Betsy and Billy Read Online Free

that her whole head felt wet. Once more they tried to lift the spread but it was no use. They were not strong enough.
    "Perhaps we could lift it if we got into the tub," said Betsy.
    "All right," said Billy. The children took off their shoes and stockings and stepped into the tub. Again they tried to lift the heavy spread. They found that they could each lift one end; but no matter how hard they pulled, they couldn't lift the spread out of the tub.
    "Now heave," shouted Billy. Betsy heaved. Billy heaved so hard that he sat down in the tub. This upset Betsy and she went down with a splash.
    "Daddy!" cried Billy, at the top of his voice. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"
    Mr. Porter came down the stairs three steps at a time. When he reached the bathroom door, the two children were standing up in the tub. They looked like drowned rats.
    "What's going on?" said Mr. Porter.
    "Come help us, Daddy," said Billy. "Come help us."
    Mr. Porter squeezed the water out of the children's clothes. Then he helped them out of the tub. Meanwhile Billy and Betsy told him what had happened.
    "Betsy, you will have to take off your clothes and put on some of Billy's dry clothes," said Mr. Porter.
    Billy trotted off to his own room to change his

    clothes and his father got some clothes for Betsy to put on. While the children were dressing, he wrung the water out of the bedspread, the guest towels, and the children's clothes. Then he washed out Billy's towel that Billy had used to dry Mopsie.
    When Billy's mother came home, Mr. Porter was hanging Billy's towel on the clothesline.
    Mrs. Porter looked at the clothesline. She opened her mouth in surprise. There were the bedspread, the guest towels, all of Billy's clothes, and all of Betsy's clothes. In the doorway stood Billy and Betsy dressed like little brothers.
    "What happened?" said Billy's mother.
    "I just wanted to give Betsy a piece of bread and molasses," said Billy.
    "Well, everything is on the line but the dog," said Billy's daddy.

5. The Present That Betsy Wanted

    One day in December Mother took Betsy into the big city. Betsy loved to go to the city, especially when Mother took her on the train.
    On this particular day Betsy was delighted because Mother was taking her to see the Christmas toys and to buy her Christmas presents. Betsy had her own money in her little pocket-book.
    When they got off the train, Betsy and her mother walked along a wide street. The street was crowded with people. Betsy thought she had never seen so many people before. Everyone seemed to be in a great hurry.
    When they came to the corner, Betsy saw a man dressed as Santa Claus. He was ringing a bell and he had a little iron kettle on a stand beside him. Betsy saw a little boy stop and put something in the kettle.
    "Mother," said Betsy, "why is the Santa Claus man ringing a bell?"
    "He is collecting money to buy Christmas dinners for all of the poor children in the city," replied Mother.
    "Can I put some money in the little kettle?" asked Betsy.
    "Yes," answered Mother, as she opened her pocketbook.
    "Oh, no!" said Betsy. "I want to put my own money in."
    "Very well!" replied Mother.
    Betsy opened her pocketbook and took out ten cents. When she dropped it in the kettle, the Santa Claus man said, "Thank you, little girl, and a Merry Christmas to you."

    Betsy said, "Merry Christmas to you, too," and hurried along with Mother.
    Soon they reached a great big department store. Inside of the store there were Christmas trees everywhere. They were all hung with stars that twinkled.
    Betsy and Mother walked into an elevator and it shot right up to the top floor. When they stepped out of the elevator, Betsy knew that she was in Toy-Land. She didn't know which way to look first. She could hear music, like the music of a merry-go-round.
    "Oh, Mother!" cried Betsy, "there are Jack and Jill and the Three Little Pigs!" Betsy pointed to the top of one of the big posts that held up the roof of the store. Sure enough, there they were, moving