This, you know, was Ponto's way of showing that he was fond of the dear baby; and from this time a strong affection sprang up between them. While Frankie slept, the dog lay down by the cradle, to be sure that no harm came to his precious charge; and when he awoke, Ponto made a noise, meaning, "I'll take care of you, baby."
CHAPTER III
FRANKIE'S JUMPER
Frankie was now six months old. He had begun to sit upon the floor. First he could only sit there by having pillows placed all about him. Then one day nurse took away the pillows, and said the little fellow must learn to do without them. She set him up very straight, and put a large book outside his clothes between his feet, so that he could not easily fall over. Then she took her sewing and sat down on the floor beside him.
Frankie laughed, and thought this was very fine; but in one minute he reached a little too far, and over he went right on to his nose.
Nurse caught him up before he had time to cry, and tossed him up and down until he had forgotten his trouble; then she set him down again. So that by the time mamma came home from a long walk, he had almost learned to sit alone.
O, how much pleased mamma was! She took off her bonnet and shawl, laughing all the time, and then she stopped ever so many times while she was giving the little fellow his dinner, and squeezed him closer to her side, and told him he was getting to be a brave boy indeed.
Hearing so much that was merry, Ponto roused himself from his sleep, and began to rap with his tail on the floor. Then, when Frankie crowed out a pretty sound, he sprang upon his feet, and looked around a minute with his great, black eyes, when he gave a loud bark, "bow, wow, wow." Little boy, I say, "bow, wow, wow."
One day Willie went with his mother to call upon a lady who had a baby girl just about as old as Frankie. The servant asked them to go to the nursery and see the baby in her jumper. O, what a funny sight that was! How the two mammas, and the nurse, and Willie laughed, to see the little creature dance about from one side of the room to the other. Frankie's mamma said her little boy must have a jumper too.
The lady, whose name was Ida Mills, gave her the pattern of the little jacket her baby wore when she jumped; and Mrs. Gray said she would ask her husband to call and see the jumper, so that he could tell the carpenter how to make one.
In two days Frankie's jacket was ready, and his jumper too. His mamma had told him all about it. But he only laughed and cooed the same as ever, and did not seem at all to understand it.
When papa came home to dinner that day, he heard such a loud noise from the nursery, that he ran quickly up there to see what was the matter.
When he opened the door he saw his little boy fastened to a long pole, which swung about the room like a crane, and mamma on her knees trying to teach him to touch his little toes to the floor, and make himself dance. There, too, were Jane, the cook, and Sally, the nurse, laughing, while Margie and Willie were clapping their hands every time Frankie gave a spring.
Just then Ponto came running up the stairs, and as soon as he saw his little master, he began to bark most furiously. He did not like to see him hung up so, and he meant to give his opinion about it.
Frankie had for a long time been fond of using his feet, and had often done so in his mother's lap, until he almost sprang out of her arms; but at first he did not know what mamma wanted him to do. But presently he began to jump; and when he found how easily he could set himself to dancing, he was so much pleased that he gave a scream of delight.
Willie ran to the other side of the room, and put his coral bells in a chair, and called out, "Come, Frankie, come to brother;" and the little dancer jumped across the room as briskly as if he had done it every day of his life.
O, what laughing there was then! What shouting! What clapping of hands! Mamma ran to kiss her baby, and call him her darling boy.
All this time the dinner was on the table; and at last, Jane said, "O, dear, the dinner will be as cold as a stone!" But papa and mamma said they had rather see Frankie learn to jump, than to eat the best dinner that ever was cooked.