Chapter VIII

Dollabella, Mary's biggest doll, had had the measles, but she was getting better. "When people get better" said [Mary], "they always go to ride." So she tried to give her [doll] a ride on the [lamb]'s back, but he danced up and down and she fell off. Then Mary took a [string] and tied her on, so when the [lamb] danced again he couldn't shake [Dollabella] off. He didn't like that, so he thought he would run away from her, and off he went! The [gate] was shut, but he squeezed through a gap in the [fence], and tore Dollabella's [dress] on a [nail]. Mary squeezed through the gap, too, and her [skirt] caught on the [nail], and tore a great big three-cornered [hole]. The [lamb] ran across a field and jumped over a [stone wall] into the [bushes] and Mary ran after him, laughing. Dollabella's [hat] fell off her [head], and so did Mary's [bonnet]. The [branches] of the [trees] caught her [hair] and tangled them and almost pulled the [doll] from the lamb's back. At last they came out into a [wheat]field and saw Farmer Clover at work with his [hoe]. "Hello!" said he. "Who's running away--you or your lamb?" "Oh, we aren't running away," said [Mary], all out of breath. "We are just giving my [doll] a ride. She is sick!" "Well, that's a pretty fast ride for anybody that's sick!" said [Farmer Clover]. "Now I am going to the [barn], to get a [jug] of molasses. Don't you want to ride home in my [buggy]?" Mary and the [lamb] were tired, and glad to have a ride--and I think the poor sick [doll] must have been just as glad. But when they got home [Mary] had to take a [sewing needle] and [thimble] out of her [basket] and mend her [dress] and Dollabella's too.