When Paul was done, he tried to put on a straight face and took a few bows. But in the middle of the second bow he broke out into giggles. The others started to laugh, too, and shouted, "Hurrah! Hurrah!" Paul's face turned crimson.

"Cut it out, you guys," cried Paul, "Hazel!"

Hazel said, "C'mon, kids. Remember. We're not s'posed to dilly dally."

There was silence, then John Milton said, "Let's all sing it!"

So they did.

By now they had reached the bottom of the hill so the cows headed straight for the river. And because it was the beginning of the summer, the Carlstrom children didn't have to worry about their cattle falling in the river for it was quite shallow.

While Hazel and John Milton watched the cows, Emma and her two littlest brothers went to pick a bouquet of flowers for their mother. They looked many places but the only successful place was by the creek where they found yellow cowslips very plentiful. When they had each picked a large bouquet, they scampered back to the river.

Now John Milton and Hazel were watering the cows. Hazel watched the cows as they drank and John Milton kept an eye on the watered ones.

John Milton was the daydreaming type. So instead of keeping an eye on the cows, he climbed up his favorite tree and thought about that beautiful pony that someone at the town mercantile wanted to sell.

"Boy she was a beauty," thought John Milton. While he was daydreaming, Millie, the Carlstrom's best milker, started to wander. In her wanderings, she spotted a plant that she thought looked good to eat. So she trotted over to it and chomped on it. Millie thought it was really good so she looked for another one. Millie found one and ate that one up, too. She was just about to devour one more when John Milton awoke from his dreaming.

"Oh, no, Millie!" John Milton jumped down from the tree and rushed over to the cow.

He shoved Millie away and stooped over to smell it. As he did, he wrinkled up his nose.

"Not again, Millie," John Milton groaned. Millie had eaten wild leeks, a type of onion. When cattle eat the plant, the milk they give is very sour.

"Oh, well, old girl," he slapped the cow on the side, "We'll just wait awhile before drinking your milk."

Just then, Emma, Clarence, and Paul returned. Hazel said she was ready to go so they started up the hill.

As the cows got moving, Emma grabbed a stick and whooped, "C'mon! We gotta git these cattle back to the homestead!" and waved her stick in the air.

Paul and Clarence snickered to themselves. Paul whispered, "Emma should have been a boy."

Clarence softly said back, "I know it. Her yelpin' and shoutin' makes Mama spittin' mad!"

Then they felt a hand on their shoulder.

"Boys," warned Hazel, "stop teasing Emma. Remember, Mama said to hurry home, for breakfast would be ready very soon. You know she does not like us being late for fear we fell in the river."

Silently, the boys reproached themselves, because they didn't like seeing their mama afraid.

"It's all right now." Hazel smiled at them. The boys grinned back and ran up the hill.

At the top, John Milton and Emma were waiting for them.

"What have you been doing while John Milton and I have been slavin' away with these here cattle?" Emma rebuked them but didn't give them time to answer her. She got the cows going and jogged them all the way to their homestead. The rest of the children tried to keep up with her but it was no use. They staggered into their yard.

When Emma came into view, her parents went to the window to watch her. Mr. Albert Carlstrom put his arm about his wife's waist and said to her, "Emma has always had all of the energy, hasn't she, darling."

His wife answered, "Yes, dear, she has." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and looked out the window again. The rest of their children were now coming into view and what they saw warmed their parents hearts.

Four weary children were coming around the bend.  Hazel, with Paul nestled in her arms, was breathing heavily for not being used to carrying such a load. John Milton and Clarence were walking hand in hand. Albert Carlstrom reached for the door handle and opened it for his children. They slowly walked in. Clarence went to embrace his papa. John Milton fell to the floor in exhaustion. Hazel gave Paul to their mother and dropped into a rocking chair. Paul snuggled up closer to his mama and let out a high-pitched sigh. Everybody started to laugh.

"I don't know why we are so tired," Hazel said to no one in particular.

Just then, Emma came in. "Why is everyone so tired?" she asked bluntly, "I'm not tired but I'm sure powerful hungry!"

Everyone laughed. "All right, dear," said her mother, "I'll dish up the cornbread now." She motioned for her husband to come and take Paul.

In the move, Paul awoke and asked, "What is that yummy smell? I'm hungry!"

"It's cornbread, and Mama is dishing it up right now," answered John Milton.
"Oh, good."

"Hazel," asked Mrs. Carlstrom, "are you feeling too fatigued to help me?"

She replied, "No ma'am. I am feeling a little rested."

"Very good."

Hazel rose to help.  She started to pour the milk into their little tin cups. At only the second glass, she ran out.

"Emma," she asked, "could you go fetch another pail of milk?"

Emma said she would and went out to the barn. As she entered, she grabbed a pail and a milking stool and set it next to a cow. It happened to be Millie. She sat down and started to squeeze the teats.

When she had a full bucket, Emma thought the milk looked rather green.

"Oh, well, Millie," she said to the cow, "you probably just ate some extra clover."

Emma carefully walked to the house and set the pail on the table.

"Thanks, Emma," said Hazel. When she finished pouring the milk, she announced, "It's ready!"

Everyone rushed to the table. As Emma sat down, she remembered the cowslips they had picked. She got them and gave them to her mother.

"Thank you, dear," said her mother and put them in a vase.

Emma added, "Clarence and Paul also picked them."

Mrs. Carlstrom thanked them also and sat down.

Then Mr. Carlstrom asked the blessing and after, took a drink of his milk. He involuntarily made a face but quickly tried to hide it. But he was not quick enough for Paul.

"Papa," he asked, "why did you make a face?"

Albert Carlstrom's cheeks turned red. "What do . . . what do . . . you mean?" he stuttered.

But Paul insisted, "You made a face, Papa, I saw you." Then he took a drink of milk.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" he exclaimed.

His mother was alarmed. "What is wrong, darling?" She jumped out of her chair and was at his side in a moment.

Paul shoved his milk in her face. "Here! Take a drink!"

Christina Carlstrom did and shuttered. "Ugh! That's awful. Emma who did you milk?"

Emma looked scared. "It was Millie, mother."

Albert Carlstrom was perplexed. "That's strange. Millie is our best milker. She wouldn't have bad milk unless she ate something she shouldn't have."

Now John Milton was feeling guilty. He decided to confess.

"Papa," he said in a small voice, "I was daydreaming today and Millie ate some leeks."
Mr. Carlstrom turned to him. "Tell me everything."

When John Milton was finished, everyone was smiling.

"I'm sorry, Papa," he said.

His father forgave him and said, "We can have one meal without milk, can't we."

Everyone answered yes.

Clarence stuck his fork into his cornbread. As he did, he exclaimed, "Boy, I'm glad we only have to do that once a day!"

They all smiled.

The rest of the children looked at each other and said together, "So are we!"