rikka did not want to learn to knit. she said it was too hard. she said she would rather play on the beach.

her mother said to her, “rikka, if you will learn to knit, i will give you a ‘wonder-ball.’”

“a ‘wonder-ball!’ what is that, mother?” asked rikka.

“it is a ball of yarn,” said her mother. “there are little presents or surprise gifts wound up in the ball. as you knit the yarn from the ball, the gifts fall out.”

“oh, i should like a wonder-ball, mother,” cried rikka.[74] “i will learn to knit and i will knit fast so that i can knit my presents from the ball.”

rikka’s mother made her a “wonder-ball.” it was a very big, blue ball. she gave rikka some shining needles and taught her how to knit.

rikka tried and tried, and at last she learned to knit. it was very hard at first, but she did not give up.

the first gift she knit from her ball was a little silver pencil. she was much pleased with it.

she knit hard every day.

it seemed a long time before she came to the next gift.

then a pretty chain of red beads came out of the “wonder-ball.”

she knit and knit away. the gifts she knit from the “wonder-ball” were many.

she sang a little song as she worked.

she called it her “knitting song.”

click, clack, click, clack,

on go the needles, forward and back,

careful never a stitch to drop,

busily knit with never a stop.

forward and back, forward and back,

bright little needles, click, click, clack.

[76]

among her gifts was a little gold ring with a blue stone in it. she had also a wooden bird, a tiny doll, and a thimble. she called her thimble her “finger-hat.”

rikka was very happy. she thanked her good mother many times for the lovely, big “wonder-ball.”

rikka soon learned to knit very well. she liked to knit even when she had no “wonder-ball.” she knit a scarf for her father. she knit a jacket for her doll. “it is such fun to make things,” said busy little rikka.