4 A Quick-Running Squash.

round, red seed which he gave to Charles, who
thanked him heartily, and who ran to plant it at
once. Having done so, he went back to ask
when the quick-running squash would begin to
grow. But the man had disappeared, and _ al-
though Charles looked up and down the dusty
road, he could see nothing of him.

As he stood there, he heard behind him a little
rustling noise, and turning, saw coming toward
him a green vine. He had, of course, seen vines
before, but never, never had he seen such a queer
one as this. It was running swiftly toward him,
and on the very front was a round yellow ball,
about as big as an orange! Charles looking back
to see where it came from, found that it started
in the corner of his garden. And what had he
planted in that corner? Why, to be sure, the
seed of the quick-running squash which the
strange man had just given him.

“Well, well, well,” he shouted, in great ex-
citement, “what an aw/fu//y quick-running squash
it is. I suppose that little yellow thing in front is
the squash itself. But indeed it must not run