One bright spring day something happened . The house was as tidy as ever ; the wheel hummed briskly as Hetty sung softly to herself with a cheerful face , though there were white hairs among the brown , and her eyes had a thoughtful , absent look at times . Dandelion , more chubby and cheery than ever , sat at her feet , with the sunshine making a golden glory of his yellow hair , as he tried his new boat in the tub of water his mother kept for her little sailor , or tugged away with his fat fingers at a big needle which he was trying to pull through a bit of cloth intended for a sail . The faithful little soul had not forgotten his father , but had come to the conclusion that the reason his boats never prospered was because they had n't large enough sails ; so he was intent on rigging a new boat lately given him , with a sail that could not fail to waft Ben safely home . With his mouth puckered up , his downy eyebrows knit , and both hands pulling at the big needle , he was so wrapped in his work that he did not mind the stopping of the wheel when Hetty fell into a reverie , thinking of the happy time when she and Ben should meet again . Sitting so , neither heard a step come softly over the sand ; neither saw an eager , brown face peer in at the door ; and neither knew for a minute , that Ben was watching them , with a love and longing in his heart that made him tremble like a woman . Dandelion saw him first ; for , as he pulled the thread through with a triumphant jerk , the small sailmaker lost his balance , tumbled over , and lay staring up at the tall man with his blue eyes so wide open , they looked as if they would never shut again . All of a sudden , he shouted , with a joyful shout , ` Daddy 's tummin ' ! ' and the next instant , vanished , ship and all , in the arms of the man who wore the rough jacket . Over went the spinning-wheel , as Hetty vanished likewise ; and for a time there was nothing but sobbing and kissing , clinging , and thanking Heaven for its kindness to them . When they grew quieter , and Ben got into his old chair , with his wife on one knee and his boy on the other , he told them how he was wrecked in the gale , picked up by an outward-bound ship , and only able to get back after months of sickness and delay . ` My boaty fetched him , ' said Dandelion , feeling that every thing had turned out just as he expected . ` So it did , my precious ; leastways , your faith helped , I have n't a doubt , ' cried Hetty , hugging the curly headed prophet close , as she told Ben all that had happened . Ben did n't say much , but a few great tears rolled down the rough blue jacket , as he looked from the queer sail with its two big stitches to the little son , whose love , he firmly believed , had kept him safe through many dangers and brought him home at last . When the fine new boat was built , no one thought it strange that Ben named it ` Dandelion ; ' no one laughed at the little sail which always hung over the fire-place in the small house : and long years after , when Ben was an old man , and sat by the door with his grand-children on his knee , the story which always pleased them best was that which ended with the funny words , ` Daddy tummin ' soon . ' MADAM CLUCK AND HER FAMILY . There never was a prouder mamma than Madam Cluck when she led forth her family of eight downy little chicks . Chanticleer , Strut , Snowball , Speckle , Peep , Peck , Downy , and Blot were their names ; and no sooner were they out of the shell than they began to chirp and scratch as gaily as if the big world in which they suddenly found themselves was made for their especial benefit . It was a fine brood ; but poor Madam Cluck had bad luck with her chicks , for they were her first , and she did n't know how to manage them . Old Aunt Cockletop told her that she did n't , and predicted that ` those poor dears would come to bad ends . '
Aunt XXXXX was right , as you will see , when I have told the sad history of this unfortunate family .
Ben Cockletop Dandelion downy fire-place first grand-children leastways months tummin