it was baking day at willie wright's house. willie was on hand, as usual, to scrape the dish and tease for raisins.

suddenly jennie the cook threw up her hands. "oh, dear," she cried, "i forgot to order baking powder! willie, will you—"

bang! went the door, and off ran willie down the path, with laddie at his heels.

"i won't go to the store!" he grumbled.

"wil-lie!" called jennie from the house.

"won't, won't, won't!" willie screamed.

the next-door pussy was sunning herself in the wrights' yard.

"sic 'em, laddie!" cried willie.

"wow-wow!" barked laddie joyously.

"s-s-s-t!" spit pussy, scurrying to the top of the pump.

"wil-lie-e-e!"

willie dropped down beside the fence, out of jennie's sight. "she c'n go herself," he said.

laddie cuddled down beside him. it was warm in the sun, and the locusts were droning drowsily in the grass.

"oo-ff! oo-ff! oo-ff!" snored laddie.

willie nodded—and nodded—and nodded.

"ho-ho!" came a voice over the fence. "willie won't! that's a funny name!"

"funny!" retorted another voice. "it's ugly. willie will would be far nicer."

"nobody named willie will would ever set a dog on a cat," came a third voice.

"no," said a fourth, "nor run off and hide when there are errands to do."

and then the four began to sing—

"willie won't's a horrid boy!

no one will like him till

he helps when people want him to

and turns to willie will."

willie jumped to his feet and looked around. the neighbors' sunflowers nodded solemnly over the fence.

"willie will," they seemed to urge.

willie started for the house. "willie will," he echoed, as he went up the path.