He seemed to have taken a sudden liking
for boiled potatoes and kept his eyes on his plate.
"Abe Lincoln, is this some of your tomfoolery?"
"I--I reckon so."
"But how--"
"It was easy," Johnny interrupted. "I held my legs stiff and Abe held me
upside down, and I walked."
Abe stood up, pushing back his stool. He glanced toward the door.
Sarah was not often angry. When she was, she reminded her children of a
mother hen ruffling its feathers. "Well, Abe, have you got anything to
say for yourself?"
Abe shook his head. Suddenly his joke did not seem quite so funny.
"I declare!" said Sarah. "A big boy like you! You ought to be spanked."
The children looked at tall, lanky Abe towering over their mother. They
burst out laughing again. "Mamma's going to spank Abe!" they chanted.
"Mamma's going to spank Abe."
Dennis brought both hands down on the table with a loud whack. "That's a
good one, that is," he roared.
Sarah threw her apron over her head. The children watched the peculiar
way the apron began to shake. When she took it down, they saw that she
was laughing. She was laughing so hard that the tears ran down her
cheeks.
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