These were pinks and carnations, of which he cut a number, pushing one of the cats aside with his foot so that it should not be in his way. "Here you are!" he cried. "Mind the thorns. My roses have got plenty to keep off pickers and stealers. Now, what next?" "I did want some strawberries," I said, "but--" "Where's your basket, my hearty?" I replied that I had not brought one. "You're a pretty fellow," he said. "I can't tie strawberries up in a bunch. Why didn't you bring a basket? Oh, I see; you want to carry 'em inside?" "No," I said shortly, for he seemed now unpleasantly familiar, and the garden was not half so agreeable as I had expected. However he seemed to be quite good-tempered now, and giving me a nod and a jerk of his head, which meant--"This way," he went down a path, cut a great rhubarb leaf, and turned to me. "Here, catch hold," he cried; "here's one of nature's own baskets. Now let's see if there's any strawberries ripe." I saw that he was noticing me a good deal as we went along another path towards where the garden was more open, but I kept on in an independent way, smelling the pinks from time to time, till we came to a great square bed, all straw, with the great tufts of the dark green strawberry plants standing out of it in rows. The leaves looked large, and glistened in the sunshine, and every here and there I could see the great scarlet berries shining as if they had been varnished, and waiting to be picked. "Ah, thief!" shouted my guide, as a blackbird flew out of the bed, uttering its loud call. "Why, boys, boys, you ought to have caught him." This was to the cats, one of which answered by giving itself a rub down his leg, while he clapped his hand upon my shoulder. "There you are, my hearty. It isn't so far for you to stoop as it would be for me. Go and pick 'em." "Pick them?" I said, looking at him wonderingly. "To be sure. Go ahead. I'll hold your flowers. Only take the ripe ones, and see here--do you know how to pick strawberries?" I felt so amused at such a silly question that I looked up at him and laughed. "Oh, you do?" he said. "Why, anybody could pick strawberries," I replied. "Really, now! Well, let's see. There's a big flat fellow, pick him." I handed him the flowers, and stepping between two rows of plants, stooped down, and picked the great strawberry he pointed out. "Oh, you call that picking, do you?" he said. "Yes, sir. Don't you?" "No: I call it tearing my plants to pieces. Why, look here, if my pickers were to go to work like that, I should only get half a crop and my plants would be spoiled." I looked at him helplessly, and wished he would pick the strawberries himself.