with half of the fish fastened to Penny's line and the other half fastened to Peter's. They sat motionless a long time, staring into the water.
"Don't seem to be any crabs this morning," said Penny.
"Sometimes they come along all at once," said Peter.
"I know," said Penny. "But sometimes you have to go someplace else."
"Well, let's wait a little longer," said Peter. They sat waiting.
All of a sudden, Peter picked up the net and scooped down into the water.
"Got one!" he said, as he lifted the net. "A great big one."
"Me, too!" said Penny. "Quick, Peter, get it."
Peter emptied his crab out of the net into the basket that the boys had placed in the center of the rowboat. Then he scooped up the crab that was busy nibbling away at the fish on the end of Penny's line.
Suddenly, the water around the boat was full of crabs. Peter scooped them up, one after another, as fast as he could. In no time at all, the boys had caught about fifty crabs.
"Aren't they beauts!" cried Peter.
"They're the biggest crabs I have ever seen," said Penny.
Peter looked across the water toward the house on the cliff. Then he said, "Lunch is ready. Minnie has put the signal out."
At mealtimes, Minnie always hung an old red sweater on the clothesline. This was the signal to come home.
"Well, we made a good haul," said Penny, as Peter began pulling on the oars.
When the boat was secured to the dock, the boys lifted the basket of crabs out of the boat.
"They're lively critters, aren't they?" said Peter, watching the big green crabs.
"They sure are the biggest crabs we've caught all summer. They must all be granddaddies," said Penny.
The boys carried the basket between them to the back door.
"Look, Minnie!" cried Penny. "Look at the beautiful crabs we caught."
"Crabs!" cried Minnie. "What made you catch crabs? What are we going to do with crabs when we're going home on the two o'clock train?" Minnie came to open the screen door to let the boys in.
"Goodness!" she cried. "All those crabs! How many have you got there?"
"About fifty," said Peter.
"Fifty crabs!" cried Minnie. "Fifty crabs, and we're going home on the two o'clock train."
"But they're beautiful crabs, Minnie," said Penny. "You never saw such beautiful crabs. Look how big they are."
"I'm looking at them," said Minnie. "But what I want to know is what you're going to do with them."
Just then, Mother came into the kitchen.
"Look, Mother!" cried Penny. "Look at the beautiful crabs we caught."
"But what are we going to do with them?" asked Mother.
"That's just what I want to know," said Minnie.
"We can take them home with us," said Peter. "They will be all right in this basket. We can put more seaweed over them. They'll be all right in the train. And I love crabs."
"So do I," said Penny.
Minnie grunted. Then she said, "Come along. Lunch is getting cold. Never know what you boys will bring into the house."
"Well, the boys will have to carry the basket of crabs," said Mother. "In fact, they will have to take full charge of them. Minnie and I have enough to take care of."
"Okay!" said Penny. "We'll take care of them, won't we, Peter?"
"Sure!" said Peter.
Mother had the one remaining suitcase packed and Minnie had a large black leather bag and a shopping bag. In the shopping bag she had odds and ends. It was filled with half-empty packages of flour, cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and raisinsâthings that Minnie would use up when they got back home. Also, into the shopping bag went Minnie's favorite gadgets, such as the can opener, knife sharpener, and apple corer. Sticking out of the bag were the long handles of the pancake turner and the soup ladle. The bag was sitting on the kitchen chair when Mother came out into the kitchen after lunch.
"Why are you taking the pancake turner and the soup ladle, Minnie? We have others at home," said Mother.
"Well, I just got awful fond of them," said Minnie. "Somehow, I think I'm going to need them. The pancake turner's nice and limber
"Don't seem to be any crabs this morning," said Penny.
"Sometimes they come along all at once," said Peter.
"I know," said Penny. "But sometimes you have to go someplace else."
"Well, let's wait a little longer," said Peter. They sat waiting.
All of a sudden, Peter picked up the net and scooped down into the water.
"Got one!" he said, as he lifted the net. "A great big one."
"Me, too!" said Penny. "Quick, Peter, get it."
Peter emptied his crab out of the net into the basket that the boys had placed in the center of the rowboat. Then he scooped up the crab that was busy nibbling away at the fish on the end of Penny's line.
Suddenly, the water around the boat was full of crabs. Peter scooped them up, one after another, as fast as he could. In no time at all, the boys had caught about fifty crabs.
"Aren't they beauts!" cried Peter.
"They're the biggest crabs I have ever seen," said Penny.
Peter looked across the water toward the house on the cliff. Then he said, "Lunch is ready. Minnie has put the signal out."
At mealtimes, Minnie always hung an old red sweater on the clothesline. This was the signal to come home.
"Well, we made a good haul," said Penny, as Peter began pulling on the oars.
When the boat was secured to the dock, the boys lifted the basket of crabs out of the boat.
"They're lively critters, aren't they?" said Peter, watching the big green crabs.
"They sure are the biggest crabs we've caught all summer. They must all be granddaddies," said Penny.
The boys carried the basket between them to the back door.
"Look, Minnie!" cried Penny. "Look at the beautiful crabs we caught."
"Crabs!" cried Minnie. "What made you catch crabs? What are we going to do with crabs when we're going home on the two o'clock train?" Minnie came to open the screen door to let the boys in.
"Goodness!" she cried. "All those crabs! How many have you got there?"
"About fifty," said Peter.
"Fifty crabs!" cried Minnie. "Fifty crabs, and we're going home on the two o'clock train."
"But they're beautiful crabs, Minnie," said Penny. "You never saw such beautiful crabs. Look how big they are."
"I'm looking at them," said Minnie. "But what I want to know is what you're going to do with them."
Just then, Mother came into the kitchen.
"Look, Mother!" cried Penny. "Look at the beautiful crabs we caught."
"But what are we going to do with them?" asked Mother.
"That's just what I want to know," said Minnie.
"We can take them home with us," said Peter. "They will be all right in this basket. We can put more seaweed over them. They'll be all right in the train. And I love crabs."
"So do I," said Penny.
Minnie grunted. Then she said, "Come along. Lunch is getting cold. Never know what you boys will bring into the house."
"Well, the boys will have to carry the basket of crabs," said Mother. "In fact, they will have to take full charge of them. Minnie and I have enough to take care of."
"Okay!" said Penny. "We'll take care of them, won't we, Peter?"
"Sure!" said Peter.
Mother had the one remaining suitcase packed and Minnie had a large black leather bag and a shopping bag. In the shopping bag she had odds and ends. It was filled with half-empty packages of flour, cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and raisinsâthings that Minnie would use up when they got back home. Also, into the shopping bag went Minnie's favorite gadgets, such as the can opener, knife sharpener, and apple corer. Sticking out of the bag were the long handles of the pancake turner and the soup ladle. The bag was sitting on the kitchen chair when Mother came out into the kitchen after lunch.
"Why are you taking the pancake turner and the soup ladle, Minnie? We have others at home," said Mother.
"Well, I just got awful fond of them," said Minnie. "Somehow, I think I'm going to need them. The pancake turner's nice and limber
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