Chapter I: Front Matter

BOOKS BY

MARGARET SIDNEY

A LITTLE MAID OF CONCORD TOWN
_Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill_ _Price, $1.50_

A LITTLE MAID OF BOSTON TOWN
_Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill_ _Price, $1.50_

THE FAMOUS PEPPER BOOKS

IN ORDER OF PUBLICATION

_Eleven Volumes_ _Illustrated_ _Price per volume, $1.50_

FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND HOW THEY GREW
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS MIDWAY
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS GROWN UP
PHRONSIE PEPPER
THE STORIES POLLY PEPPER TOLD
THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS ABROAD
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AT SCHOOL
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND THEIR FRIENDS
BEN PEPPER
FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS IN THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON

“_So one of Mamsie’s bed-slippers was tied on Phronsie’s little sore foot, and Polly began_”--]

THE STORIES
POLLY PEPPER TOLD

TO THE

_FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS IN THE
LITTLE BROWN HOUSE_

BY

MARGARET SIDNEY

AUTHOR OF “FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND HOW THEY GREW,”
“A LITTLE MAID OF CONCORD TOWN,” ETC., ETC.

_ILLUSTRATED BY
JESSIE McDERMOTT and ETHELDRED B. BARRY_

BOSTON
LOTHROP, LEE AND SHEPARD CO.

Registered in U. S. Patent Office.

COPYRIGHT, 1899,
BY
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY

_All rights reserved._

_Forty-fourth Thousand._

TYPOGRAPHY BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON.

PRESSWORK BY BERWICK & SMITH.

TO

MARGARET MULFORD LOTHROP

WHO REPRESENTS TO THOSE WHO
KNOW HER, BOTH THE

“POLLY” AND THE “PHRONSIE”

OF THE

FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS

THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED.

PREFATORY NOTE.

The author has received from mothers and other persons interested in the Pepper Family, so many requests for the Stories told by Polly Pepper (to which frequent allusion has been made in the Series called the “Five Little Peppers’” Books), that this initial volume of Polly’s earlier stories has been prepared in obedience to these requests.

WAYSIDE, CONCORD, MASS.

_March, 1899._

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE LITTLE WHITE CHICKEN 9
II. THE PRINCESS ESMERALDA’S BALL 25
III. THE STORY OF THE CIRCUS 43
IV. THE LITTLE TIN SOLDIERS 61
V. CHRISTMAS AT THE BIG HOUSE 72
VI. MR. FATHER KANGAROO AND THE FAT LITTLE BIRD 86
VII. THE MINCE-PIE BOY AND THE BEASTS 99
VIII. THE CUNNING LITTLE DUCK 116
IX. THE OLD TEA-KETTLE 129
X. THE PINK AND WHITE STICKS 146
XI. THE OLD STAGE-COACH 160
XII. MR. NUTCRACKER; THE STORY THAT WASN’T A STORY 176
XIII. MR. NUTCRACKER 196
XIV. THE RUNAWAY PUMPKIN 214
XV. THE ROBBERS AND THEIR BAGS 229
XVI. POLLY PEPPER’S CHICKEN-PIE 254
XVII. PHRONSIE PEPPER’S NEW SHOES 272
XVIII. THE OLD GRAY GOOSE 295
XIX. THE GREEN UMBRELLA 309
XX. THE GREEN UMBRELLA AND THE QUEER LITTLE MAN 331
XXI. THE LITTLE SNOW-HOUSE 358
XXII. LUCY ANN’S GARDEN 381
XXIII. THE CHINA MUG 405
XXIV. BROWN BETTY 419
XXV. THE SILLY LITTLE BROOK 437
XXVI. DOWN IN THE ORCHARD 451

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Polly telling her stories. _Frontispiece._

“Take me, Polly,” implored Phronsie. 12

“And--he--saw--the--bear.” 22

Polly threw her arms around Ben. 31

“In came the Princess Esmeralda.” 35

“The circus story,” said Polly, “is about so many best and
splendid things that you must keep quite still.” 45

“Where’s the Circus-man?” asked the great big man. 57

Ben was mending Mother Pepper’s washboard. 63

The little tin soldiers. 66

Grandpapa had taken out all the papers. 74

Joel laid his head in Polly’s lap and burst out crying. 82

“I want my Mamsie!” cried poor Phronsie. 87

“What’s the matter down there?” asked Mr. Kangaroo. 93

The two pulled out the kitchen table. 101

The mince-pie boy and the beasts. 109

“O Polly!” she cried, scuttling over to her. 112

Joel came racing back. 119

The cunning little duck. 122

“Dear me, yes,” said Mrs. Pepper. 130

“Mind the house, now,” she said to the cat. 141

She crept into Polly’s lap, and put her little hand up on
her neck. 152

The pink and white sticks. 157

“Take care, Joe,” she warned. 161

The old stage-coach. 165

So Polly smoothed and patted his stubby head in a way that
Joel liked. 179

“You are scaring that poor old man most to death,” said
Polly. 186

Polly began to parade up and down the old kitchen floor. 201

And the pigs wouldn’t go the way he wanted ’em to. 205

“I guess I’ll tell you of the Runaway Pumpkin,” said Polly. 216

“Pumpkin! say, Pumpkin, don’t you hear me?” 225

Mrs. Whitney heard the noise, and ran in to see what the
fun was. 243

The robbers and their bags. 247

Ben grasped it tightly under one arm and flew home. 255

The old gray goose holds a conversation with the black
chicken. 262

“Oh! I am so hungry, Polly.” 275

“Phronsie Pepper’s new shoes.” 282

And there was the shoe tumbled right over her nose. 292

“You said so, Polly Pepper,” cried little Dick with big
eyes. 298

Sally Brown and the old gray goose. 305

“Polly,” said Mrs. Pepper, “you needn’t tell any story just
now.” 311

“Go right away! my daughter makes all the music I want.” 318

“Look within!” screamed the old woman. 323

“Here she is!” cried Van, throwing open the door of
Jasper’s den. 337

Phronsie smoothed down her white apron in satisfaction. 344

The umbrella runs away with the queer little man. 353

The boys bringing home the meal and potatoes. 368

The little snow-house. 373

Lucy Ann’s garden. 391

She put her head in her hands, like this. 394

Little Dick plucked off the big bit of wet brown paper from
his eye. 407

The beautiful man and the lovely lady on the china mug. 410

“O Polly, a hundred ants!” cried little Dick with an
absorbed face. 424

Brown Betty and the ants. 429

Phronsie shook her yellow head mournfully. 442

The birds and the silly little brook. 446

“’Twas as big as this!” 459

The Little White Rabbit and Mister Fox. 464

THE STORIES POLLY PEPPER TOLD TO THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS.