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The Boxcar Children Chapter 4 Summary

Henry Has Two Surprises

  • The kids wait quietly in the boxcar, hoping to discover the source of the noise. Benny thinks it might be a bear; things are sort of tense.
  • Oh, good, it's not a bear—it's just a dog with an injured paw.
  • The dog hops over to Jessie, who removes a thorn from his foot and ties a wet handkerchief around it as a bandage.
  • Jessie holds the dog so he can rest while the other children go to pick blueberries.
  • After a while, Jessie goes over to help, still holding the dog.
  • Oh, here's Henry—he brought milk and cheese and bread.
  • Henry is psyched about the dog. He thinks the pup will make a great watchdog.
  • Benny informs the group that the dog's name is Watch. Guess that's settled.
  • It's time for dinner, so Jessie arranges the laundry bag into a tablecloth and cuts the bread and cheese into chunks. She also puts out the blueberries. Henry is psyched about those, too.
  • Everyone (including Watch) eats dinner. There's some milk leftover at the end, which they'll have for breakfast.
  • Jessie declares that they will sleep on beds—though by beds, she actually means pine needles.
  • As they arrange their "beds" in the boxcar, Jessie plots out the space. She thinks there will be room for a kitchen and a sitting room. Jessie has a pretty active imagination.
  • Time to wash up. Afterward, Jessie washes the towels and hangs them on a clothesline to dry.
  • Jessie thinks they should have a little nightcap before bed, by which she means some water.
  • Henry takes two empty milk bottles off to the water fountain, and after a few sips, everyone is ready for bed. It's hot, so they leave the door of the boxcar open.