PREFACE

The story of young people's lives is not complete without many and broad glimpses of their school days. It was impossible to devote the space to this recital¹ of the Five Little Peppers' school life, in the books that showed their growing up. The author, therefore, was obliged unwillingly² to omit all the daily fun and study and growth, that she, loving them as if they were real children before her eyes, saw in progress.

So she packed it all away in her mind, ready to tell to all those young people who also loved the Peppers, when they clamored for more stories about them—just what Polly and Joel and David did in their merry school days. Ben never got as much schooling³ as the others, for he insisted on getting into business life as early as possible, in order the sooner to begin to pay Grandpapa King back for all his kindness. But Jasper and Percy and Van joined the Peppers4 at school, and a right merry time they had of it!

And now the time seems ripe to accede⁴ to all the insistent⁵ demands from those who love the Five Little Peppers, that this record of their school days should be given. So here it is, just as they all gave it to

MARGARET SIDNEY.