And as this particular
party had the car entirely to themselves, it wasn't so very dreadful as
it seems, and the elder members allowed indulgent smiles at it all.
That night in the market-place at Martigny, Jasper, who was ahead with
his father, ran back to Polly, and the others lingering behind. "Oh, do
hurry," he begged, "it's the prettiest sight!"
"Oh, what is it?" cried Polly, as they scampered off.
There, in the centre of the market-place, was a ring of little girls,
hand-in-hand, singing a little French song, and going round and round
in a circle. They were of all ages and sizes, the littlest one in a
blue pinafore, being about three years of age, and so chubby she had to
be helped along continually by a big girl, evidently her sister. This
big sister stopped the ring game, every now and then, to kiss the round
face by the side of her gown; an example that was followed by so many
of the other girls, that the game seemed to be never quite finished.
And once in a while, big sister would pick up the chubby, little,
blue-pinafored maiden and carry her through a considerable portion of
the game, then down she would put her on her two chubby feet, and away
they all circled without any break in the proceedings at all.
"Oh! isn't it 'Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley grow'?" cried Polly, as
they watched them intently.
"Ever so much like it," said Tom. "See those boys; now they are going
to make trouble.
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