"
Elizabeth Eliza hoped for a thorough study.
"Yes," said Mr. Peterkin, "we might begin with botany. That would
be near to Agamemnon alphabetically. We ought to find out the
botany of butter. On what does the cow feed?"
The little boys were eager to go out and see.
"If she eats clover," said Mr. Peterkin, "we shall expect the botany
of clover."
The little boys insisted that they were to begin the next day; that
very evening they should go out and study the cow.
Mrs. Peterkin sighed, and decided she would order a simple
breakfast. The little boys took their note-books and pencils, and
clambered upon the fence, where they seated themselves in a row.
For there were three little boys. So it was now supposed. They
were always coming in or going out, and it had been difficult to
count them, and nobody was very sure how many there were.
There they sat, however, on the fence, looking at the cow. She
looked at them with large eyes.
"She won't eat," they cried, "while we are looking at her!"
So they turned about, and pretended to look into the street, and
seated themselves that way, turning their heads back, from time to
time, to see the cow.
"Now she is nibbling a clover."
"No, that is a bit of sorrel."
"It's a whole handful of grass."
"What kind of grass?" they exclaimed.
It was very hard, sitting with their backs to the cow, and
pretending to the cow that they were looking into the street, and
yet to be looking at the cow all the time, and finding out what she
was eating; and the upper rail of the fence was narrow and a little
sharp.
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