"She's far from well, ma'am," answered the Nurse, "and seems to be
getting worse every day."
"Well," replied the lady; "you must have the doctor to see her; and
don't forget to let me know what he says. That is all, Nurse."
She turned to her novel again, and the Nurse walked away and sent a
servant for the doctor. That great man, when he came, shook his head
solemnly and said,
"She must have a change. Take her away into the country as soon as
possible."
"And very good advice it was, too," remarked the Nurse to one of the
maids; "for I feel as if I needed a change myself."
When she reported the matter to Mrs. Muffet the mother answered,
"Very well; I will see Mr. Muffet and have him write out a cheque."
And so it was that a week later Little Miss Muffet went to the country,
or rather to a small town where there was a summer hotel that had been
highly recommended to Nurse Holloweg; and with her went the string of
maids and a wagon-load of boxes and trunks.
The morning after their arrival the little girl asked to go out upon
the lawn.
"Well," replied Nurse Holloweg, "Sarah can take you out for half an
hour. But remember you are not to run and get heated, for that will
ruin your complexion; and you must not speak to any of the common
children you meet, for your mother would object; and you must not get
your shoes dusty nor your dress soiled, nor disobey Sarah in any way."
Little Miss Muffet went out in a very angry and sulky mood.
"What's the use of being in the country," she thought, "if I must act
just as I did in the city? I hate Nurse Holloweg, and Sarah, and all
the rest of them! and if I dared I'd just--just run away."
Indeed, a few minutes later, when Sarah had fallen asleep upon a bench
under a big shade tree, Miss Muffet decided she would really run away
for once in her life, and see how it seemed.
There was a pretty lane near by, running between shady trees far out
into the country, and, stealing softly away from Sarah's side, the
little girl ran as fast as she could go, and never stopped until she
was all out of breath.
While she rested and wondered what she could do next, a farmer came
along, driving an empty cart.
"I'll catch on behind," said Miss Muffet, gleefully, "just as I've seen
the boys do in the city. Won't it be fun!"
So she ran and caught on the end of the cart, and actually climbed into
it, falling all in a heap upon the straw that lay upon the bottom. But
it didn't hurt her at all, and the next minute the farmer whipped up
his horses, and they went trotting along the lane, carrying Miss Muffet
farther and farther away from hated Nurse Holloweg and the dreadful
maids.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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