Therefore, for the first time, she was a little afraid to go into the
Garden. But she had already been so brave that day that she had rather
contracted the habit; so she drew a long breath, and, saying calmly,
"Come, Snoodle!" she walked straight up to the pool.
And such a clamor of rejoicing as arose at their appearance! The
Plynck was so surprised that she crowed like a rooster; and then
apologized to everybody (half-laughing and half-crying) for being so
unladylike. The Teacup fluttered, the Snimmy sniffed; and the Snimmy's
wife--that grim, undemonstrative woman--rushed out from the prose-bush
and gathered her darling, and Sara, too, to her heart.
But Sara was not through being brave. She stepped up upon Schlorge's
stump, and, swallowing hard, said in a clear voice,
"Perhaps it was my fault. I'm older than the Snoodle--"
"Hurrah for Sara! She's older than the Snoodle!" cried the First and
Second Gunki. And at that the whole Garden went wild over her just as
the butterflies had done. The Gunki carried her around on their
shoulders; the Snimmy and his wife pelted her with moon-flowers; the
Plynck and the Teacup kept up an agitated patter of feminine
hand-clapping; and Schlorge came running down the path from the
Dimplesmithy, cheering wildly.
When they finally put her down beside the dimple-holder, very rumpled
and bright-eyed and flushed, Sara felt her little heart swell with
pride.
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