They got twelve bushels , counting little ones and all , and sold them to Mr. Bhaer at a fair price , for potatoes went fast in that house . Emil and Franz devoted themselves to corn , and had a jolly little husking in the barn , after which they took their corn to the mill , and came proudly home with meal enough to supply the family with hasty-pudding and Johnny-cake for a lone time . They would not take money for their crop ; because , as Franz said , `` We never can pay Uncle for all he has done for us if we raised corn for the rest of our days . '' Nat had beans in such abundance that he despaired of ever shelling them , till Mrs. Jo proposed a new way , which succeeded admirably . The dry pods were spread upon the barn-floor , Nat fiddled , and the boys danced quadrilles on them , till they were thrashed out with much merriment and very little labor . Tommy 's six weeks ' beans were a failure ; for a dry spell early in the season hurt them , because he gave them no water ; and after that he was so sure that they could take care of themselves , he let the poor things struggle with bugs and weeds till they were exhausted and died a lingering death . So Tommy had to dig his farm over again , and plant peas . But they were late ; the birds ate many ; the bushes , not being firmly planted , blew down , and when the poor peas came at last , no one cared for them , as their day was over , and spring-lamb had grown into mutton . Tommy consoled himself with a charitable effort ; for he transplanted all the thistles he could find , and tended them carefully for Toby , who was fond of the prickly delicacy , and had eaten all he could find on the place . The boys had great fun over Tom 's thistle bed ; but he insisted that it was better to care for poor Toby than for himself , and declared that he would devote his entire farm next year to thistles , worms , and snails , that Demi 's turtles and Nat 's pet owl might have the food they loved , as well as the donkey . So like shiftless , kind-hearted , happy-go-lucky Tommy ! Demi had supplied his grandmother with lettuce all summer , and in the autumn sent his grandfather a basket of turnips , each one scrubbed up till it looked like a great white egg . His Grandma was fond of salad , and one of his Grandpa 's favorite quotations was , `` Lucullus , whom frugality could charm , Ate roasted turnips at the Sabine farm . '' Therefore these vegetable offerings to the dear domestic god and goddess were affectionate , appropriate , and classical . Daisy had nothing but flowers in her little plot , and it bloomed all summer long with a succession of gay or fragrant posies . She was very fond of her garden , and delved away in it at all hours , watching over her roses , and pansies , sweet-peas , and mignonette , as faithfully and tenderly as she did over her dolls or her friends . Little nosegays were sent into town on all occasions , and certain vases about the house were her especial care . She had all sorts of pretty fancies about her flowers , and loved to tell the children the story of the pansy , and show them how the step-mother-leaf sat up in her green chair in purple and gold ; how the two own children in gay yellow had each its little seat , while the step children , in dull colors , both sat on one small stool , and the poor little father in his red nightcap , was kept out of sight in the middle of the flower ; that a monk 's dark face looked out of the monk 's - hood larkspur ; that the flowers of the canary-vine were so like dainty birds fluttering their yellow wings , that one almost expected to see them fly away , and the snapdragons that went off like little pistol-shots when you cracked them . Splendid dollies did she make out of scarlet and white poppies , with ruffled robes tied round the waist with grass blade sashes , and astonishing hats of coreopsis on their green heads . Pea-pod boats , with rose-leaf sails , received these flower-people , and floated them about a placid pool in the most charming style ; for finding that there were no elves , Daisy made her own , and loved the fanciful little friends who played their parts in her summer-life .
Nan XXXXX in for herbs , and had a fine display of useful plants , which she tended with steadily increasing interest and care .
counting despaired exhausted got make scrubbed sold supply thrashed went