human
You might take one of us,
gpt
I wish I could, but you didn't wear my colors and I can't offend a brother knight or we might have a joust which would end in bloodshed, said Nan seriously, swinging the wreath of red and yellow leaves upon her lance.
human
I'm sure I don't want to give offense,
gpt
I thought, of course, you'd choose me, Nan,
human
I will next time. We'll try it again some day, and this time Phil can crown you as a maid of honor.
gpt
Ah, my Lady Bramble, cried Nan,
human
I will crown you, for you must have expected something unusual or you wouldn't be showing yourself at this time of year.
gpt
Who got dat mewl?
human
What all dis? Dis ain' no way fo' young ladies to dress. None o' de fambly evah done disher way 'scusin' dey goes to er ball.
gpt
It's a tournament, Unc' Landy, and I took the ring, cried Nan joyously.
human
You ought to have seen Pete run the first time, but he was awfully obstinate at the last.
gpt
Pete? You ain' ride dat ole mewl to no tournymint?
human
Yes, I did and he ran, really he did. I'll tell you why.
gpt
I say yuh meks him run, he cried.
human
I knows now how to git wuk outen him.
gpt
Oh, but you mustn't fool him, said Nan.
human
I gave him the apple afterward. It would never do to make him run that way every day or he'd die in his tracks.
gpt
He sholy would ef he keep up dat gait. Come erlong hyar, yuh ole fool creetur. Whafo' yuh kickin' up yo' heels lak yuh young an' frolicsome? I knows yo' age. Come on hyar. And he led off the old mule while every now and then he doubled over with mirth, repeating:
human
I say run.
gpt
It was great fun, declared Ran.
human
I didn't know girls ever did such things.
gpt
We do, returned Nan.
human
We do all sorts of things and mother doesn't care so long as it isn't actually wrong. She likes us to be out-of-doors. We girls play baseball and do lots of things like that.
gpt
Nan won't always play, complained Mary Lee.
human
She gets too young ladyish sometimes and goes off somewhere to mope.
gpt
I don't mope, returned Nan,
human
Oh, but we have to have them for food,
gpt
I know we do, but I'd rather not do the catching. I'll let you do that,