The next morning Ben found all three of his sons in the barn tending to their horses. "I'm glad you're all together. I need your help playing a little trick on your sister. I want to show her that she's never alone even when she thinks she is or wants to be." He told them what he wanted to do and they all agreed. "She won't be happy when I first tell her that she won't be going to get Mary and Laura alone, but hopefully when we are finished, she will understand what I am trying to teach her."

During breakfast Ben said, "Catherine, I have decided that you will not be going to the Ingalls alone. I would not be doing my job as a parent if I let you go alone. Isn't that right boys?"

Before Cat could complain, Adam said, "Yes it is. Cat, unless you are planning to walk to the Ingalls and back, you will have at least one horse with you."

"I am sure that your puppies will not be happy if you leave them behind, so they will also be with you," said Joe.

"Don't forget your shadow," added Hoss. "Even if you don't have your puppies or a horse with you, your shadow will always be there."

"And last but most certainly not least," said Ben. "God is always with you. No matter where you go or what you do, God is there. You are never alone even when you think you are or want to be.

I know that you are unhappy because I insist that an adult is with you when you go most places. There are very good reasons for that. First of all, you have only been here for a week and do not know your way around the ranch yet. You could ride for two weeks and never see the entire ranch. I would be a very poor parent if I just let you ride off in any direction without being sure you knew where you were going and how to get back. I know that you were allowed to go anywhere you wanted in and around Dodge as long as an adult knew where you were. That was not always the case. You had to be taught how to get to those places and you had to be old enough to go there and back on your own. There will come a time when you will be able to go anywhere on this ranch without an adult with you, but that will not be this week or even next week. When your brothers or I are satisfied you can get someplace on the ranch and back again safely without one of us, then I will allow you to go there.

Second of all, you are my little girl and I want to keep you safe from harm. I want to wrap you in cotton wool and put you on a shelf like a china doll. That way you will never, ever get hurt. I'm tempted to just keep you in the house and take you everywhere you need to go in the buggy. Then I know that you'll always be safe and never get hurt. I also want to geld Fury because stallions can be dangerous and you could get hurt."

When he saw the expression on Cat's face, Ben knew he should not have told her the part about wanting to geld Fury. "I knew you just wanted to treat me like a baby. If you try and keep me in the house all the time and geld Fury, I will go back to Dodge, even if I have to go there by myself! I am not a baby! I am nine years old and I have three jobs in Dodge. Uncle Matt never treated me like a baby except for when he first got me. Hoss, you promised you would try and get Pa to stop treating me like a baby. When I see Uncle Roy on Sunday, I'm going to ask him to send telegrams to Uncle Matt and Uncle Rip for me. I'm going to go and start packing now so I'm ready when Uncle Matt or Uncle Rip come and get me."

"Now hold on just a doggone minute little sister!" exclaimed Hoss. "Pa didn't say he was going to just keep you in the house or geld Fury. He just said he wanted to because he don't ever want you to get hurt. Neither do the rest of us. Ifn Pa was really gonna do those things, do you think he would have let you help us mend fences or move cattle from one pasture to another? Would he have had Mr. Miller make you some work gloves or let Little Joe fix a hat for you? I don't hardly think so. Ya gotta learn the difference when someone says they want to do somethin' or they're gonna do something. There have been lots of times Adam and I wanted to wring Little Joe's neck but we ain't done it yet. However, ifn he don't quit tryin' to get out of doing his share of the work around here, I am gonna to throw him in the biggest mud puddle I can find. And when I'm done with him, I'm gonna let Adam take a turn. And ifn you don't quit sayin' you're gonna go back to Dodge when you've barely been here a week, you're gonna end up in that there mud puddle right next to Little Joe! Ya can't always have things your own way and ya gotta wait until we teach ya how to do somethin' or go somewhere before ya go tryin' it on your own!"

"Hey now. That's not fair," protested Joe.

"Joe's right. That's not fair," said Adam. "If anybody's going to throw baby brother in a mud puddle while he's still clean it's going to be me because I'm the eldest and I do not want to get my clothes dirty. You can have him when I'm finished with him. The same goes for little sister too. I'm the eldest so I get to throw her in the mud puddle first."

Hop Sing and Ben burst out laughing at the expression on the faces of the two youngest family members.

"The last person that pushed me down in the mud got a bloody nose," said Cat angrily. "So don't even try it!"

"Hoss and I aren't going to push you down in the mud. We're going to pick you up and throw you in a big mud puddle. There's a big difference."

"I don't care! You'll be real sorry if you put me in the mud!"

"Alright you three. Catherine, you need to eat before your food gets cold," scolded Ben.

"Missy Cat let food get cold Hop Sing have to throw in garbage. If Hop Sing throw food in garbage, Missy Cat be in big trouble and have to clean kitchen and not play with friends."

Cat shot her elder two brothers and Hop Sing a nasty look. "You may as well give up Cat," said Joe. "I learned a long time ago that you can't win when they all gang up on you. Pa's right though. You do need to eat before your food gets cold. Flapjacks don't taste good when they're cold and as far as I know, Hoss is the only one who likes cold flapjacks. But then again, Hoss doesn't care if his food is hot or cold, just as long as he gets fed."

"Joseph, I am very unhappy to hear your brother say you are still trying to get out of doing your share of the work on this ranch," scolded Ben. "You are nineteen now and too old for such nonsense. However, since you insist on acting like you are a boy, I will treat you as though you are one. Catherine, from now on, whenever you are working with your brothers, you are in charge of Little Joe. If he does not do what you tell him to, let Adam or Hoss know and they will deal with him. If the two of you are working alone, let me know when you return home and I will take care of him."

"But Pa, Cat's only nine. Why should she get to tell me what to do?"

"Your sister had three jobs when she lived in Dodge. I spoke with all three men she worked for and every single one of them told me that she was a hard worker and never complained about anything she was asked to do. In fact, Quint told me that she often showed up for work when she was supposed to be on her way to school." Cat blushed and hung her head in embarrassment. "Although her motives for doing so were questionable, her work ethic was impeccable. Maybe you can learn a few things from your younger sister."

Then he reached over and gave one of Cat's braids a playful tug. "And as for you young lady, if I ever hear of you stopping by the blacksmith shop to work when you should be on your way to school, I will throw you in a large mud puddle."

"But Pa, school is boring and dumb. Horses aren't."

"I am very well aware of your feelings toward school. However, it is important. As I have told you before, one day, this ranch will be yours. A good education is the key to running any successful business, including a ranch. Just remember, if I have to throw you in mud puddles too often, Hop Sing will make you wash your own clothing and may make you help with the rest of the laundry also. Also, as of today, you may ride Star all the time, not just when you're with one of us. I've seen you on horseback enough to know that you are a very good rider."

"Really Pa?"

"Really daughter. Just remember, the rule about jumping fences and other large or high objects unless you are in danger still goes. If you are caught jumping things you should not be jumping, you will be in very big trouble. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes sir. Just wait until Fury grows up. I'm going to teach him how to fly so we won't need to jump over anything."

Everyone had a good laugh at Cat's comment. "You go ahead and do that Kitten. I promise that you will not be punished for flying your horse over things. But until you do teach Fury to fly, no jumping over fences or other large objects unless you are running away from danger. I want you to be safe. Oh and one more thing. No jumping Star over any mountains higher than five miles unless one of us is with you."

"Ok Pa. I promise I won't jump Star over any mountains higher than five miles unless someone is with me."

"That's my girl. Now finish your breakfast and go get your friends. Be sure to remind them to bring their swimming clothes. I'll join the three of you at Lake Tahoe this afternoon so you can go swimming. What horses are you going to take?"

Cat got a very mischievous look on her face. "I'm going to take Sport and Chub and Cochise. If Carrie was coming too, I'd take Buck with me too."

"What are we supposed to ride?" asked Hoss.

"There's a whole barn full of horses. You can ride any of them."

"You little scamp. I should throw you in the trough like I wanted to last night," teased Adam.

"How are you going to saddle them?" asked Joe. "I seem to remember Hoss having to pick you up so you could saddle Sport the last time you rode him."

"I already talked to Sport and Chub. They're going to lay down so I can put the saddles on them."

"Alright Cat. If you can get Sport to lay down so you can put the saddle on him, you can ride him."

"Catherine," said Ben. "I'm not sure how well Laura and Mary ride, so even if you do ride Sport, I think you should take Ginger and Star for your friends."

"Alright Pa. I don't think they ride a lot except in the back of their Pa's wagon."

After helping Hop Sing clear the table, Cat went out to the barn to saddle some horses for her, Mary, and Laura. After saddling Ginger and Star, she walked into Sport's stall with his saddle and blanket. She asked him to lay down so she could saddle him, but the horse ignored her. After several tried, she grew frustrated and said, "Dumb ol' horse. I didn't want to ride you anyway. I'll find me a better horse to ride."

She was unaware that her family had been watching her until Joe said, "He's a lot like our Yankee Granite Head brother," earning a scowl from Adam. "They don't listen to anybody but themselves and each other. You can ride Coach today. I'll saddle him for you while you go and get your saddle bags for those two wild beasts that keep following you around. Don't forget to bring your hat. You need to wear it."

When Cat came back out of the house, she noticed that Hoss had attached long lead ropes to Ginger and Star's bridles. "You're not used to taking extra horses with you, so the lead ropes will give you a little bit of room between Cochise and the other two. Once you're mounted and your puppies are in their saddle bags, I'll tie the lead ropes to your saddle horn. That will make it easier for you to take them with you. Once you get to the Ingalls take the lead ropes off of Ginger and Star and loop them around your saddle horn. You can tie the horses to the hitching rail just like you do here."

"Ok Hoss. Thanks. Oh, I almost forgot. Does Mitch live near the Ingalls so I can invite him to the picnic on Saturday?"

"He doesn't live too far from them," replied Joe. "Give me a minute and I'll draw you a map." Joe came back out of the house a few minutes later with a piece of paper in his hand and showed it to Cat. "Do you see this road? I've marked it for you. It's the one that leads to Laura and Mary's house. Now, to get to Mitch's house, go three roads past the one that leads to the Ingalls' house and take that road. When you get to where the road splits, take the left branch. The road will split one more time. Take the right branch. It will take you right to Mitch's house. I've marked everything for you so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. Now, let's get you mounted and those two wild beasts in their saddle bags so you can go and get your friends."

Cat hugged Joe and started to mount Cochise when Hoss picked her up and put her in the saddle. Then Joe and Adam each put a puppy in her saddle bags. Joe handed her the map and Hoss tied the lead ropes around her saddle horn. Even though he had already done it twice, Ben checked to make sure the saddle cinch was tight. "Paaaaa!" complained Cat. "How many times are you going to check the cinch? Joe saddled Cochise and I know he checked the cinch. You checked it three times already. Cochise is a real smart horse, but I don't think he knows how to undo his saddle."

Ben laughed. "Alright Kitten. You win. I'm just being overprotective. Now scoot before I decided to tie you to the saddle just to make sure you don't fall off."

Cat urged Cochise into a walk. "Come on Coach. Let's go before Pa decides to do something else that's silly. If we don't hurry, he might decide to ride double with me." When Ben pretended to try and grab the saddle horn to swing up behind her, she urged the horse into a trot and then a canter. Cat rode into the Devlin's yard about twenty minutes after leaving the Ponderosa and found Mitch cutting wood.

He looked up and saw Cat with two extra horses in tow. "Hi Cat. What are you doing, running away from home? Does Little Joe know that you stole his horse?" He helped her dismount and took the puppies out of the saddle bags.

Cat giggled. "No. I'm going to get my friends Laura and Mary but I came here to invite you to a picnic on Saturday at Lake Tahoe."

"I would love to come to your picnic. What time should I be at the Ponderosa?"

"I don't know. I forgot to ask. Ten o'clock I guess."

"Ok. I'll ride out later today or tomorrow and ask for sure. Come in the house for a minute and meet my family."

"Ok, but I can't stay long. Laura and Mary are waiting for me."

Just then a young boy around Cat's age ran up to Mitch, pushed him and tried to run off, but was grabbed by Mitch. The boy tried to get free but Mitch shook him and said, "Behave yourself Mikey. We have company. Cat, this is my little brother Mike. He'll be eleven in November, so you'll both be in school together. Mikey, this is Little Joe's sister Cat. Now be polite and say hi."

The two children said hi and sized each other up. Just then Mike spotted Lassie and Silver Chief and got down on his knees and started petting the puppies. "Are these your puppies? How old are they?" he asked Cat.

"Yes they are. The one you're holding is Lassie and the other one is Silver Chief. They're almost five months old."

"They're cute. I like them. Do you want to play?"

"Thank you. "I can't play right now. I'm on my way to get Laura and Mary Ingalls. They're spending the day with me on the Ponderosa. We're having a picnic at Lake Tahoe on Saturday. Mitch is coming. We're going to go swimming and fishing. You can come if you want to. I don't think that Pa will care if you come too. Hop Sing is a real good cook."

"Who's coming?"

"My Pa and brothers, Laura and Mary Ingalls and their little sister and Ma and Pa, and Mitch."

"Ok. Thanks. I like Laura. She's fun to play with." He gave each puppy a final hug and ran off.

Mitch took Cat into the house and introduced her to his parents. Then he helped Cat remount Cochise and sent her on her way to get Laura and Mary.

Cat rode into the Ingalls' yard ten minutes after saying goodbye to Mitch. Charles met her in the yard and helped he down off Joe's horse and tied all three horses to the hitching rail. "Hi Cat. I thought you would have been here thirty minutes ago."

"I had to go to the Devlin's and invite Mitch to the picnic on Saturday. I met his brother Mike and invited him too. I hope Pa won't be mad at me."

"No Cat, your Pa won't be upset because you were polite and invited Mike to the picnic also. Now, come on in the house and say hi to Mrs. Ingalls and Carrie before you, Mary and Laura leave to spend your day on the Ponderosa."

Cat walked into the house and greeted her friends and their mother. "Mrs. Ingalls, can you please fix my hair? Little Joe braided it for me this morning but he didn't get it even and Hop Sing didn't have time to show him."

"Of course I will Cat. We'll teach your Pa and brothers how to braid your hair and get it even. Laura, please get your brush and comb for me. Cat, I would like you to think about doing something for me."

"What's that?"

"I would like you to think about wearing dresses to church on Sundays. Sunday is the Lord 's Day and everyone wears their best clothes to church to show respect to the Lord. I know that Hoss and Little Joe don't like wearing those starched white shirts and their ties, but they do, and I think you should wear a dress also. It's the right thing to do. Even my girls and I wear our best dresses to church. Mr. Ingalls wears his best clothes also."

Cat scrunched up her nose and sighed. "I hate wearing dresses."

"I know you do Sweetheart but it's only for a few hours a week. You looked so cute in that dress last Sunday and I would like to see you look that cute every Sunday."

"Ok. I'll think about it."

"That's my girl. Thank you for saying you'll think about it. Now, your hair is right, so the three of you girls can leave for the Ponderosa and you won't have to worry about your hair. Have a good time and remember if you get tired of playing, you can come back here and cook and clean." Carrie even laughed at the thought of anyone getting tired of playing.

Charles helped all three girls mount their horses, tied Laura and Mary's swimming clothes behind their saddles, and looped the lead ropes over Cochise's saddle horn. When he walked back into the house, Caroline said, "That girl needs a mother."

"And I suppose you would like to apply for that job?" teased Charles. "Ben and the boys will never give her up."

"I know, but it would be nice."

"You can mother her whenever you're with her. I know Ben will appreciate any help you can give him."

While the girls were riding back to the Ponderosa, Laura said, "Ma's right about you needing to wear a dress to church. Everybody wears their best clothes on Sundays, even little babies."

"Laura and I don't like wearing our best winter dresses because they scratch but we have to anyway," added Mary. "The dresses we had made last Saturday should be ready tomorrow. Mary and I will help you pick out a dress to wear to church this Sunday and we'll help you pick material for more."

"Come on Cat," pleaded Laura. "You don't want to be the only one not wearing good clothes to church. All of the kids will laugh at you and you'll get in trouble for fighting."

Cat looked at her friends and sighed. "I guess you're right. I won't like it but I'll wear a dress to church but not to school. If we're going to do something after, maybe Pa will let me take my buckskins and I can change in the outhouse after church. I hate wearing dresses!"

When they reached the Ponderosa, the girls found Gerald Miller getting off his horse. "Hi Mr. Miller," said all three girls together.

"Hello girls. Cat, is Adam home?"

"I don't know. Come inside and find out." Just then Adam walked out the door to see if the girls were there yet. "Mr. Miller wants to see you Adam."

"Thank you Cat. When you go inside, you'll find two crates on the table in the living room. They are for you. I took the nails out so you could open them. Gerald, please come in. I want to see Cat's face when she opens the crates."

Everyone went into the house and the girls went over to the table in the living room. Cat took the lid off one crate and exclaimed, "Look, it's all the books I got in Denver." She started taking the books out of the crate, naming some of the titles. "Arabian Nights, Robinson Caruso, Gulliver's Travels, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Robin Hood… Miss Jackson read that to us in school when I was five. Laura and Mary picked up some of the books and looked through them with wonder. They had never seen so many new books all at once.

"Can we take one of your books home and read it?" asked Mary. "We'll be very careful with it."

"Sure, as long as it's ok with Pa. I also have Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and King Arthur in my room. I'm reading that one but you can take any of the other ones."

"What's in the other crate?" asked Joe.

Cat took the lid off and all three girls eyes grew as big as saucers. "Toys!" exclaimed all three girls at once.

"Wow!" exclaimed Cat. "Are these for me? I never had my own toys before."

"Yes Cat," answered Adam. "Those are for you. I bought them while we were in Denver. All of those toys are meant to be used outside, except the jacks can be used inside on the floor when it's raining."

Cat took the hoop and stick out of the crate and asked, "What's this? I've never seen it before."

"It's a hoop and stick," answered Joe. "I'll show you girls how to use it when you go outside to play."

Cat pulled more of the toys out of the crate. "Oh look! I got marbles and tops and yo-yos. Pete and Mike each had one of them. Let's go outside and play. Is my swing put together?"

"Yes," answered Hoss. "I put the board on it right after you rode out. Why don't you put your books back in the crate and I'll carry them upstairs for you? Also, ifn you put your toys back in the crate, it will be easier to take them outside."

After the toys and books were put back in their crates, Mary asked, "Who's going to push us on the swing?"

"I don't know," said Cat. "I've got three brothers. Pick one."

Laura and Mary whispered for a minute and then Mary said, "We want Adam to push us on the swing."

"Ok. Adam, will you push us on the swing?"

"I don't have time. Get Hoss or Joe to do it."

"Pa, will you please tell Adam to push us on the swing?"

Ben laughed. "Alright Kitten. Adam, when you finish talking to Gerald, please push the girls on the swing."

"You're forgetting something older brother," laughed Joe. "There's a new number one rule in this house. What little sister wants, little sister gets."

Everybody except Adam laughed at Joe's statement. Adam threw his hands up in surrender and said, "Can't we throw her back and catch her again when she's bigger and not so much trouble?"

"Sorry son. I wouldn't let you do that with Little Joe and you can't do it with Cat either."

Adam sighed. "Alright. You three girls go outside and play. I'll push you on the swing when I'm finished talking with Mr. Miller."

"Thank you Adam," said all three girls as sweetly as they could, earning laughs from everybody.

"Joe picked up the crate of toys and said, "Come on you three. I'll show you how to use some of these while you're waiting for Adam." The girls followed him outside where he showed them how to use the hoop and stick as well as the other toys they had never seen before.

"That girl is more trouble than Little Joe was when he was a boy," said Adam.

Mr. Miller laughed. "Adam, you are just now beginning to get lessons in little sisters. They are a whole lot different than little brothers. Cat has only been here a week. Wait until she makes more friends at school and you have a whole house full of little girls."

"Three of them is more than enough. The last thing we need around here is a house full of little girls. I love Cat but if I had known how much trouble little girls were, I would have told Pa to leave her in Dodge and let Matt deal with her for a few more years. Anyway, enough about my newest headache. What can I do for you Gerald?"

"Since you are an architect, I would like you to look the school over thoroughly and let the school board know if it is structurally sound. To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been examined since it was built and that was a long time ago. I don't even know if the roof leaks."

"I'll be more than happy to look the school over. I'll ride into town tomorrow and take care of it. Since the Ingalls girls are here, we can ask them if the roof leaks."

"That's an excellent idea. I've got to get back to town, Adam, thank you very much for agreeing to look over the school. The last thing we need is the roof coming off or worse during a bad storm. Enjoy your sister while she's still little. You will face a whole different set of challenges when she becomes interested in boys." Adam groaned inwardly at the thought of Cat becoming interested in boys. "Now, let's go and talk to Mary and Laura so I can get back to town."

He and Adam walked outside and Adam called the girls over to him. "Mary, Laura, Mr. Miller needs to know if the school roof leaks."

"Yes it does," replied Laura.

"It's very bad when the rain is heavy and Miss Smith wouldn't let anybody move away from the leaks," added Mary. "I'm surprised more kids didn't get sick."

"Thank you girls replied Mr. Miller. Don't worry about Miss Smith. She isn't going to be your teacher any more. Mr. Winter's sister is going to be your teacher this year. She's very nice and I think you'll like her. She used to teach when she lived in Philadelphia. Adam, I'm going to call a meeting of the school board for Monday night. I would like you to give us your findings then. School is scheduled to start two weeks from Monday and I need to know if we will have to postpone it for a week. Thank you again for offering to help. I greatly appreciate it. You girls have fun playing and don't tire Adam out too much having him push you on the swing."

After Gerald left, Adam turned to the girls and said, "Alright you three. Let's get this over with. I have a lot of work to do today. Which one of you is going first on the swing?"

"Mary is," said Cat. "She's the oldest."

Adam spent more than an hour pushing the three girls on the swing. Finally he said, "Ok. The three of you have each had several turns with me pushing you on the swing. Now, I have got to get some work done. So do Hoss and Joe. If you still want someone to push you, maybe Pa will do it or you can push each other."

"But it's more fun when you do it," said Mary.

"I understand. However, this is a busy ranch and there is a lot of work to be done. You can push each other or you can ask Pa to do it." He walked into the house to get his brothers.

When they walked out of the house, Joe looked at his brothers and said, "You two go ahead. The girls need someone to push them on the swing, so I'll do it." Adam and Hoss each grabbed one of his arms and carried him to the barn where they supervised him saddling a horse. When they walked out of the barn, Joe said, "You fellas don't need me. Hoss is always telling me how puny I am. At least here, I can help the girls."

"Little brother," growled Hoss. "Ifn you don't git on that horse right now, I'm gonna throw you across the saddle and tie you to it. Now git moving."

"You know Hoss," said Adam. "It seems to me that we've been carrying the load for baby brother for quite a while now. Why don't you and I lie around and watch him work for a change? That way we can both keep an eye on him."

"Now that's a mighty find idea Adam. After all, little sister is busy playing with her friends and won't be there to make him do his work, so it's up to us to do it for her."

Just before they mounted their horses, Cat walked up to her brothers and hugged them. Then she looked at Joe and said, "Be good and do all of your work today. You don't want Pa to get mad at you again." Then she got a mischievous look in her eyes and said, "Actually, don't do all of your work today because if Pa is mad at you, you'll have to keep doing my chores and I'll have more time to play."

Adam and Hoss laughed. "That's telling him little sister. Don't you worry none. We'll make sure baby brother stays out of trouble, even if we have to throw him in the creek. Now you girls have fun today and we'll see you this afternoon."

"Aren't you going to come home for dinner?"

"No Cat," answered Adam. "We have a lot of work to do, so Hop Sing packed some food for us." All three girls were clearly disappointed. "We've got our swimming clothes with us so if we get our work finished in time, we'll join you at Lake Tahoe and we can all go swimming. If the three of you can stay out of trouble, maybe Hoss and I will swim out past the end of the tree and let you swim to us, but you have to stay out of trouble." All three girls giggled. With all of the toys, the swing and Cat's dolls and puppies to play with, they wouldn't have time to get into trouble.

The girls played with Cat's toys and puppies for a while when Ben came out of the house and asked, "Would you girls like me to push you on the swing for a little while?"

"Yes please!" answered all three together.

"Ok. Who went first when Adam was pushing you?"

"I did," said Mary.

"Ok. Who went second?"

"Laura did," replied Cat.

"Alright, then Laura will go first this time. Cat will go second and Mary will go third. The next time you play on the swing, Cat will go first, Mary second and Laura third. Then each one of you will have had a chance to go first." After each girl had taken three turns on the swing, Ben said, "It's getting close to dinner time. Bring your toys and I'll show you where you can put them in the tack room. Then you girls can wash up and play in Cat's room until dinner is ready. You can go riding after dinner. I need to spend a little more time working on the books and then I'll join you at the lake so you can go swimming." The girls put the toys back in the crate and Cat carried it to the barn. Ben showed her a spot in the tack room where she could put the crate. "This is where Little Joe kept his toys when he was a boy. As long as you put them back in the crate when you're done playing with them, you'll always know where they are. Now, go wash up and play in Cat's room until dinner is ready."