For the census of 1790, Mr. Phineas Bump rode from town to town in the District of Vermont to count the people. When he came to the town of Tunbridge he met with trickery for the townsfolk had heard that the more people were counted in their town, the more taxes they would pay and the more soldiers they would have to send to the Army. So, when Mr. Bump appproached the home of Mrs. Pepper, she and her family connived to deceive him. His response was to post his count on a tree in town and ask if it were fair and true. Then, word went about town that the census was really to determine how much representation they would have in the Congress. The townspeople asked for a recount and their numbers soared remarkably. Some might even say sheepishly. The illustrations in this book are delightful and filled with mischief and fun. The children hide behind fences and trees for the first count and the farm animals are dressed to the nines for the second count. This is wonderful historical fiction to read aloud. Both informative and entertaining. 40 pages