`` Jack '' Away went the basket , and in fifteen minutes it came back from the cottage with nothing in it but the orange . `` Hullo ! Is she mad ? '' asked Jack , as Frank brought the despatch for him to examine . But , at the first touch , the hollow peel opened , and out fell a letter , two gum-drops , and an owl made of a peanut , with round eyes drawn at the end where the stem formed a funny beak . Two bits of straw were the legs , and the face looked so like Dr. Whiting that both boys laughed at the sight . `` That 's so like Jill ; she 'd make fun if she was half dead . Let 's see what she says ; '' and Jack read the little note , which showed a sad neglect of the spelling-book : -- `` Dear Jacky , -- I ca n't stir and it 's horrid . The telly graf is very nice and we will have fun with it . I never ate any gorver jelly . The orange was first rate . Send me a book to read . All about bears and ships and crockydiles . The doctor was coming to see you , so I sent him the quickest way . Molly Loo says it is dreadful lonesome at school without us . Yours truly , `` Jill '' Jack immediately despatched the book and a sample of guava jelly , which unfortunately upset on the way , to the great detriment of `` The Wild Beasts of Asia and Africa . '' Jill promptly responded with the loan of a tiny black kitten , who emerged spitting and scratching , to Jack 's great delight ; and he was cudgelling his brains as to how a fat white rabbit could be transported , when a shrill whistle from without saved Jill from that inconvenient offering . `` It 's the fellows ; do you want to see them ? '' asked Frank , gazing down with calm superiority upon the three eager faces which looked up at him . `` Guess I do ! ''
and XXXXX promptly threw the kitten overboard , scorning to be seen by any manly eye amusing himself with such girlish toys .
Asia Frank Hullo Jack beak first gorver guava minutes spelling-book