Nay , she even chased one daring boy out of the room , and fired after him the pillow he had slyly thrown at her . `` Wo n't they hurt 'em ? '' asked Nat , who lay laughing with all his might . `` Oh dear , no ! We always allow one pillow-fight Saturday night . The cases are changed to-morrow ; and it gets up a glow after the boys ' baths ; so I rather like it myself , '' said Mrs. Bhaer , busy again among her dozen pairs of socks . `` What a very nice school this is ! '' observed Nat , in a burst of admiration . `` It 's an odd one , '' laughed Mrs. Bhaer , `` but you see we do n't believe in making children miserable by too many rules , and too much study . I forbade night-gown parties at first ; but , bless you , it was of no use . I could no more keep those boys in their beds than so many jacks in the box . So I made an agreement with them : I was to allow a fifteen-minute pillow-fight every Saturday night ; and they promised to go properly to bed every other night . I tried it , and it worked well . If they do n't keep their word , no frolic ; if they do , I just turn the glasses round , put the lamps in safe places , and let them rampage as much as they like . '' `` It 's a beautiful plan , '' said Nat , feeling that he should like to join in the fray , but not venturing to propose it the first night . So he lay enjoying the spectacle , which certainly was a lively one . Tommy Bangs led the assailing party , and Demi defended his own room with a dogged courage fine to see , collecting pillows behind him as fast as they were thrown , till the besiegers were out of ammunition , when they would charge upon him in a body , and recover their arms . A few slight accidents occurred , but nobody minded , and gave and took sounding thwacks with perfect good humor , while pillows flew like big snowflakes , till Mrs. Bhaer looked at her watch , and called out : `` Time is up , boys . Into bed , every man jack , or pay the forfeit ! '' `` What is the forfeit ? ''
XXXXX Nat , sitting up in his eagerness to know what happened to those wretches who disobeyed this most peculiar , but public-spirited school-ma ` am .
asked forfeit frolic gets led like occurred pay thrown turn