The Mystery of Carlitos

  CHAPTER XIV THE PINATA

  Early the next morning the three girls began making preparations for theparty for the little Mexican children.

  "I'll make some fudge," suggested Peggy.

  "That'll be something new to them," Florence told her. "I can make somemolasses candy out of this brown sugar. Maybe they'll know what that is."

  "I think we ought to have some kind of cakes, too," put in Jo Ann. "I canmake pretty good doughnuts. Do you think the children would like them,Florence?"

  "I'm sure they would. They won't know what they are, but they'll likethem. I doubt if these children even know what candy is. Living out inthe mountains as they have, they've probably never tasted many sweets. Iknow this party will be a real treat to them and their mothers, too."

  When they had finished their cooking, Florence remarked, "Now we mustdecorate the _olla_ for the _pinata_."

  Peggy smiled. "I know what an _olla_ is--it's just a big earthen waterjar, but what is a _pin_--_pin_--or whatever you called it?"

  "That's what I'm wondering, too," added Jo Ann.

  "Well, when we fill this _olla_"--she pointed to the big pottery jar onthe table--"with the candy and doughnuts and decorate the outside withgay colors, then it'll be called a _pinata_."

  "What do you do with it then?" queried Jo Ann.

  "Hang it up by a rope and blindfold the children and let them see whichone can break it; then they all scramble for the contents."

  The girls laughed, and Peggy added, "Sounds like a lot of fun. What're wegoing to decorate the _olla_ with?"

  "The only thing I can think of is to cut some colored pictures out ofmagazines and paste them on it. Can you think of anything better?"

  Both girls shook their heads.

  Soon the three had selected the brightest advertisements from somemagazines and had decorated the jar till it looked quite festive.

  That afternoon, before they had finished their siestas, the guests beganto arrive. First were the children from the goat ranch with their mother;then shortly afterwards Maria and the grandmother with their line oflittle stairsteps.

  Jo Ann noticed at once that Carlitos was missing and asked Florence toinquire about him.

  A moment later Florence explained to Jo Ann that Carlitos had gone up onthe mountain with Jose to get the charcoal. "Maria says they'll be downlater--they'll stop on their way down with the charcoal."

  "Let's wait to have the _pinata_ game till Carlitos gets here," Jo Annsuggested to Florence. "I don't want him to miss that. Let's show themhow to play some simple game like drop the handkerchief while we'rewaiting."

  Florence smiled dubiously. "We can try it, but I'm sure they've neverplayed it before."

  In spite of their strenuous efforts to start the game, they failed, asthe children merely stared timidly with their big black eyes, not seemingto know how to enter into the fun.

  "These are the quietest children I've ever seen in all my life," Jo Anndeclared. "Don't they ever play, Florence?"

  "Very seldom. They work most of the time. The older ones take care of thebabies and help their mothers. I believe we'd better go ahead with the_pinata_. It'll take them a long time to break the _olla_, and maybeCarlitos'll be here before anyone succeeds."

  Florence blindfolded the largest one of the little girls and handed her astick, then turned her around several times. "Now see if you can breakthe _pinata_."

  The girl took a few steps, then timidly struck out with her stick, onlyto miss the _pinata_ by several feet.

  "Don't be afraid," called Pepito. "Go closer."

  Florence smiled. "No, she gets only one turn this time. You come on,Pepito, and try."

  With his black eyes shining Pepito stepped forward to be blindfolded. JoAnn was delighted to see how much stronger he seemed to be and was aspleased as he when he hit the _pinata_, even though he did not succeed inbreaking it.

  Jo Ann and Peggy clapped their hands in applause, and the little Mexicanchildren, thinking that was part of the game, timidly followed theirexample.

  Before all of the children had had a turn in trying to hit the _pinata_,Carlitos came running up to the porch, his hands and face streaked withthe black charcoal dust.

  Pepito pointed up to the _pinata_. "Look, Carlitos, a _pinata_! And I hitit!" He went on rapidly to explain about the game.

  With the keenest interest the three girls watched Carlitos' face brightenand his blue eyes sparkle bluer than ever against the black of his face.

  "I'll break it for you, Pepito," he replied confidently.

  Peggy turned to Jo Ann and Florence, smiling. "Say, Jo, your littleblue-eyed Mexican seems to have turned into a little nigger. Don't youthink you'd better introduce him to some soap and water before therefreshments?"

  "Not a bad idea," Florence replied. "Jo, take him back and show him howto use the soap."

  Jo Ann's eyes stretched to their widest. "Show him how to use soap! Whatdo you mean?"

  "He's probably never seen toilet soap before."

  "Gracious! To think of an American boy living like that--not even havingseen toilet soap!"

  After she had demonstrated to Carlitos how to wash his hands with soap,she watched almost unbelievingly his evident delight in the white foamysuds and its magic effect.

  "I've got to get that boy back to civilization. Something must be doneright away," she told herself.

  As soon as he had finished, they hurried back to the porch, and Florenceplaced the blindfold on Carlitos. As he started toward the _pinata_Pepito called eagerly, "Hit it hard, Carlitos--very hard!"

  With almost uncanny accuracy, Carlitos neared the _pinata_, then struckout vigorously.

  There was a crashing sound as the pottery vessel cracked open and thecontents scattered over the floor.

  Carlitos jerked the blindfold off, while the children uttered littlesqueals of mingled excitement and delight.

  Smiling, Florence pointed to the scattered sweets. "Go get them!" sheexclaimed.

  The children needed no more urging. Straightway they began scurryingabout, their black eyes shining with delight as they picked up the candyand cakes and tasted them. With their usual unselfishness they took someof them over to their mothers and the grandmother.

  Just then Jo Ann noticed Jose leaning against a near-by tree, a pleasedexpression on his face as he watched the children's fun. "Come on and getsome _dulces_," she called to him.

  Smiling, he came over to the porch and took the sweets Jo Ann offered.

  While both the older people and the children were enjoying the treat, JoAnn went out to examine the huge bags of charcoal that almost completelycovered the small burro. She laughed aloud as she noticed that only hisears and his feet were visible.

  "It's a good thing that charcoal's light, or that burro'd never be ableto get to town with that load," she thought.

  When she went back to the porch she told Jose, chiefly by gestures, thatshe was glad he had made so much charcoal. "When are you going to take itto the village to sell?" she asked him.

  "_Manana_ in the _manana_," he replied.

  "That means early in the morning, doesn't it?" she asked Florence.

  Florence nodded.

  Jo Ann put her hand on Carlitos' shoulder. "Are the boys going with you,Jose?"

  Jose shook his head. "No, I think it better that they do not go."

  Shortly after the children had finished eating their refreshments, eachone politely thanked the girls and offered a grimy, sticky little hand ina farewell shake.

  As Maria was leaving with her family she remarked to Florence again, "Youhave much kindness, senoritas--like Carlitos' _mama_. I have much joythat he has friends _Americanos_ now."

  After they had all left Jo Ann said determinedly, "We've simply got tofind Carlitos' relatives right away. Maria and Jose are as kind to him asthey can be--they treat him as if he were their own child--but they're sopitifully poor and ignorant."

  Florence shook her
head dubiously. "I wish we could find some of hisrelatives, but it looks as if we're up against a stone wall now. We'vedone everything we could."

  "Oh, Jo'll solve the mystery--she'll climb right over the stone wall,"laughed Peggy. "She's great on climbing."

  The next day, when the girls were busily preparing dinner on the outdoorfireplace, Jo Ann happened to glance down the road. "Good gracious!" sheexclaimed. "Is that Pepito, running like that? It is! Why, he oughtn't torun like that."

  She rushed out to meet him. "No, no, Pepito! You mustn't run like that,"she called to him.

  Gasping for breath, Pepito ejaculated, "Carlitos! Oh, Carlitos!"