<SPAN name="WILLIE_WONT_760" id="WILLIE_WONT_760"></SPAN>
<h3>"WILLIE WON'T"</h3>
<p><SPAN class="pagenum" name="page_n09" id="page_n09" title="9"></SPAN>It
was baking day at Willie Wright's house. Willie was on hand, as
usual, to scrape the dish and tease for raisins.</p>
<p>Suddenly Jennie the cook threw up her hands. "Oh, dear," she cried, "I
forgot to order baking powder! Willie, will you—"</p>
<p>Bang! went the door, and off ran Willie down the path, with Laddie at
his heels.</p>
<p>"I won't go to the store!" he grumbled.</p>
<p>"Wil-lie!" called Jennie from the house.</p>
<p>"Won't, won't, won't!" Willie screamed.</p>
<p>The next-door pussy was sunning herself in the Wrights' yard.</p>
<p>"Sic 'em, Laddie!" cried Willie.</p>
<p>"Wow-wow!" barked Laddie joyously.</p>
<p>"S-s-s-t!" spit pussy, scurrying to the top of the pump.</p>
<p>"Wil-lie-e-e!"</p>
<p>Willie dropped down beside the fence, out of Jennie's sight. "She c'n go
herself," he said.</p>
<p><SPAN class="pagenum" name="page_n10" id="page_n10" title="10"></SPAN>Laddie cuddled down beside him. It was warm in the sun, and the locusts
were droning drowsily in the grass.</p>
<p>"Oo-ff! Oo-ff! Oo-ff!" snored Laddie.</p>
<p>Willie nodded—and nodded—and nodded.</p>
<p>"Ho-ho!" came a voice over the fence. "Willie Won't! That's a funny
name!"</p>
<p>"Funny!" retorted another voice. "It's ugly. Willie Will would be far
nicer."</p>
<p>"Nobody named Willie Will would ever set a dog on a cat," came a third
voice.</p>
<p>"No," said a fourth, "nor run off and hide when there are errands to
do."</p>
<p>And then the four began to sing—</p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">
<tr><td>"Willie Won't's a horrid boy!</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style='margin-left: 20px'>No one will like him till</span></td></tr>
<tr><td>He helps when people want him to</td></tr>
<tr><td><span style='margin-left: 20px'>And turns to Willie Will."</span></td></tr>
</table>
<p>Willie jumped to his feet and looked around. The neighbors' sunflowers
nodded solemnly over the fence.</p>
<p>"Willie Will," they seemed to urge.</p>
<p>Willie started for the house. "Willie Will," he echoed, as he went up
the path.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <SPAN name="illus-035" id="illus-035"></SPAN> <ANTIMG src="images/ng06.jpg" alt="" title="" /><br/></div>
<div class="figcenter"> <SPAN name="illus-036" id="illus-036"></SPAN> <ANTIMG src="images/ng07.jpg" alt="She sat on the couch and sulked because she could not go out to play with Little Sister" title="" /><br/> <span class="caption">She sat on the couch and sulked because she could not go out to play with Little Sister</span></div>
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