William and Ginger
William and Ginger often, play games. They play circus, or Robinson Crusoe, or Robin Hood and many other games. They play very well together but sometimes, when they both want to be the clown, or Robinson Crusoe, or Robin Hood, they fight. The boys read many books and they like to play games about the books which they read. One day Ginger brought a big book to school, it was Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a story about a poor Negro slave. William said, “I say, Ginger, let’s play slaves!”
“AIL right,” said Ginger. “Let’s!”
“You will be a slave, Ginger, and my dog Jumble and I shall run alter you and catch you when you try to run away.”
“Oh, no,” said Ginger, “it’s my book and so I shall be the master and run after you with my dog.” But William did not like that.
The Twins
That day, after school, when William and Ginger came up to their house, two little boys ran out to meet them. They were George and John. George and, John were twins. They were both, three-and-a-half years old. The twins were living with Ginger, but their mother was coming to take them home that day. Their mother Ginger’s aunt and the twins were his cousins.
William Has an Idea
When William saw the twins he said. “I say, Ginger, let’s sell the twins as slaves. We shall gel money for them, and then, when their mother comes, we shall rescue them.”
Ginger said, “Boys, do you want to be slaves?”
They thought that it was a new game. So they both cried out together, “Oh, уеs, we do!”
William took two pieces of paper, wrote the words “Slaves 6 pence each” and fastened each piece to a twin’s clothes. The twins were very glad when William did this and laughed end jumped very much. Then all the children went to the park and sat down on a bench. They were waiting for
somebody to come and buy the “slaves”.
Nobody Wants to Buy Slaves
Many people walked In t h e park but nobody stopped to look at the children who were sitting on a bench.
At last when an old man came into the park, William went up to him.
“Do you want a slave?” he asked.
“What?” said the old man.
“Do you want a slave?”
“What did you say?” the old man asked.
“Do you want a slave?” said William again.
“Speak up! Speak up!” the old man said, “Can’t you see* that I cannot hear you? What do you want?”
“Do you want a s-l-a-v-e?” William shouted.
“Want a slave? No, I don’t want a slave. You bad little boy!” And the old man went away. He thought that William was laughing at him.
“I don’t want to play slaves any more,” said
Ginger. “Let’s take the twins home’ and then we can play some other game.”
“Oh, all right,” said William.
So William, Ginger and the twins went home.
When they were passing one of the houses, William saw a milk jar on the doorstep. Under the milk jar there was a bright new shilling. “I say. Ginger,” said William, “Let’s sell the twins to the people in this house. We shall take the shilling and leave them the twins!”
“But, William, do you think it is right to take: the money? Is it honest?”
“Honest?” said William. “It Is more than honest. We shall give them the twins for the money! Do you think a shilling is too much for the boys?”
The Milkboy
“Now, boys,” William said to John and George, “you are the slaves of the people in this house, sit here on the doorstep, and Ginger and I shall go and buy some nice things to eat. Then we shall take Jumble and come back and rescue you.
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