Prince and Rover of Cloverfield Farm   By: Helen Fuller Orton (1872-1955)

[Illustration: "'What is his name?' asked Sue"]

PRINCE AND ROVER OF CLOVERFIELD FARM

BY HELEN FULLER ORTON

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS BY HUGH SPENCER

[Illustration]

NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1921, by HELEN FULLER ORTON

All Rights Reserved

First Printing, June 9, 1921 Second Printing, November 15, 1921 Third Printing, April 18, 1922 Fourth Printing, February 8, 1923 Fifth Printing, May 15, 1923 Sixth Printing, October 24, 1924 Seventh Printing, November 30, 1925 Eighth Printing, November 12, 1926 Ninth Printing, October 25, 1927 Tenth Printing, August 6, 1929 Eleventh Printing, January 31, 1931 Twelfth Printing, February 1, 1934 Thirteenth Printing, July 24, 1935

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I THE NEW HORSE 1

II PRINCE SEES HIS OLD HOME 7

III HOW ROVER GOT THE COWS OUT OF THE CORN 16

IV PRINCE HELPS MAKE BREAD 23

V ROVER BRINGS THE COWS FROM PASTURE 29

VI HOW ROVER RESCUED LITTLE YELLOW CHICK 34

VII PRINCE BRINGS HOME THE GROCERIES 40

VIII WHY ROVER WENT TO CHURCH 46

IX PRINCE HELPS MAKE ICE CREAM 55

X PRINCE PLAYS TAG 65

XI ROVER DOES SOME MISCHIEF 72

XII ROVER FINDS BABY BETTY 77

XIII PRINCE SEES A DRAGON 81

XIV HOW ROVER SAVED THE HOUSE 91

XV PRINCE USES HIS EYES 96

ILLUSTRATIONS

"'What is his name?' asked Sue" Frontispiece

PAGE

"Rover made them all jump over the stone wall" 21

"'You must go home to the barn'" 31

"Rover snapped at him with his sharp white teeth" 37

"'Strangers must not come into this yard when the folks are away'" 49

"Rover looked savagely at the dog in the looking glass" 75

"'Whoa, Prince, steady, Prince,' said she" 87

"'Why! the bridge is gone!' said Farmer Hill" 99

FOREWORD

These stories are founded on memories of my childhood on the farm. They first took definite form in response to the requests of my own little boys: "Tell me about when you were little, Mama." Some of them were demanded over and over again; but it remained for Bobby, the youngest, to insist that they be "put into a book."

Many a time, after listening to one of them, he would say: "I wish you would write your stories, Mama, so that other children could hear them."

Always I replied: "I will try sometime."

But never did the time come when there were not other things to do.

Finally, one night, when I had finished telling, "How Rover Got the Cows out of the Corn," he said: "Mama, you always say you will write your stories, but you never do. Truly, I'm afraid the other children will never know them."

I looked up. There were tears in Bobby's eyes.

Did it mean so much to him? Would other children like the stories?

"Bobby," I said, "truly, I will try to write them. After Christmas I will begin."

So after the holidays were over and the older boys had gone back to college, the writing was commenced.

"Will they do?" said I to Bobby when he had heard the last story read. "Do you think a publisher will like them?"