that is not anything . You begin now and rummage the barn , and I 'll wait here for you . Granny is cackling , so you 're sure to find one somewhere , '' and Tommy threw himself down on the hay with a luxurious sense of having made a good bargain , and done a friendly thing . Nat joyfully began his search , and went rustling from loft to loft till he found two fine eggs , one hidden under a beam , and the other in an old peck measure , which Mrs. Cockletop had appropriated . `` You may have one and I 'll have the other , that will just make up my last dozen , and to-morrow we 'll start fresh . Here , you chalk your accounts up near mine , and then we 'll be all straight , '' said Tommy , showing a row of mysterious figures on the side of an old winnowing machine . With a delightful sense of importance , the proud possessor of one egg opened his account with his friend , who laughingly wrote above the figures these imposing words , `` T. Bangs & Co. '' Poor Nat found them so fascinating that he was with difficulty persuaded to go and deposit his first piece of portable property in Asia 's store-room . Then they went on again , and having made the acquaintance of the two horses , six cows , three pigs , and one Alderney `` Bossy , '' as calves are called in New England , Tommy took Nat to a certain old willow-tree that overhung a noisy little brook . From the fence it was an easy scramble into a wide niche between the three big branches , which had been cut off to send out from year to year a crowd of slender twigs , till a green canopy rustled overhead . Here little seats had been fixed , and a hollow place a closet made big enough to hold a book or two , a dismantled boat , and several half-finished whistles . `` This is Demi 's and my private place ; we made it , and nobody can come up unless we let 'em , except Daisy , we do n't mind her , '' said Tommy , as Nat looked with delight from the babbling brown water below to the green arch above , where bees were making a musical murmur as they feasted on the long yellow blossoms that filled the air with sweetness . `` Oh , it 's just beautiful ! '' cried Nat . `` I do hope you 'll let me up sometimes . I never saw such a nice place in all my life . I 'd like to be a bird , and live here always . '' `` It is pretty nice . You can come if Demi do n't mind , and I guess he wo n't , because he said last night that he liked you . '' `` Did he ? '' and Nat smiled with pleasure , for Demi 's regard seemed to be valued by all the boys , partly because he was Father Bhaer 's nephew , and partly because he was such a sober , conscientious little fellow .
`` Yes ; XXXXX likes quiet chaps , and I guess he and you will get on if you care about reading as he does . ''
Asia Bossy Co. Demi Tommy first night whistles willow-tree winnowing