Tim and the purple whistle

"Blow your whistle only when you are very much frightened. And then, some day, you'll find you won't need it any more." With these words, Father had presented Tim with a tin whistle to carry with him on his trip to Northtown.

Northtown, Connecticut, wasn't too far away by coach, but it would take a good three weeks to reach it in Mr. Walker's red peddler's wagon. They would stop all along the way to sell their candles, and, most important to Tim, the pans and plates from his father's tin shop. Since peddler's assistants were usually older than ten, Tim would have to work very hard to show that he was worth keeping on for the whole summer.

And how hard that proved to be! Being a scare-cat was bad enough, though he had the purple whistle to help him. But why, at the most crucial moments, did he forget the peddler-boy's first rule: "Never leave the wagon alone!" Tim's forgetfulness about this almost spelled their ruin.