Frank's eyes twinkled. He came up and scanned the ten muddy, impudent pigs, who were already coming up to the sides of the pen, grunting for more. "Well," he said judicially, "I think perhaps you will be rid of them inside of two or three months, but they'll eat a lot more from now on." The three set up a united protest. "Father said it would only be a few weeks when we caught them, and it's been five already," Chicken Little remonstrated hotly. "Well, don't go for me. You asked for my opinion and I gave it to you." Frank grinned so broadly that Jane grew suspicious. "Pooh, you're teasing, I'll ask Father to-night." The girls scoured the pantry and spring house for provender for the picnic. Sherm and Ernest would be in from the meadow where they were cutting down thistles about half-past twelve. Bread and butter and cold ham were flanked with cookies, pie, and musk melons. Annie wanted them out of her road as speedily as possible, so they took their stuff all down to the orchard and stowed it away in the shade. "Now what?" demanded Katy. "I don't know. Wish we could think of something new." Chicken Little stared up and down the rows of apple trees, seeking an inspiration. Her glance fell upon a lone apple tree standing in the center of an open space, apart from all its fellows. Katy's glance followed hers. "Why is that old tree all by itself that way?" "I don't know--they were all big trees when we came here. It is a bell-flower and we call it Old King Bee. Say, I've got an idea. Let's get Calico and Caliph and play riding school--you remember that article in 'The Harper's' about a riding school in New York, and you said you wished you could go." "Would Ernest let us take Caliph?" "I don't know, but I know I could ride him if I tucked my skirts up and used the man's saddle. There can't a soul see us here; it's so shut in by the trees." "It would be fun. Let's try to ride bare back and do stunts to surprise the boys. I wish we could take our skirts clear off--they catch so on the saddle horn and in the stirrup buckles." "I tell you what we'll do." Chicken Little's eyes danced impishly. "There are lots of Ernest's old trousers in the lumber-room closet that he outgrew ever so long ago. I believe we could find some to fit all of us. Let's go see." A swift rummage of the dusty closet set them all sneezing, but they triumphantly brought forth an armful of defunct trousers and carried them up to their room. For the next fifteen minutes such giggles and exclamations and shrieks of laughter escaped from their room that Annie left her ironing to see what was up. An astonishing sight met her gaze. Once started upon the dressing-up craze, the girls had not been content with one garment. Chicken Little had daringly ransacked not only Ernest's bureau, but Sherm's possessions, in quest of shirts and ties.