BY
SHERRED WILLCOX ADAMS
ILLUSTRATED BY
MAUD AND MISKA PETERSHAM
CONTENTS
THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL
THE FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS IN VACATION
Bob and Betty, Paul and Peggy and little Dot are five little friends.They go to the same school. Many other children go to the school too,but these five little friends are the ones this story is about.
Bob is the tall boy in the brown suit. Betty is the girl in the checkeddress. Paul is the boy with the white blouse. Peggy is the girl withcurls. Little Dot is the tiny child with bobbed hair.
Bob and Betty, Paul and Peggy and little Dot have a very fine teacher.She is called Miss West. Many other children are in Miss West's roomtoo. But the five little friends are the ones this story is about.
One morning when the children came to school Miss West had a surprisefor them. On her desk was something large and round. It was all coveredwith paper.
"Guess what this is, children," said Miss West.
"It is a balloon," said Bob.
"I think it is a football," said Paul.
"No, no, you are both wrong," said Miss West. She took the paper off.What do you think it was?
It was a big glass bowl. In it were six goldfish. They were swimmingabout in the water.
"Little folks," said Miss West, "these are our school pets. We must feedthem and give them fresh water. Then they will live a long time and wecan have fun watching them."
The children stood around the bowl. They watched the fish swim andfloat. They laughed when one fish chased another round and round thebowl. He looked very funny with his big mouth wide open.
Soon Miss West showed the children how to feed the fish. After that theytook turns in caring for them. Paul and Peggy had the first turn. NextBob and Betty had their turn. After that little Dot took care of thefish all by herself. The other children had turns too. But this story isabout the five little children whose names you know.
One day Miss West said to the children, "How many of you little girlsand boys have pets of your own?"
A great many hands were raised.
"I have!" said Bob.
"I have!" said Paul.
"I have," "I have," "I have," said Betty and Peggy and little Dot.
"I have thought of a fine plan," said Miss West. "Each day one child maytell the other children about his pet."
"What fun!" said Betty; and all the other children thought, "What funthat will be!"
"Who will have the first turn?" asked Bob.
"We will play a game to see," said Miss West.
So Miss West wrote the names of all the children on slips of paper. Thenshe put all the slips in Paul's cap. Next she blindfolded Peggy. Peggyput her hand in the cap and drew out a slip. What name do you think wason this slip? The name was Dot.
So the next day little Dot told about her pet. This is what she said:
"My pet is a white cat. Her name is Snowball. She is as white as snow.When she curls up in front of the fire she is round like a ball.
"One day my daddy could not find his hat. He looked and looked andlooked for it. At last he found it in a dark corner under the stairs.
"There was something in the hat. First Daddy saw two bright eyes. Thenhe saw Snowball all curled up in the hat. By her side were two littlebaby kittens. They were just like