The Goody-Naughty Book Part 6

HOW SAMMY WAS CURED

Sammy was a pretty good boy in some ways, but in one way he was a very naughty boy indeed. He never got up when he was called.

"Ye-aw-w-w!" he would yawn. "Uh-huh!" And with that he would roll over and go fast asleep again.

This always happened at least three times every morning. Often it happened more times. Then when everybody was out of patience and breakfast was nearly over, Sammy would come creeping down, digging his fists into his eyes and still yawning "Ye-aw-w-w!"

One morning Sammy's father had just called him the second time, and Sammy had grunted "Ye-aw-w-w!" and turned over for another nap, when the door opened softly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sammy didn't see the little man with twinkling eyes and queer clothes who entered the room]

Creep, creep, creep, came quiet steps. But Sammy didn't see the little man with twinkling eyes and queer clothes enter the room. He didn't know that the little man lifted him out of bed, slipped him quickly into a sack, and swung him over his shoulder. Sammy was too fast asleep to know anything.

"Crickety, flickety, fle-flo-fli!" cried the little man. And away they flew, straight through the window!

And still Sammy slept. He didn't know he was not in his own bed till the little man slipped him out of the sack and gave him a shake.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "You're the little boy that never gets up when he's called"]

"Ye-aw-w-w!" muttered Sammy sleepily.

"So you are Sammy Sleepyhead!" a loud voice interrupted him. Sammy woke up so quickly that he bit his tongue. "I know you. You're the little boy that never gets up when he's called."

Sammy looked about him in surprise. He was in a room filled with the queerest little men he had ever seen, men with funny clothes and twinkly eyes; while right in front of him on a throne sat a very splendid person. Sammy knew by his robes and his crown that this splendid person must be a king.

Sammy had never before seen a real king. He opened his mouth in awe.

The king thought Sammy was going to yawn.

"No yawning here!" he cried, giving Sammy a sharp little rap with his scepter. "This is the Land of the Wide-Awakes. We always wake up the sleepy people."

And then, just because he knew he mustn't, Sammy yawned. "Ye-aw-w-w!" he said, so loud that it frightened him, and he clapped his hand quickly over his mouth.

But the king had heard him.

"Sleepy Cure Number One, men!" he cried.

The men in the funny clothes at once formed in two lines, facing each other and twinkling more than ever.

"Sammy Sleepyhead, step forward between the lines," commanded the king sternly.

Sammy saw each queer little man pull a small paddle from his pocket. His knees were shaking with fear, but he dared not disobey.

"Run!" ordered the king.

Sammy started. Spat! went the first paddle. "Ouch!" screamed Sammy.

"Faster!" cried the king.

Spat! Spat! Spat! went the paddles as he ran. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"

screamed Sammy.

"Done!" cried the king, as Sammy, breathless and crying, reached the end of the lines.

"Awake? Cured?" inquired the king.

"Uh--uh--uh-huh!" hiccoughed Sammy, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his nightie.

"No, you're not," cried the king. "Only sleepyheads say 'Uh-huh.' Cure Number Two!"

Poor Sammy stood, scared and crying, while the little men, grinning broadly now, brought big sponges dripping with water.

"Squeeze!" cried the king.

Squash! went the first sponge, right over Sammy's head.

"Ugh!" screamed Sammy as the ice-cold water poured down his back. "Ugh!

Ugh!"

The next little man stepped up, lifted his sponge, started to squeeze it, then changed his mind.

"Crickety, flickety, fle-flo-fli!" he cried instead.

The next thing Sammy knew, he was standing in his own bathtub, wet and shivering. His father stood beside him, holding a big dipper.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" gasped Sammy, while the water dripped from his yellow head.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," said his father, handing him a towel. "But we can't have any more of this nonsense about getting up. This will happen every time you have to be called more than once. Dry yourself now, and hurry into your clothes."

Sammy gulped and nodded. He couldn't think of anything to say just then.

But he did as his father told him to, and never once dug his fists into his eyes or said "Ye-aw-w-w."

The next day he joined the Wide-Awakes. Sammy Sleepyhead was cured.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mary Jane came back with her pail full of water]

THE GOING-TO CLUB

The Going-To Club had only one member. Bobby Brant was that member. In fact, Bobby was the club.

It was his mother who named him the Going-To Club. It always took at least two askings to get Bobby to do anything. Sometimes it took three or four. Bobby was always "going to."

This club always met when there was something Bobby wanted particularly to do; and it met most often in the spring, when the boys were out flying their kites. In the spring n.o.body could get Bobby to do anything.