. The more stamps the
children sold, the mote people they would help. A banner
was to be given to the grade which sold the most, and be-
sides that, the children who brought back the most
money for the stamps would receive prizes for themselves.
There were three kinds of prizes, and Johnny felt sure
he could win them all, for he had friends who he knew
would buy . There was Mr. Friendly, and Miss Helpful,
his teacher in the church school, and Mr. Richman, a
friend of his father's. Oh, he could sell ever so many, and
win the biggest prize of all for helping the greatest number
of sick people! And as he was the first one out of school,
he would see these people before the other children had a
chance. He hurried faster down the street.
He was passing Marie's house just as Marie's mother
came up from the cellar to look out of the window.
How glad she was when she saw him!
114 Knights of Anytown
She rushed to the door and called, "0 Johnny, Johnny!
Won't you please come here a minute?
Johnny hesitated. He wanted awfully to see Mr. Friend-
ly at once. Just at that moment a Selfish Giant, who was
always watching for openings in the wall of Anytown,
found a little hole and slipped through.
"Pretend you don't hear her, he whispered in Johnny's
ear.
But Johnny shook his head and hurried up the walk to
Marie's mother, while the Giant slunk away a little.
"Johnny, said Marie's mother in distress, "would
you do an errand for me?
"I'm pretty busy just now, he answered. "Could I do
it for you later?
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I must get word to Mr. Brown at
once! The furnace boiler is empty, and unless he comes
and lets in water, I don't know what will happen. I dare
not do it myself, for fear of an explosion.
Poor Johnny! He knew that Mr. Brown lived on Mid-
die Street, for he took care of Johnny's furnace, too. The
Selfish Giant thought he saw another opening, and came
nearer.
"You can't do it, he whispered.
How Johnny Won His Star 115
"I can do it! Johnny announced in a loud tone, with
a gesture which looked as though he were pushing some-
thing away.
The Selfish Giant disappeared entirely.
"Oh, thank you! said Marie's mother. "You won't
stop until you find him, will you? It would be too terrible
if anything should happen !
"I won't, promised Johnny, and went down the walk.
At the gate he paused. Mr. Friendly's house was next
but one.
That very second into the city of Anytown slipped the
Giant Break-Your-Promise, and before Johnny realized
what was happening, something made him think: "It
wouldn't take long just to stop at Mr. Friendly's door.
The other children mustn't get there first!
He was almost at Mr. Friendly's door now.
"But I promised, he said to himself.
"Break your promise, whispered the Giant.
"I will not! Johnny almost shouted, and thrust his
stamps into his pocket, and started on a run toward River
Gate Street.
Marie's mother stood in the doorway, anxiously watch-
ing him. When she saw him run she breathed a sigh of
i i 6 The Knights of Anytown
relief, and went back to her work. She had already taken
it up when two little girls came up the walk.
"Would you like to buy any Red Cross stamps? they
asked, holding them out for Marie and her mother to see.
"The second grade is trying to win the banner for selling
the most.
"Do you get anything yourselves? Marie's mother
asked, reaching for her purse.
"Oh, yes! answered Jane, one of the two. "If we sell
fifty, we get a funny little letter every month all the year,
and if we sell a hundred we get a funny little letter every
month all the year and a ruler. And if we sell two hundred
we get a funny little letter every month all the year and a
ruler and a pin. We're trying for a pin. We came straight
from school, and if we get to people's houses ahead of the
other children, we can sell them first. Johnny was the
first one out in our grade, and we were next.
Marie's mother looked up quickly.
"Did Johnny have stamps to sell? she asked.
"Oh, yes! said Emelie, the second child. "He told me
he was sure he'd get the big prize, for he knew so many
people who would buy from him if he only saw them first.
"Poor Johnny! said Marie's mother. "I sent him on an
How Johnny IFon His Star 117
important errand. I wonder if I should have trusted
him.
"Maybe he'll sell stamps first and then do your er-
rand, suggested Jane hopefully.
"He promised he wouldn't stop on the way. Oh, sup-
posing he forgets his promise!
She went to the door and looked out. Johnny was out of
sight. There was nothing for her to do but wait.
"I can buy only a few stamps, children, she said as
she came back, "and if you don't mind, I'll get them of
Johnny. He was really here first, you know.
As Jane and Emelie left to go to Mr. Friendly's house,
two more children joined them; others came running
down the street; it seemed as though Good Neighborhood
Street were full of children ringing door-bells.
"I wonder where Johnny is, Marie's mother thought
as she closed the door.
Johnny was just then approaching the home of his
church-school teacher.
"Just stop at the door. It'll only take a minute. She's
sure to buy some, urged Giant Break-Your-Promise,
who was growing bigger and coming closer.
"Go away! said Johnny.
11 8 The Knights of Anytown
"But you've missed your chance at Mr. Friendly's,
and think of those prizes !
Johnny stopped. "I am thinking of them! he said,
blinking hard. "I told you to go away! he commanded,
and ran straight past his teacher's. The Giant grew
smaller, but kept on running with him.
He was almost at Mr. Richman's now.
"You know, said the Giant, suddenly looming large,
"if you stopped at Mr. Richman's he might buy the whole
two hundred, and then you wouldn't have to bother any
more.
"That's so, thought Johnny. "And if I lose my chance
here, some third-grade boy'll take it. We've just got to win
the banner for our grade, and he started up the steps.
And at that moment a whole dozen of the Truth Hater
Giants came through an opening they saw in the wall.
Suddenly Johnny thought of Marie's mother standing
in the doorway telling him that the boiler might burst.
"I can't stop ! he cried, running down the steps again,
and the new Giants, who had joined the first, dropped
back.
Down River Gate Street he ran to Middle Street. He
was almost there. Perhaps if he hurried back, he could still
How Johnny JHon His Star 119
find a few places where stamps had not been bought,
although he could see that Middle Street was full of chil-
dren going from door to door with the gay little sheets,
and he knew that Good Neighborhood Street would be
just as full.
At last he reached Mr. Brown's. He rang the bell. Mrs.
Brown came to the door.
"We've bought our stamps, she said, and closed it
again before he could catch his breath from running.
"Oh, please! he called.
Perhaps Marie's house was exploding already! And
then, as he could not make Mrs. Brown come to the door
again, no matter how hard he rang the bell, he tried the
latch. The door opened.
"Please, Mrs. Brown, he called, "I didn't come to sell
stamps. Marie's mother sent me for Mr. Brown. Her
boiler's empty and she's afraid it's going to ex-
plode.
"Oh, I'm sorry! said Mrs. Brown, "but Mr. Brown
isn't here.
"Isn't here! Johnny repeated blankly. "Where is
he?
"At Heart o' the Town Hall, answered Mrs. Brown.
i 2 o The Knights of Anytown
"They sent for him to fix something that was wrong with
the furnace there.
"Thank you, said Johnny weakly, and went straight
out of the door. He felt as though he might cry, if he
stayed inside. All his precious time gone for nothing!
"Well, said one Giant in his ear, as he stood on the
steps blowing his nose very hard, "you certainly can't go
all the way to Heart o' the Town. It would be dark before
you got home.
"And if you go back now, stopping at houses on the
way, said another, "you might be able to sell some
stamps.
"Of course, said the first Giant, coming up, and get-
ting larger and larger every minute, "Marie's mother
never dreamed of your going 'way to Heart o' the Town.
And think how foolish you'll feel tomorrow when the
children ask you how many stamps you've sold, to have
to say none—you, who were going to win all the prizes !
Suddenly Johnny seemed to wake up. What had he
done! By stopping and listening, and almost giving in,
he had opened the way for a whole crowd of Giants who
had followed him all the way to Middle Street. What, oh,
what if they should go farther, and finally get as far as
How "Johnny Won His Star 121
Heart o' the Town! What would the Angel think! He
blinked his eyes, and called, "Come quick, Angel, I need
you ! Then he turned square around.
"Oh, I know you, old Giant Break-Your-Promise!
he said, crooking his left arm as though it carried a shield,
and closing his right hand over what might have been a
spear. "I know you, and you can come right ahead and
fight, if you want to. I'm going to Heart o' the Town Hall
to get Mr. Brown, and if you think you're going along
with me, it's April Fool for you! You'll never get into
Heart o' the Town because of me! Well, where are you?
Come on and fight, I'm in a hurry!
But there wasn't a single Giant left. Not one. They had
grown so small that there wasn't even enough left of them
to go back home. They had just shriveled up and died
when Johnny faced them and dared to fight.
Johnny pulled down his cap and started to run again,
and he never stopped until he reached Heart o' the Town
Hall, found Mr. Brown, and gave him his message.
"Whew! Mr. Brown whistled. "How long ago did she
send you?
"I ran 'most all the way, said Johnny simply.
"Well, I hope she hasn't tried to put in any water her-
122 The Knights of Any town
self. I'll go straight up there, and he jumped on a Forest
Gate Street car.
As for Johnny, he put his hands in his pockets and
whistled. He had done his errand and did not need to run
any more. He knew he had lost his best chances at selling
stamps, but, strangely enough, he seemed much more
interested just now in Mr. Brown's getting to Marie's
before anything happened. He walked straight up Forest
Gate Street to Good Neighborhood Street.
All the way children called to him, "How many stamps
have you sold? And each time he would answer proudly,
"I haven't had time to sell any. I've been doing an im-
portant errand.
When he reached Marie's house her mother met him
at the door.
"Johnny, she said, "I can never thank you enough for
what you have done. I was so afraid you couldn't find
Mr. Brown that I finally went down cellar myself to let
in some water. Mr. Brown came that very minute, and
said if I'd done it, the boiler would have exploded. Will
you sell me twenty-five of your stamps?
As Johnny tore off the number she wanted, she said,
"I know your mother is proud of you, Johnny. You keep
How Johnny Won His Star 123
your promises. And Good Neighborhood Street is proud
of you, too. Thank you for helping Marie and me.
"You're welcome, he said. "I ought to thank you for
buying my stamps.
"I'm afraid they're the only ones you'll sell, Johnny.
Johnny was half-way down the walk. "I don't care, he
said, and waved his cap to Marie in the window.
It was a short time after that the Neighborhood Angel
invited the children of the street to the Tower Room.
They came eagerly, as always, and could hardly wait to
see their shields. Some of them had been trying especially
hard.
It did seem as if more shields than usual were bright.
But suddenly, "Oh, look! came an excited cry, and every
one turned toward Johnny.
"What's the matter? asked Johnny.
Every child was pointing straight at his shield. He
looked down. The same sort of glow came from the center
of his shield as had come from Sammy's. With shining
eyes he looked up at the Neighborhood Angel, for he knew
that he had won his star.
X
ROSA MONDELLA'S CHRISTMAS STOCKING
If I were in old Santa's place,
I know what I would do;
I'd ask my friends, the boys and girls,
To help me, wouldn't you ?
In a few weeks it would be Christmas.
When the children of Anytown went to Busy Street or
Main Street they could hardly get past the store windows,
there were so many interesting things in them. And Santa
Claus was at Wharton's. All you had to do to see him was
to take the elevator to the toy floor, and there he was,
patting boys and girls on the back, asking them what
they wanted for Christmas, and making everybody laugh
and wish they could just live at Wharton's.
The children of Good Neighborhood Street had a
special reason for being excited, for Santa Claus had
promised to come to their party. Every year there was a
party at the Good Neighborhood Street church, where
Rosa Mondella s Christmas Stocking 125
the children played games and then planned what they
should do for their real Christmas celebration. And this
year Santa Claus had promised that he would come and
help them plan.
They were just fixing the chairs for Going to Jerusa-
lem when a jingle of bells was heard. Santa Claus had
come before he was expected. The children flew to the
door to greet him.
"Well, well! I'm glad to see you! he said jovially,
"particularly glad! I heard there was a party here to
make plans for Christmas, and you know,"—he leaned
forward confidentially, and his eyes twinkled—"I'm a
little bit interested in Christmas myself.
He told it as if it were great news, and the children all
laughed. As if they didn't know Santa Claus was in-
terested in Christmas!
"You ought to see my shop, he went on, wagging his
head.
"My, I wish we could ! said Teddy.
But Santa Claus said, "It wouldn't make you a bit
happy. If you could see the hundreds of presents there
isn't time to finish! And every day, when children come to
me down at Wharton's to tell me what they want, I think
126 7'he Knights of Any town
of the things I'd like to give them, and remember that
they won't be ready.
Horrors! Did he mean that some children would have
to go without any Christmas presents, then?
Santa Claus seemed to know what was in their minds.
"You boys and girls here wouldn't need to worry if I
never got around to you, for your fathers and mothers
and grandmothers always help me out so much, but un-
less something happens it looks to me as though a lot of
children down on Middle Street and Busy Street and
Main Street were going to wake up on Christmas morn-
ing and find nothing in their stockings. There simply
aren't enough things to go around !
The children gasped at the awful thought. Think
of finding nothing in your stocking Christmas morn-
ing!
"I was telling all this to Mr. Wharton, Santa Claus
went on, "and he was worried, too, but he finally said,
'Well, you're a Good Fellow, Santa Claus; you'll be able
to find a way out.' I said at once, 'It will take more than
one Good Fellow to do this job,' and then I happened to
think of this party where you children were meeting to
make Christmas plans. 'H'm,' said I to myself, 'if I go
Rosa Mondella s Christmas Stocking 127
up and explain to them, maybe they'll be Good Fellows
with me, and help me with this thing.' You see, I knew
the name of your street was Good Neighborhood Street.
"It is, the children declared. "Tell us what to do. We'll
help you, Santa Claus !
"Hooray! said Santa Claus, "then that's settled!
And tugging at his pack he pulled out a great pile of
stockings.
"You know Mr. Fullerton, the newspaper editor? he
asked, as he gave each child one of the stockings. "Well,
Mr. Fullerton says he'll get the names and ages of all the
children I couldn't provide for, and if you'll write in to
him and say you want to be a Good Fellow, he'll un-
derstand, and send you one of those names.
The children were delighted. Wouldn't it be fun to fill a
whole stocking for some one! To help Santa Claus like
this was almost like being Santa Claus oneself!
And when he told them that on Christmas Eve in the
church on Busy Street a Christmas party was always
held, they said, "We could go to the party and give them
the stockings then. And we could see their faces !
They all liked the idea so much that they sat .down at
once around tables which Miss Helpful and her assistants
128 The Knights of Any town
pulled out, and began choosing things to make. The girls
all chose Raggedy Ann dolls, and the boys all wanted to
make wooden toys like the patterns Santa Claus showed
them. He left, very much pleased, but the children stayed
and worked all the afternoon.
Ethel's doll was all made but the face and hair, and
when Miss Helpful had painted it, Ethel held it up.
"Oh, she cried. "I want it myself, I want it myself!
Don't give it away, I want it myself!
"That's a funny way to be a Good Fellow, said Law-
rence and Ted and Annie, so Ethel said no more about
wanting the doll herself. But she decided to keep it all the
same, and buy presents for the stocking. As soon as she
reached home she emptied her bank and counted her
money. There was fifty cents, and when she told her
father and mother about Santa Claus' visit, and said that
she wanted to be a Good Fellow, her father gave her fifty
cents more, which made a whole dollar. She could hardly
wait for the next Saturday to come, so that she could
spend it.
When it was spent she could hardly wait to get home
and look at her packages. The first box she opened held a
little Japanese doll. It was just big enough to go into her
Rosa Mondella s Christmas Stocking 129
doll-house. She thought she would play with it a while
herself. Then came some little wooden dishes. She had
bought those and the laundry se;t because she could wrap
up each thing separately, and it would make more pack-
ages for the stocking. But now she forgot about the stock-
ing. The things seemed to fit into her doll-house as though
they were made for it, even the doll's bureau, which she
had thought would be too big. She must keep them her-
self!
Somehow, too, the jackstones and rubber ball found
their way to Ethel's own toy shelf, and the crayons. She
wanted to try the crayons, so she did, until two or three
of them broke. There was a bag of candy which she dipped
into, first just to taste, and then because it was too good
to let alone. The toy wrist watch looked so pretty on her
own wrist that she decided to keep it and wear it always.
And the paper doll set was so inviting that she just could
not seem to help cutting out the dresses and trying them
on the doll.
"Come, Ethel, it's time for bed, her mother said,
coming in, and then, "Why, Ethel! Aren't those the things
for Rosa Mondella?
Rosa Mondella was the name Mr. Fullerton had sent
130 The Knights of Any town
when Ethel had written him that she wanted to be a Good
Fellow. "Rosa Mondella, 21 Middle Street, seven years
old, the card had said.
"Yes, mother, said Ethel, "but you see I found I
needed them myself. I've wanted a doll's laundry set all
my life, and—and—
Her mother looked so unbelieving and so surprised
that Ethel did not feel like going on, somehow.
"What was in here? her mother asked, looking at the
bag.
"Well, it was candy, mother. I didn't mean to eat it all.
I just thought I'd taste.
Her mother helped her undress silently. She was think-
ing.
Just as Ethel was dropping off to sleep, she faintly
heard a voice saying, "What can we do about it? I can't
bear to think that our Ethel is growing selfish. I wonder
where—ah, here it is ! 'It is written.' 
Who was talking? Her mother, or the Angel? It was
funny how sometimes you couldn't tell—but here Ethel
drifted off to sleep.
When she awoke the next morning she went straight to
the corner where her toys were kept. She wanted to see the
Rosa Mondella s Christmas Stocking 131
new dishes and laundry set and Japanese doll and bureau
and jackstones and paper dolls.
The first thing her eye caught was a little white card-
board shield. Where had that come from? She hadn't
seen it for a long time. In fact she hadn't thought about
the words on it, "It is written, since the last time the
Angel was with them. Was it the Angel she had heard
last night? The voice had said something about growing
selfish. What was the Angel doing there, anyway? Driving
out the Giants? What Giants? And though no one was
looking, Ethel hung her head. She supposed it was the
Selfish Giants. Giants were funny things. You couldn't
see them, but you knew they were there. Some of the other
children-had shriveled some up. She thought it would be
fun, but she didn't know exactly how. She read the words
on the shield.
Over the top of the doll-house hung Rosa Mondella's
stocking. Ethel took it up and looked at it. How was she
ever going to fill it? She hadn't any more money, and
since she had decided to keep the toys herself and eaten
the candy, there was nothing left to put in it. If Rosa
Mondella depended on Ethel for presents, it was going
to be a pretty slim Christmas for her.
132 The Knights of Any town
Just to see how the stocking would have looked if she
hadn't decided to keep the toys, she began to put them
in, one after another. The bureau filled the foot. When the
jackstones and ball and dishes and laundry set were in,
the stocking was still only half full. It would never do to
give Rosa that. Ethel took the wrist watch from her arm,
and the Japanese doll from the doll-house, but they took
up very little room in the stocking. She wondered if Rosa
would like a harmonica. She hardly ever played hers. She
put it in. There was a little basket her grandmother had
given her Thanksgiving. She was using it for a scrap-
basket in her doll-house, but she could spare it.
She looked at the shield again. She did wish that the
Angel would come and tell her what to do next. Then she
thought of the Raggedy Ann doll.
"I want it myself, I want it myself! Don't give it away!
I want it myself! whispered some of the Selfish Giants
who had gone to sleep with her last night, and were
waking up now.
Now Ethel had just wished hard for the Angel, and of
course the Angel was there, but she didn't know it. And
Angels and Giants can't be in the same place long at the
same time, so that whisper wasn't very strong.
Rosa Mondella s Christmas Stocking 133
Ethel looked at the row of dolls sitting up against the
wall. "I don't need it at all, she said, seizing Raggedy
Ann so suddenly that whatever little Giants there were
fell over backward.
The stocking was almost full, but thin. Really interest-
ing stockings had lumps and bulges in them. What else
could she find? She thought regretfully of the bag of
candy, which would have made a nice lump, and the
crayons which she had broken.
"I know, she exclaimed, and began to sing excitedly,
"'Heigh-ho! for I know!' as she danced into her
mother's room.
"Mummy, she said, "were you going to give me candy
for Christmas?
"Yes, dear, said her mother promptly.
"Please may I have it to put into Rosa's stocking?
Because I ate hers.
Her mother looked almost as surprised as she had been
last night, but she said, "Certainly, dear, and went
straight to the closet and took down a jar of hard candies.
"Goody! said Ethel. "It'll make a big bulge. Daddy,
were you going to give me something for Christmas that
cost as much as colored crayons?
134 Knights of Any town
"Well, said her father, "possibly.
"Well, will you give it to me now, please? She knew it
was against the rules to have her presents before Christ-
mas, but this was important.
Her father looked at her mother and then took some-
thing down from the closet shelf. It was the most beau-
tiful box of colored crayons you ever saw. There were
twenty-four colors in all. Ethel had never seen such a box.
It certainly was a wonderful Christmas stocking.
Wouldn't you think Ethel would have been satisfied
with it now? But she stood with some paper dolls in her
hands, wondering what she could do to make up for those.
You remember that the night before she had spoiled
them for giving away. What could she give Rosa
in their place? She couldn't think of a single thing—
unless—
She fairly flew into the next room.
"Daddy, mummy, she demanded, "do you think
maybe Santa Claus was going to give me a present this
year?
"I shouldn't be surprised, her father answered.
"Then if I write a letter about what I want, will you
send it to him?
Rosa Mondellas Christmas Stocking 135
"Yes, said her mother, and gave Ethel a pencil and
paper.
She went back to her room and sat down at her desk.
As she finished she looked at the Angel's shield again, and
thought of the Giants.
"I'd kind of like to shrivel one up, she thought.
"Bless you! said a voice somewhere around—though
Ethel couldn't see any one—"you've been shriveling them
all the morning. And since your letter they haven't a
ghost of a chance!
For this is what Ethel had written:
"Dear Santa Claus,
"Never mind about bringing me a present this year,
Santa Claus. My Daddy and Mummy will take care of
me. Please take my present instead to Rosa Mondella,
21 Middle Street, 7 years old.
"Your loving
''Ethel.
XI
HOW MARIE BECAME A GOOD FELLOW
When an Angel is one of your very best friends,
It's easier, far, to do right;
You're perfectly safe from a Giant attack,
For there's rarely a Giant in sight.
Usually Marie did not mind being lame, so many nice
things happened to her just because she was different from
other children. People were always giving her what she
called "un-Christmas presents, which had nothing at
all to do with Christmas, but which might come at any
moment, like fruit, and flowers, and her toy village. Uncle
Will had sent her the village in September, and all the
fall she had played with it, arranging the little houses and
stores on a board in her lap. The Good Neighborhood
Street children who were always popping in unexpectedly
loved to play with it too. It would provide amusement
for the whole winter.
You might think that Marie would feel left out when
the others went to the Tower Room and had such won-
How Marie Became a Good Fellow 137
derful times with the Angel. Perhaps she would have, if
the children had not taken pains to tell her all that hap-
pened, and if she could never see the Angel herself.
But the fact was, the Neighborhood Angel knew and
loved Marie quite as much as any child on the street, and
visited her oftener, because she needed him more.
Sometimes the children pitied Marie because she must
always stay at home. "No picnics, no vacation trips, no
parties, no school, no Tower Room! Poor Marie! they
would say.
They did not understand that when children have to
miss things of one kind, their guardian angel almost
always makes up for the loss by arranging something just
as nice of another kind, which other children do not have.
They did not know that in the night, when Good Neigh-
borhood Street was dark and the people slept, the Angel
came to Marie and told her wonderful stories, touching
her eyes and ears so that she could see fairy sights, and
hear music not heard by others. They did not know that
he often took the little girl in his arms and bore her away
to other places. Sometimes they went to the Tower Room,
where she could see how bright her shield was growing;
sometimes he flew with her far up among the clouds, so
138 The Knights of Any town
that she felt like a bird and was sorry when morning came
and she had to come back.
It may be that you would have called them dreams,
these adventures she had with the Angel, but Marie's
mother never did. She understood, and thanked the
Father of all children for letting her little girl spend so
much time with his Angel.
From across the street Jimmy bounded in. From next
door Lawrence and Martha Hadley followed. They car-
ried toys under their arms, and had come to tell Marie
about Santa Claus being at their party, and about the
Good Fellows, and about—but they all talked at once,
and so fast that Marie laughed and said she couldn't
understand a single word, and please to take turns! So
they took turns, until there wasn't a thing that had hap-
pened at the party that Marie did not know about. She
felt exactly as if she had been there.
"Oh, I want to be a Good Fellow! she cried, when they
finished. It would be such fun to help Santa Claus out.
"Couldn't I be a Good Fellow?
The children looked doubtful.
"Santa Claus didn't leave a stocking for y6u, Marie,
How Marie Became a Good Fellow 139
said Martha gently. "I guess he thought you couldn't.
"You see, went on Jimmy, "you have to make the
things down at the church. The saws and the wood and the
paint are all there.
"And the stuffing for the dolls. And Miss Helpful has
to paint in the faces, added Martha.
"Maybe you could buy some presents for a stocking,
suggested Lawrence hopefully.
Marie shook her head. "I haven't any money, she
said, "and if I had, I couldn't go down town and choose
the things.
There seemed to be no way for Marie to be a Good Fel-
low. The others were sorry—it was going to be such heaps
of fun.
At last Martha said, "But Marie, you don't need to be
a Good Fellow. There will be enough of us. Why, probably
people will be Good Fellows to you. Everybody gives you
presents.
 'Course they do, agreed the boys. "You needn't
worry. And they went home thinking they left Marie
happy again.
But Marie was far from happy. How she wanted to be a
Good Fellow! Not because all the other children were
140 The Knights of Any town
doing it, but because she was missing such a good time.
It's so much fun to have things to give away—twice as
much as getting them. She went over the list of her own
toys to see if any were good enough to pass on, but the
playthings which could be put into a stocking had all
been used so much that the newness was entirely worn
off.
For once Marie wished she could be like other children,
and do what other children did. How she would have
loved to hear Santa Claus tell about his shop ! In her mind
she could see his work-rooms, littered with half-finished
toys which would not be done in time for Christmas. Oh,
how she wished she could be a Good Fellow and help him!
She was wishing it so hard that she forgot to be glad
when bedtime came, and wonder if the Angel would visit
her that night.
The Angel did not forget her. As soon as the last light
on Good Neighborhood Street went out, in at Marie's
window he slipped, and put his hand in hers.
Marie loved to fly with the Angel. She always felt so
safe, and happy, and well. She forgot about her lame back,
and it was now quite easy for her to walk, or fly, or run.
"Where are we going, Angel? Marie asked, as they
How Marie Became a Good Fellow 141
flew out over the wall of Anytown, across the river, and up,
up, toward the stars; over the mountains and far beyond.
"It's a surprise, answered the Angel, smiling at her.
To the north they flew, on, and on, and on, and finally
came to what looked like the top of the world.
"It's the North Pole, explained the Angel.
"The North Pole? echoed Marie. "Then it must be
where Santa Claus lives. 0 Angel, that—that house down
there isn't Santa Claus', is it? Oh, I've always wondered
what it would be like! And down they dropped at the
jolly old saint's very door.
Marie ran up the steps and knocked. No answer.
"He's down at Wharton's, she said, "and probably
the brownies are just worn out and have gone to sleep.
She opened the door and they went inside. It was as
she thought. On tables, chairs, hobby-horses, benches,
velocipedes, in every corner, every crack, slept the little
brownie workmen, with their tools in their hands as
though they had just dropped off.
"My, what lots of toys! exclaimed Marie. "But it's
just as Santa Claus said. See, Angel, they're not nearly
ready!
From room to room they wandered, hardly knowing
142 The Knights of Any town
where to step because of the piles of unfinished toys.
Suddenly Marie spied a corner of finished ones. They
were tagged, and she hurried over to read the tags.
The first one was on a kiddy-kar. It said, "Pietro
Martelli, 32 Middle Street, Anytown. Don't Deliver.
Broken leg.
The next was on a velocipede, and read, "Paul Petrowski,
50 Busy Street, Anytown. Don't Deliver. Rheumatism.
Then came some books marked, "Edith and Frances
Kelly, 18 Main Street, Anytown. Don't Deliver. Eyes
being treated.
A tool-chest was marked, "Karl Unger, 14 Middle
Street, Anytown. Don't Deliver. Broken arm.
A roller coaster was marked, "Christina Peterson, 12
Main Street, Anytown. Don't Deliver. Hurt foot.
As Marie studied the tags with wonder she asked,
"Why won't they be delivered, Angel?
"Because, said the Angel, "these children are in the
hospital, and the toys would only make them feel un-
happy. They'd be of no use to sick children.
"But what will they have, then? Marie asked again.
"There won't be any other things done in time for them,
will there?
How Marie Became a Good Fellow 143
"Maybe some Good Fellow will help out, suggested
the Angel.
"But those stockings are all for Middle Street, and Busy
Street, and Main Street. I don't believe anybody has
thought of the children in the hospital.
"That would be a great pity, the Angel replied.
"It would be awful, declared Marie. "Can't we tell
the Good Fellows?
"The trouble is, said the Angel, "it's so hard to find
toys that sick children can play with.
"I know, said Marie. "That's what mother says.
That's why my Uncle Will sent me my village. I wish
there was a village to give them, Angel.
They looked everywhere, but there seemed to be no
villages.
"Just one village, if it was like mine, she continued,
"would be enough for lots of children. There are so many
buildings each one could have four or five, and perhaps
sometimes they could play with it all together.
"It would be very nice, said the Angel, "but I don't
see any about, do you? Bless me, it's nearly morning!
Shall we go?
And back they flew under the stars.
144 The Knights of Any town
It seemed to Marie that she had barely touched the
pillow again when her mother's voice awakened her.
"0 mother, she cried, "guess where I've been! To the
North Pole, to Santa Claus' house! None of the children
ever went to his house, mother. All they've seen is just
Santa Claus.
"You will always see more than other children, darling.
What was it like up there?
Marie told her about the piles and piles and rooms and
rooms of unfinished toys, and the brownies all asleep from
weariness.
"And mother, she said, "there was one pile of things
for some children in Anytown, but they were all marked
'Don't Deliver,' because those children are in the hos-
pital and couldn't use them. I wish I could be a Good
Fellow to them. They may be left out. O mother, why can't
I do the things the rest of the children do? Everybody just
gives me presents, and I never have any fun doing things
for anybody else!
Marie's mother kissed her little girl to comfort her,
and put on her soft, woolly wrapper before she carried her
to the couch in the next room.
There on the table was Marie's big lap-board, on which
How Marie Became a Good Fellow 145
she was playing yesterday with her village. Marie looked
regretfully at it now, as she thought of how she and the
Angel had searched Santa Claus' house in vain for one
like it to give to the hospital children.
Suddenly she stared at it with wide-open eyes as if she
had never seen it before. What was the matter with this
one? Why couldn't she give away her village? Why hadn't
she thought of it before? Oh, she could be a Good Fellow,
she could, she could, she could!
"Mother! she sang out happily, "I can give my vil-
lage to the children in the hospital! I can be a Good Fel-
low!
Her mother glanced at the shining face.
"You play with it every day, yourself, she reminded
her.
"But I've played with it ever since September, mother,
and it's somebody else's turn. It's nearly Christmas and
Uncle Will will be sending me something else. Oh, please
telephone Mr. Fullerton and say I'll be a Good Fellow to
the hospital!
Wasn't it nice that she thought of it in time?
You won't be surprised to hear that the next time the
Angel took the shields out of the Tower Room closet
146 7'he Knights of Any town
Marie's was so bright that it dazzled everybody's eyes.
"Isn't it pretty! admired Annie.
"It isn't because she drove away any Giants, though,
Jimmy said,  'cause there never are any Giants around
her.
"That's because she's with the Angel so much, said
Martha wisely. "They never get a chance.
"That's right, replied the other children, "they never
get a chance.
XII
ANYTOWN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY
I think it would be fun, if what the Angel said is true,
To start some pleasant, happy ways, and watch them
spread, don't you ?
You know "contagious means "catching. Isn't it
lucky that nice things are just as contagious as horrid
ones, such as measles? For instance, you can catch good
manners, like whooping-cough, by being near some one
who has them, and taking them yourself. You can spread
happiness and kindness and generosity just as easily as
you can spread a cold when you sneeze ker-choo and for-
get to cover your face with your handkerchief.
The story of Anytown's first community Chris/tmas is
the most contagious story I know. See if you don't think
so, too.
It all began with Marie's deciding to give her village
to the hospital. That was on Saturday.
Sunday morning the Good Neighborhood Street chil-
dren sang cheerily, in their church school,
148 The Knights of Any town
"Singing, singing all the day,
Give, oh, give away!
It made Jimmy remember something, and as soon as they
were out-of-doors he said to the others, "What do you
think? Marie's going to give away her village!
"Her toy village? the children gasped, "that she plays
with every day?
"Yep. To the hospital.
"Whew! whistled Lawrence, and "My goodness!
Martha exclaimed. "What for?
"Well, she can't make anything, and she just had to
help Santa Claus somehow.
"Seems to me she's the best Good Fellow of all, re-
marked Clark. "We're not doing as much as that.
I wonder—
"I've got an idea! interrupted the Boy with the Red
Cap, and ran quickly across the street to ask his mother
if he couldn't give away his velocipede. He wouldn't need
it any more, for his father had promised him a bicycle for
Christmas.
Findley and the Swinnertons and Teddy and Louise
and all the rest went right home to think up something
Any towns Christmas Party 149
special which they could do which hadn't occurred to them
before.
That's how it began to spread.
As soon as dinner was over, Ethel ran across her back
yard to see her best friend, Laura Bell.
"What do you think? Ethel said to Laura Bell.
"Marie's going to give her village to the hospital, because
she can't make anything and she just had to help Santa
Claus somehow.
Laura Bell's eyes opened wide. She knew all about the
wonderful village. And now Marie was giving it away!
It made her wonder if she hadn't something—when
Frederick, Laura Bell's brother, passed the door.
"What do you think? Laura Bell asked him. "Marie's
going to give her village to the hospital, because she
couldn't make anything like the Good Fellows, and she
just had to help Santa Claus somehow.
"H'm, said Frederick, but a minute later you might
have heard him say to Artie, who lived across the street,
"You know that little lame girl, Marie? Well, everybody
on Good Neighborhood Street, you know, is helping
Santa Claus this year. Marie couldn't make or buy any-
thing and she just had to help him somehow, so what do
150 The Knights of Any town
you think? She's giving her village to the hospital.
"Let's do something ourselves, said Artie, after a
moment.
"What? asked Frederick.
"I don't know, said Artie, "but why couldn't we get
all the children on our street to be Good Fellows, or some-
thing, just like Good Neighborhood Street? Let's ask
mother.
Do you see how it was spreading?
Before school the next day Artie's mother sent him to a
store on River Gate Street to get some note paper. She
and Artie had decided to invite all the Next-to-the-
Nicest Street children to their house to make plans.
Into the store came Benny Brown, of Middle Street.
"Hello, Artie greeted him.
"Hello, returned Benny. "What you going to do with
all that paper?
"It's for invitations, answered Artie.
"Party?
"Sort of. The Good Neighborhood Street children
heard that Santa Claus needed a lot of help this year, so
they're all pitching in. One little lame girl couldn't
make or buy anything, so she's giving away her own best
Any towns Christmas Party 151
toy. She just had to do something. So our street's going
to help, too.
"I'm going to tell our teacher, decided Benny, starting
at once for school. (It was the Middle Street school, be-
tween Oak and Maple Streets.)
Miss Mason was the very best teacher in the world to
tell interesting news. She listened until he was all through.
"And if the other streets are helping, seems as if we
had to do something too, he ended.
"Of course we must, Benny, she said. "Let's tell the
other grades about it right off, and get them to help.
It was so catching.
The Middle Street children went home and told their
fathers and mothers, and they caught it, too. Billy El-
well's father, who kept a livery stable, offered to get the
tallest tree in the forest for the Busy Street Christmas
party.
The next Sunday, in the Busy Street church, the
minister announced that the party would be on Christ-
mas Eve. And you should have seen the children's eyes
grow big when he said that the Good Neighborhood Street
boys and girls wanted to come, for they were planning a
surprise.
152 7'he Knights of Any town
There was great excitement afterwards. The Good
Neighborhood Street children were coming to their party
—with a surprise! Whatever could the Busy Street chil-
dren do to give them a good time? Nobody could suggest
anything until Miss Smith asked if they'd like to act a
Christmas play for their guests. Miss Smith knew one
called "The Toy Shop, where all the characters were
dolls, and tin soldiers, and jumping-jacks, and toy ani-
mals.
"Oh, let's! the children cried. "They'd love to see a
play. Can we all be in it?
But the contagion did not stop here.
Somehow Mr. Fullerton, the newspaper man, found
out that the tree which Mr. Elwell brought in from the
forest was taller than the church, and he wrote a funny
article in his paper and said that the only way the Busy
Street church could be used for that Christmas party
was by lifting off the roof to make room for the tree, and
then pushing away the walls to make room for the crowds
that wanted to go to it.
And he wrote, "The spirit of Christmas is catching. A
few weeks ago Santa Claus was afraid he wouldn't have
enough help. Today he has so much that he says the only
Any towns Christmas Party 153
place big enough to hold all his helpers is Heart o' the
Town Hall. If this is so, why not move the Busy Street
Christmas party from the church to Heart o' the Town
Hall, and since every one in Anytown is working for it,
call it a community Christmas party and invite every-
body?
When people read the article the next morning, they
said to each other, "It's a good idea, and began to work
harder than ever over the preparations.
So the tree was set up in Heart o' the Town Hall. It
was so tall it touched the ceiling. Hundreds of colored
lights were strung through its branches until it was like a
fairy tree. Every night for a week before Christmas it was
lighted, and people could see it twinkling through the
windows.
To the hotel on Main Street came, three days before
Christmas, a company of musicians. There was one little
girl among them, Gretchen, the daughter of the director.
It is never very nice to be in a strange place for Christmas,
but the men in the company thought it must be especially
hard for a little girl with no mother. They were wondering
what they could do for a special treat for her, when a
letter came to them. It was from Anytown's entertain-
154 Knights of Any town
ment committee, and invited all the strangers to their
Christmas party.
"Oh, aren't Anytown people nice to ask us? aren't they
nice? little Gretchen kept repeating. "I wish we could do
something for them.
She and her father, that evening, walked over to Heart
o' the Town to watch the lights twinkle through the win-
dows. There were other children there, pressing their
noses against the windows, eyes sparkling in anticipation.
"It's going to be a bully party, one little boy observed;
"presents and things to eat, and a play.
"All of us children on Busy Street are giving the play,
remarked another. "What are you doing for it?
The first boy shook his head.
"Don't know what to do. I live on Main Street, over
Goldberg's store, and none of us children can think of
anything to do. We've thought and thought.
Gretchen seized her father's hand.
"Father! she whispered, "did you hear what that boy
said? Couldn't we— and eagerly she asked him a ques-
tion.
Gretchen's father walked over to the Main Street boy.
"Can you get together all the children on Main Street,
Any towns Christmas Party 155
he said, "and come to the hotel tomorrow morning at
ten?
When he explained why, the small boy shouted,
"Whoop-ee! Guess I can! and ran to spread the good
news.
Up on Good Neighborhood Street the children could
hardly contain themselves for joy.
Marie was going to the Christmas party! The children
said if it hadn't been for her, there might not have been a
party. She just had to see, in Heart o' the Town, the hap-
piness she had started on Good Neighborhood Street.
Other people thought so too, and when Dr. Holman said
he would take her down himself in the hospital ambulance,
the children shouted, "Hooray! for they knew Dr.
Holman would take good care of her.
And what a party that was ! Santa Claus was there, of
course, with a pack on his back twice the size of himself,
and with a sleigh full of presents besides. The Good Neigh-
borhood Street children recognized some of the packages,
and the stockings which hung upon the tree.
Oh, I wish you could have seen that tree! It sparkled
so with its hundreds of colored lights, and the dozens and
156 The Knights of Any town
dozens of bulgy, lumpy stockings looked so exciting!
Besides all these things, there were yards and yards of
festoons of gilded popcorn, while gilt and frosted walnuts,
pine-cones and icicles hung on every tiniest twig. Why,
those Next-to-the-Nicest Street children must have worked
nights and used quarts of gold and silver paint; for the
decorations were the gift of Next-to-the-Nicest Street.
Mountains of candy-boxes covered tables on one side,
while on the other were tubs, baskets and boxes of fruit,
raisins and nuts. The refreshments were the gift of Middle
Street. Each child had started by contributing one orange
or apple, but before they finished, all the fathers and
mothers were sending them, too. And in the Middle Street
school Miss Mason had helped the boys and girls make
and mold pounds and pounds of delicious nut candy to
fill the boxes.
Everybody knew what the Busy Street children were
doing, and looked forward to the Toy Shop play. It was
said that the merchants of the town gave all the costumes.
As the children and grown people were gazing upon the
beautiful tree, the countless gifts, toys, fruit and candy,
all at once there came floating in upon them the sound of
music. Faint and far away it seemed at first, but as it came
Any towns Christmas Party 157
nearer the people could distinguish children's voices,
sweet and clear, and the strains of many violins.
"Who is it? whispered one to another, as they looked
about to discover who was missing from the company
inside. But it was difficult to tell, among so many. A hush
fell upon them all, and even the children stood quite still.
"Silent night! Holy night!
sang the carolers, and those who listened thought of that
still, starry night so many years ago, when the shepherds
watched over their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem.
"How beautiful! the people breathed, when it was
over, and then were still again.
"Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
sang the children outside, and in the great hall -the people
thought of the little Lord Jesus whose birthday they were
celebrating.
Another pause; then the music started again. The clear
voices rang out, very near the steps now,—
"Carol, children, carol,
Carol joyfully,
Carol the good tidings,
Carol merrily.
158 The Knights of Any town
The door opened, and in came the carolers, singing still,
followed by the musicians.
"The Main Street children! whispered every one to his
neighbor, and as the violinists and little Gretchen ap-
peared, "Our guests from the hotel!
Down to the tree they wound their way, encircling it at
last.
"And pray a gladsome Christmas
To all your fellow men.
Carol, children, carol,
Christmas day again!
It was a gladsome Christmas. How could it help being
when every single person in Anytown, even the visitors,
had done so much to make it so?
The carols, the presents, the tree, the decorations, the
refreshments and the jolly play at the end were one and all
gifts, beautiful gifts to each other, to Anytown, and to the
Child whose birthday it was.
Aren't you glad Marie could see it all? And it didn't
hurt her a bit.
"Were you there? asked the children eagerly, the next
time they saw the Angel. "Were you at our party?
"Carol, children, carol; carol joyfully,
Carol the good tidings; carol merrily
Any towns Christmas Party 159
"You dear children! said the Angel, "as if I could stay
away when anything as important as that was happening!
'It is written,' you know. A poor sort of Angel I'd be not
to be around when you're happy. Besides, I am so proud
to think that it all started on Good Neighborhood Street.
And I have something to tell you. There's no danger now
about the name of your street being changed!
"Truly? the children asked eagerly.
"Truly, smiled the Angel. "For you're not only keep-
ing the Giants where they belong, but you're starting
beautiful ways on your street which are being taken up
and copied by all the other streets.
 And thatP he ended impressively, "is the very best
thing a good neighbor can do!
MAP or A
Date Due
N ^
.0
..
r
a.
i
r
11-cmriniry uuiuuci^ o iiuuoc
12-Sammy's Father's Store
13-Ramilton's Rouse
14-Miss Relpful's
15-M.r. Rich mans
16-AVarie's
17-Lawrence Radley's Rouse
;ap
EMORY UNIVERSITY
O W TV
300000317216
SHELVED IN
basement
Hospital
Store
ise
tore
odbyFreyser's
c. I -fcici cs no use
28-The Swinnerton's
29 — Old Mr. &.Mrs. Beldin^'s
30-Raymond's
31 —Jimmy's
32-Good Neighborhood St. Church
33-Busy St. Church
34-Ethel's
35~LauraBelle's ^Frederick's
36-Artie's
37-Anytown Hotel 38-Mr. Brown's