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diff --git a/36185.txt b/36185.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d6dbec6 --- /dev/null +++ b/36185.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3211 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Sandman: His Farm Stories, by William J. Hopkins + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Sandman: His Farm Stories + +Author: William J. Hopkins + +Illustrator: Ada Clendenin Williamson + +Release Date: May 22, 2011 [EBook #36185] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SANDMAN: HIS FARM STORIES *** + + + + +Produced by Eric Skeet, Beginners Projects and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + + + THE SANDMAN. + HIS FARM STORIES + + + + + + +Sandman Stories + +Each, one vol., 12mo, illustrated, $1.75 + + +By William J. Hopkins + + The Sandman: His Farm Stories + The Sandman: More Farm Stories + The Sandman: His Ship Stories + The Sandman: His Sea Stories + + +By Harry W. Frees + + The Sandman: His Animal Stories + The Sandman: His Kittycat Stories + The Sandman: His Bunny Stories + The Sandman: His Puppy Stories + + +By Jenny Wallis + +The Sandman: His Songs and Rhymes + + +By W. S. Phillips +(El Comancho) + +The Sandman: His Indian Stories + + +By Helen I. Castella + +The Sandman: His Fairy Stories + + +By Mae V. LeBert + +The Sandman: His Japanese Stories + + + L. C. PAGE & COMPANY + 53 Beacon Street Boston, Mass. + + + + +[Illustration - Little John] + + + + + The Sandman: + His Farm + Stories + + By + William J. Hopkins + + With Fifty Illustrations by + Ada Clendenin Williamson + +[Illustration] + + Boston + The Page Company + Publishers + + + + +_Copyright, 1902_ +BY THE PAGE COMPANY + +_All rights reserved_ + + +Made in U.S.A. + +PRINTED BY THE COLONIAL PRESS INC. +CLINTON, MASS., U.S.A. + + + + + To + that + Little John + of to-day + who has inspired these stories + of that other + Little John + of long ago + this volume is + most affectionately + dedicated + + + + +PREFACE + + +Whatever may be thought of these stories by older people, they have +served, with some others, to induce a certain little boy to go to sleep, +and for nearly three years my one listener has heard them repeated many +times, and his interest has never flagged. As the farm stories slowly +grew in number, they entirely displaced the other stories, and that farm +has become as real in the mind of my audience as it was in fact when +little John was driving the cows, or planting the corn, seventy-five +years ago. + + + +The detail, which may seem excessive to an older critic, was in every +case, until I had learned to put it in at the start, the result of a +searching cross-examination. If the bars were not put up again, the cows +might get out; and if the oxen did not pass, on their return, all the +familiar objects, how did they get back to the barn? It is the young +critics that I hope to please, those whose years count no more than six. +If they like these farm stories half as well as my own young critic +likes them, I shall be satisfied. + +WILLIAM J. HOPKINS. + + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER PAGE + + I. THE OXEN STORY 13 + + II. THE FINE-HOMINY STORY 21 + + III. THE APPLE STORY 36 + + IV. THE WHOLE WHEAT STORY 47 + + V. THE STUMP STORY 59 + + VI. THE HORSIE STORY 64 + + VII. THE LOG STORY 71 + + VIII. THE UNCLE SAM STORY 80 + + IX. THE MARKET STORY 84 + + X. THE MAPLE-SUGAR STORY 96 + + XI. THE RAIL FENCE STORY 110 + + XII. THE COW STORY 120 + + XIII. THE HAY STORY 135 + + XIV. THE FIREPLACE STORY 146 + + XV. THE BAKING STORY 156 + + XVI. THE SWIMMING STORY 165 + + XVII. THE CHICKEN STORY 175 + +XVIII. THE SHAWL STORY 184 + + XIX. THE BUYING-FARM STORY 198 + + XX. THE BUTTER STORY 203 + + XXI. THE BEAN-POLE STORY 210 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + PAGE + + LITTLE JOHN _Frontispiece_ + + "AND TO WASH THEIR FACES AND HANDS" 14 + + "RAN DOWN THE SPOUT TO THE HOGSHEAD" 15 + + "UNCLE JOHN TOOK THE BARS DOWN" 17 + + "HE PUT ONE GRAIN OF CORN IN EACH HOLE" 25 + + "IT WAS TIME TO GATHER THE CORN" 27 + + "ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING WAS A GREAT + ENORMOUS WHEEL" 31 + + "LITTLE JOHN GOT DOWN" 32 + + "UNCLE JOHN GATHERED ALL THE APPLES" 38 + + "THE JUICE RAN OUT BELOW INTO THE KEG" 43 + + "THE CIDER RAN INTO THE PITCHER" 45 + + "SO THEY WENT ALL AROUND THE FIELD" 49 + + "PUT THE BAG OVER HIS SHOULDER" 50 + + "THEY MADE A GREAT NOISE" 56 + + "THE PLACES WHERE THE FIELDS WOULD BE WERE ALL + COVERED WITH TREES" 60 + + "THEY DUG A TRENCH" 62 + + "HE BEGAN TO CLIMB OVER THE WALL" 66 + + "RAN ALONG THE ROAD CRYING" 69 + + "THEY ROLLED THE GREAT LOG UP THE LITTLE LOGS + ON TO THE SLEDS" 74 + + "THE END OF THE LOG CAME AGAINST THE SAW" 77 + + "HE TIPPED UNCLE SAM RIGHT OUT" 82 + + "HE JUST GOT UP AND RAN AROUND THE WALL" 83 + + "THE OLD ROOSTER CROWED" 85 + + "AUNT DEBORAH CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE" 87 + + "THE MARKET-MAN TOOK SOME MONEY FROM HIS + POCKET" 92 + + "PUT A BUCKET UNDER EACH SPOUT" 100 + + "DROPPED IT IN THE SNOW" 104 + + "THEY CUT DOWN ENOUGH OF THESE TREES" 112 + + "PUT THE POSTS IN THE HOLES" 117 + + "FIXING THE FIRE" 121 + + "LITTLE JOHN ... OPENED THE GATE" 128 + + "THEY PUT IT DOWN BY THE STONE WALL" 137 + + "ONE OF THE OTHER MEN BEGAN AT THE NEXT + PLACE" 138 + + "THEY PILED THE HAY UP IN THE CART" 143 + + "THERE WAS A GREAT ENORMOUS FIREPLACE" 147 + + "FILLED IT WITH WATER AT THE WELL" 150 + + "THOSE WERE APPLE PIES" 160 + + "SO SHE DID UNTIL ALL THE PIES WERE BAKED" 162 + + "THEY RAN ALONG IN THE WATER WHERE IT WASN'T + VERY DEEP" 167 + + "THERE WAS AUNT DEBORAH WITH FOUR PIECES OF + GINGERBREAD" 173 + + "THE OLD ROOSTER ... CROWED VERY LOUD" 178 + + "EACH OF THESE HENS LAID ONE EGG" 180 + + "LITTLE JOHN FOUND THAT NEST" 181 + + "THEY WENT TO THE ISLAND" 188 + + "THEY THOUGHT THE CLOTH AND THE SHAWLS WERE + VERY BEAUTIFUL" 195 + + "ALL THE THINGS HAD TO BE DRAGGED IN THE + WAGONS" 201 + + "PUT IT IN FLAT PANS" 206 + + "AUNT PHYLLIS TOOK HOLD OF THE LONG HANDLE" 207 + + "HE CUT DOWN EACH TREE WITH ONE WHACK OF THE + AXE" 213 + + "THE BEAN VINES KEPT ON GROWING" 216 + + + + +THE SANDMAN: +HIS FARM STORIES + + + + +I. + +THE OXEN STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds, and it stood not far from the road. And in the fence +was a wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, +going through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + + +[Illustration] + + +Not far from the kitchen door was a well, with a bucket tied by a rope +to the end of a great long pole. And when they wanted water, they let +the bucket down into the well and pulled it up full of water. They used +this water to drink, and to wash their faces and hands, and to wash the +dishes: but it wasn't good to wash clothes, because it wouldn't make +good soap-suds. To get water to wash the clothes, they had a great +enormous hogshead at the corner of the house. And when it rained, the +rain fell on the roof, and ran down the roof to the gutter, and ran down +the gutter to the spout, and ran down the spout to the hogshead. And +when they wanted water to wash the clothes, they took some of the water +out of the hogshead. + + +[Illustration] + + +But when it had not rained for a long time, there was no water in the +hogshead. Then they got out the drag and put a barrel on it, and the old +oxen came out from the barn, and put their heads down low; and Uncle +John put the yoke over their necks, and put the bows under and fastened +them, and hooked the chain of the drag to the yoke. There wasn't any +harness, and there weren't any reins. Then he said "Gee up there, Buck; +gee up there, Star." And the old oxen started walking slowly along, +dragging the drag, with the barrel on it, along the ground. And Uncle +John walked along beside them, carrying a long whip or a long stick with +a sharp end; and little John walked along by the drag. + + +[Illustration] + + +And they walked slowly out of the yard into the road and along the road +until they came to a big field with a stone wall around it, and a big +gate in the stone wall. It wasn't a regular gate, but at each side of +the open place in the wall there was a post with holes in it. And long +bars went across and rested in the holes. And the old oxen stopped, and +Uncle John took the bars down and laid them on the ground. Then the oxen +started and walked through the gate and across the field until they came +to the river. And when they came to the river, they stopped. + +The little river and the field are not there now, because the people put +a great enormous heap of dirt across, and the river couldn't get +through. The water ran in and couldn't get out, and spread out all over +the field and made a big pond. And they had some great pipes under the +ground, all the way to Boston. And the water runs through the pipes to +Boston, and the people use it there to drink, and wash faces and hands, +and wash dishes, and wash clothes. + +Well, when the old oxen stopped at the river, Uncle John took his bucket +and dipped it in the river, and poured the water into the barrel until +the barrel was full. Then he said "Gee up there," and the old oxen +started slowly walking across the field. And the drag tilted around on +the rough ground, and the water splashed about in the barrel, and +slopped over the top of the barrel on to the drag, and on to the ground. +And the oxen walked out of the gate into the road and stopped. And Uncle +John put the bars back into the holes, and the old oxen started again +and walked slowly along the road, until they came to the farm-house, and +in at the big gate, and up to the kitchen door, and there they stopped. +And Uncle John unhooked the chain from the yoke, and took out the bows, +and took off the yoke, and the old oxen walked into the barn and went to +sleep. And they left the drag with the barrel of water by the kitchen +door. + +And the next morning, when they wanted water to wash the clothes, there +was the barrel of water, all ready. + +And that's all. + + + + +II. + +THE FINE-HOMINY STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds, and it stood not far from the road. And in the fence +was a wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, +going through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +Not far from the house there was a field where corn grew; and when the +winter was over and the snow was gone and it was beginning to get warm, +Uncle John got the old oxen out of the barn. And the oxen put their +heads down, and Uncle John put the yoke over and the bows under, and he +put the plough on the drag and hooked the drag chain to the yoke. Then +he said: "Gee up there, Buck; gee up there, Star." + +So the old oxen started walking slowly along the wagon track and out of +the gate into the road. Uncle Solomon and Uncle John walked along beside +them, and little John walked behind; and they walked along until they +came to the corn-field. Then the oxen stopped and Uncle John took the +bars down out of the holes in the posts, and the oxen geed up again +through the gate into the corn-field. + +Then Uncle John unhooked the chain from the drag and hooked it to the +plough and said "Gee up" again, and the oxen started walking along +across the field, dragging the plough. Uncle Solomon held the handles, +and the plough dug into the ground and turned up the dirt into a great +heap on one side and left a deep furrow--a kind of a long hollow--all +across the field where it had gone. And the old oxen walked across the +field, around and around, making the furrow and turning up the dirt, +until they had been all over the field. + +Then Uncle John unhooked the chain from the plough and hooked it on to +the harrow. The harrow is a big kind of a frame that has diggers like +little ploughs sticking down all over the under side of it. And the +oxen dragged the harrow over the field and the little teeth broke up the +lumps of dirt and smoothed it over and made it soft, so that the seeds +could grow. + +Then Uncle John unhooked the chain from the harrow and hooked it to the +drag and put the plough on the drag and said "Gee up," and the oxen +walked along through the gateway and along the road until they came to +the farm-house. And they went in at the wide gate and up the wagon track +until they came to the shed, and there they stopped. Then Uncle John +unhooked the chain and took off the yoke, and the old oxen went into the +barn and went to sleep; and Uncle John put the drag in the shed. + + +[Illustration] + + +The next day Uncle John took a great bag full of corn, and put it over +his shoulder and started walking along to the corn-field; and little +John walked behind. And when they got to the corn-field, Uncle John put +the great bag of corn on the ground and put some in a little bag and +gave it to little John. Then Uncle John began walking across the field +and little John walked behind. And at every step Uncle John stopped and +made five little holes in the ground; and then he took another step and +made five other little holes. And little John came after and he put one +grain of corn in each hole and brushed the dirt over. And they went all +over the field, putting the corn in the ground, and when it was all +covered over, they went away and left it. + +Then the rain came and fell on the field and sank into the ground, and +the sun shone and warmed it, and the corn began to grow. And soon the +little green blades pushed through the ground like grass, and got bigger +and bigger and taller and taller until when the summer was almost over +they were great corn-stalks as high as Uncle John's head; and on each +stalk were the ears of corn, wrapped up tight in green leaves, and at +the top was the tassel that waved about. Then, when the tassel got +yellow and brown and the leaves began to dry up, Uncle John knew it was +time to gather the corn, for it was ripe. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John came out with great heavy, sharp +knives and cut down all the corn-stalks and pulled the ears of corn off +the stalks. And little John came and helped pull off the leaves from +around the ears. Then the old oxen came out of the barn and Uncle John +put the yoke over their necks and the bows up under and hooked the +tongue of the ox-cart to the yoke. And he said "Gee up there," and the +old oxen began walking slowly along, dragging the cart; and they went +out the wide gate and along the road to the corn-field. + +Then Uncle John and Uncle Solomon tossed the ears of corn into the cart; +and when it was full, the old oxen started again, walking slowly along, +back to the farm-house, in through the wide gate and up the wagon track +and in at the wide door of the barn. And Uncle John put all the ears of +corn into a kind of pen in the barn and the old oxen dragged the cart +back to the corn-field to get it filled again; and so they did until all +the ears of corn were in the pen. + +And then Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the cart and put the cart in +the shed, and he took off the yoke, and the oxen went into the barn and +went to sleep. + +The next morning Uncle Solomon and Uncle John and little John all went +out to the barn and sat on little stools--low stools with three legs, +that they sit on when they milk the cows--and rubbed the kernels of corn +off the cobs. Then Uncle John put all the corn into bags and put it +away; and he put the cobs in the shed, to use in making fires. + +Then, one morning, Uncle John got out the oxen, and they put their heads +down, and he put the yoke over their necks and the bows up under, and he +hooked the tongue of the ox-cart to the yoke; and he said "Gee up +there," and they walked into the barn. Then Uncle John put all the bags +of corn into the cart, and he put little John up on the cart, and the +old oxen started again and walked slowly along, down the wagon track, +out the wide gate, and into the road. + +Then they turned along the road, not the way to the field where they got +the water, but the other way. And they walked a long way until they came +to a place where there was a building beside a little river. And on the +outside of the building was a great enormous wheel, so big that it +reached down and dipped into the water. And when the water in the little +river flowed along, it made the great wheel turn around; and this made a +great heavy stone inside the building turn around on top of another +stone. Now the building is called a Mill, and the big wheel outside is +called a Mill-Wheel, and the stones are called Mill-Stones; and the man +that takes care of the mill is called the Miller. + + +[Illustration] + + +Now the miller was sitting in the doorway of the mill; and when he saw +Uncle John and little John and the ox-cart filled with bags, he got up +and came out, and called to Uncle John: "Good morning. What can I do for +you this morning?" + +And Uncle John said: "I've got some corn to grind." + + +[Illustration] + + +So the oxen stopped, and little John got down, and the miller and Uncle +John took all the bags of corn into the mill, and the oxen lay down and +went to sleep. Then Uncle John and little John sat down on some logs in +the mill, and the miller asked Uncle John how he wanted the corn ground. +So Uncle John said he wanted some of it just cracked, and some of it +ground into fine hominy, and some of it into meal. + +Then the miller fixed the stones so they would just crack the corn, and +he poured the corn in at a place where it would run down between the +stones, and he started the stone turning. When the corn was cracked, he +put it into the bags again, and tied them up. + +Then he fixed the stones so they would grind the corn into fine hominy, +and he poured the corn in, and it came out ground into fine hominy. Then +he put the fine hominy into the bags again and tied them up. + +Then he fixed the stones so they would grind the corn into meal, and he +poured the corn in, and it came out ground into meal. Then he put the +meal into the bags again and tied them up. And the miller kept two bags +of each kind to pay for grinding the corn; but the other bags he put +into the ox-cart. + +Then the oxen got up and little John was lifted up and the old oxen +started walking slowly along home again. And they walked a long time +until they came to the wide gate, and they turned in at the gate and up +the wagon track to the kitchen door, and there they stopped. And Uncle +John took one of the bags of meal into the kitchen and gave it to Aunt +Deborah. + +And he said: "Here's your meal, Deborah." + +And Aunt Deborah said: "All right. I'll make some Johnny-cake for +breakfast to-morrow." + +And the rest of the meal was put away in the store-room until they +wanted it; for they had enough to last them all winter and some to take +to market besides. Then Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the cart from +the yoke and put the cart in the shed. And he took off the yoke and the +old oxen went into the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +III. + +THE APPLE STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds, and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that went up past the kitchen door and past +the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +In the orchard grew many apple-trees. Some had yellow apples and some +had green apples and some had red apples and some had brown apples. And +the yellow apples got ripe before the summer was over; but the green +apples and the red apples and the brown apples were not ripe until the +summer was over and it was beginning to get cold. + +So, one day, after the summer was over and it was beginning to get cold, +Uncle John saw that the apples on one of the trees were ready to be +picked. And they were red apples. So he got out the old oxen, and they +put their heads down and he put the yoke over and the bows under and +hooked the tongue of the ox-cart to the yoke. Then he said: "Gee up +there, Buck; gee up there, Star." And the old oxen began walking slowly +along, past the barn to the orchard. And they turned in through the +wide gate into the orchard and went along until they came to the right +tree. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then they stopped and Uncle John took a basket and climbed up into the +tree. And he picked the apples very carefully and put them into the +basket. And when the basket was full, he climbed down from the tree and +emptied the basket carefully into the cart. Then he climbed up again and +filled the basket again; and so he did until the cart was full. Then +Uncle John said: "Gee up there;" and the old oxen started and turned +around and walked slowly back to the barn and in at the big door. Then +Uncle John took all the apples out of the cart and put them in a kind of +pen, and the old oxen started again and walked slowly back to the +orchard. + +So Uncle John gathered all the apples from that tree and put them in the +pen in the barn. Then he unhooked the tongue of the cart and took off +the yoke, and the old oxen went to their places and went to sleep. + +The next morning, Uncle Solomon and Uncle John and little John all went +out to the barn, and they took little three-legged stools that had one +end higher than the other,--the kind they used when they milked the +cows,--and they sat on these stools and looked over all the apples, one +by one. The apples that were very nice indeed they put in some barrels +that were there; and the apples that were good, but not quite so nice +and big, they put in a pile on the floor; and the apples that had specks +on them or holes in them, or that were twisted, they put in another +pile. And this last pile they gave to the horses and cows and oxen and +pigs, and the apples in the barrels were to go to market, or for the +people to eat. + +Then Uncle John got out the old oxen and they put their heads down low, +and he put the yoke over and the bows under and hooked the tongue of the +ox-cart to the yoke. And he put into the cart all the apples that were +in the first pile, those that were good but not quite big enough to put +in the barrels, and he put two empty kegs--little barrels--on the top of +the load. Then the old oxen started walking slowly along, out of the +barn and along the wagon track past the shed and past the kitchen door +and through the gate into the road. And they turned along the road, not +the way to the field where they went to get water, but the other way. +And Uncle John walked beside, and little John ran ahead, and they went +along until they came to a little house by the side of the road, and +there they stopped. Then Uncle John opened the door of the little house +and they went in. And inside there was nothing but a log against the +wall, to sit on, and in the middle of the room a kind of a thing they +called a cider-press. It had a place to put the apples in, and a flat +cover that came down on top, and a screw and a long handle above. +Besides the cider-press, there was a chopper to chop the apples into +little pieces. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then little John sat down on the log and Uncle John put the apples in +the chopper and chopped them up fine. Then he put some chopped apples, +with some straw over them, in the place that was meant for apples, and +then he took hold of the long handle, and walked around and around. That +made the screw turn and the cover squeeze down on the apples so that +the juice ran out below into the keg that was put there. And when the +juice was all squeezed out of those apples, he walked around the other +way, holding the handle, and that made the cover lift up. Then he took +out the squeezed apples and put in some other apples and squeezed them +the same way. And when all the apples in the cart had been squeezed, +both kegs were full of juice. And they call the juice cider. + +So Uncle John put the great stoppers that they call bungs into the +bung-holes in the kegs, so that the cider would not run out. Then he put +the kegs in the cart, and little John came out of the little house and +Uncle John shut the door, and the old oxen turned around and walked +slowly along until they came to the gate, and they walked up the track +to the kitchen door, and there they stopped. Then Uncle John and Uncle +Solomon took the kegs down into the cellar, and they took out a little +bung near the bottom of one of the kegs, and put in a wooden spigot--a +kind of a faucet. Then they set that keg on a shelf, so that a pitcher +or a mug could go under the spigot. + +Then Uncle John took the yoke off the oxen and they went into the barn +and went to sleep. + +After supper that evening, Uncle Solomon and Uncle John were sitting in +the sitting-room and Uncle John spoke to little John, and said: "John, I +think I would like a drink of cider." + + +[Illustration] + + +So little John took a pitcher and went down into the cellar, and his +mother held a light while he put the pitcher under the spigot and turned +the spigot; and the cider ran into the pitcher, and when enough had run +in he turned the spigot the other way and the cider stopped running. +Then he carried the cider up to his father, and his father drank it. + +And when Uncle John had drunk the cider, he said to Uncle Solomon: +"Father, that's pretty good cider; you'd better have some." + +And Uncle Solomon said: "Don't care if I do." So little John had to go +down cellar again and get another pitcher of cider. + +Those two kegs of cider lasted for a while and then more apples were +ripe and they made enough cider to last all winter and some to send to +market besides. + +And that's all. + + + + +IV. + +THE WHOLE WHEAT STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds, and it stood not far from the road. And in the fence +was a wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, +going through, had made a little track that went up past the kitchen +door and past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to a gate +in a stone wall, where the bars were across; and through that field and +another gate where the bars were across, into the maple-sugar woods. +And in that field wheat grew. + +When the summer was nearly over and the corn and most of the other +things had got ripe and had been gathered, Uncle John got out the old +oxen and put the yoke over their necks and the bows up under; and he +hooked the drag chain to the yoke and put the plough on the drag and +said: "Gee up there, Buck; gee up there, Star." And the old oxen started +slowly along past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +Then Uncle John took the plough off the drag and unhooked the chain from +the drag and hooked it to the plough. Uncle Solomon held the handles of +the plough and the old oxen started walking slowly across the field +dragging the plough; and the plough dug into the ground and turned the +earth up at one side and made a deep furrow where it had gone. So they +went all around the field and around until it was all ploughed. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then Uncle John unhooked the chain from the plough and hooked it to the +harrow; and the old oxen started and walked slowly back and forth across +the field, and the teeth of the harrow broke up the lumps of dirt and +made it all soft. And when the field was all harrowed, Uncle John +unhooked the chain from the harrow and hooked it to the drag and put the +plough on the drag, and the old oxen walked slowly back to the barn. And +Uncle John unhooked the chain and took off the yoke; and the oxen went +to their places in the barn and went to sleep, and the drag was in the +shed. + + +[Illustration] + + +The next morning, Uncle John put some whole wheat in a big bag and put +the bag over his shoulder and walked along past the orchard to the +wheat-field. And when he got to the wheat-field, he put the bag down on +the ground and put some of the wheat in a little bag that he had hanging +from his shoulder. And then he began walking across the field, and as he +walked along he took up a handful of wheat and threw it far out so that +it scattered over the ground. And that way he scattered all the wheat so +that it lay in the soft ground, and then he went away and left it. + +And the rain fell and the sun shone on the field and the wheat began to +grow. And soon the little green blades pushed up through the ground like +grass; and the wheat grew higher and higher until it was as high as +little John's knees. And then the summer was all over and it was +beginning to get cold; so the wheat stopped growing and stayed just as +high as that all winter and the snow covered it. + +And when the winter was over and it began to get warm, the snow melted +away and the wheat began to grow again; and it got taller and taller +until it was as tall as Uncle John's waist. And then the little tassels +at the top of each stem got yellow and brown and the wheat was ripe. +This was in the beginning of the summer. + +Then Uncle John and Uncle Solomon got their scythes and their whetstones +and started very early in the morning to the wheat-field. And they +sharpened their scythes with the whetstones and swung the scythes back +and forth and began to cut down the wheat. Every time the scythe swung, +it cut through the stalks of wheat and they fell down on the ground. And +they walked along over the field, swinging the scythes and cutting down +the wheat, until all the wheat was cut. Then they went home and left it +lying there in the sun. + +The next morning Uncle John got out the oxen and they put their heads +down low, and he put the yoke over and the bows under and hooked the +tongue of the cart to the yoke and said "Gee up there." And the old oxen +walked slowly along, past the barn and past the orchard to the +wheat-field. + +And the sun had dried the stalks of wheat and the tassels. The tassels +are a lot of little cases, on a fine stem; and in each little case is a +grain of whole wheat. When the tassels are dry, the little cases are all +ready to break open. + +Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John took their long forks and put the +wheat in the cart, and when the cart was full the old oxen walked slowly +back to the barn and in at the great doors. + +There were great enormous doors in the side of the barn, big enough for +a wagon to go through when it was piled up high with a load of hay or of +wheat. And in the other side of the barn were other great enormous +doors, so that the wagon could go right through the barn; and between +the doors was only the great open floor with nothing on it. On one side +of this open place were the cows, and on the other side were the horses +and the oxen, and the cart went in between, with the wheat in it. + +Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John took the wheat out of the cart and put +it on the floor of the barn; and the old oxen started again and walked +out the other door and back to the wheat-field. Then Uncle Solomon and +Uncle John filled the cart again and the oxen dragged that wheat to the +barn; and they did the same way until all the wheat was on the barn +floor. Then Uncle John took off the yoke and the old oxen went to their +places and went to sleep. + +The next morning Uncle Solomon and Uncle John went to the barn, and each +took down from a nail a long smooth stick that had another smooth stick +fastened to its end by a piece of leather so that it flapped about. +This was to beat the wheat with, and they called it a flail. + + +[Illustration] + + +And so Uncle Solomon and Uncle John stood in amidst the wheat on the +barn floor and whacked it with the flails so that they made a great +noise--whack! whack!--on the floor. And the little cases broke open and +the grains of whole wheat fell out and dropped between the stalks to the +barn floor. And the pieces of the broken cases blew out from the great +barn doors; for the doors were open at both sides and the wind blew +through. These broken pieces that blow away, they call chaff. + +Then when Uncle Solomon and Uncle John had whacked for a long time, and +they thought that all the whole wheat had come out of the cases, they +hung up the flails and took their long forks and lifted up the stalks of +the wheat and shook them so that all the grains of wheat might drop +through; and they put the dried stalks of the wheat in a corner of the +hay-loft above where the cows slept. These dried stalks they call +straw, and they put it for the horses and the cows and the oxen to sleep +on. + +And when the straw was all put away, there was all the wheat on the +floor; and they gathered it up and put it into bags. And they had enough +to make whole wheat flour to last all winter, and to feed the chickens +and every kind of a thing that they wanted to use wheat for, and there +was enough to take some to market besides. + +And that's all. + + + + +V. + +THE STUMP STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds. And when this farm-house was just built, before it was +Uncle Solomon's, the man that lived there wanted some fields where he +could plant his corn and his potatoes and his wheat. But the places +where the fields would be were all covered with trees. + +So in the winter when the snow was on the ground, he went out and cut +down the trees with his axe. And the great big trees he carried to the +mill, and they were sawed up into boards; that is another story. And the +branches and the small trees he chopped up with his axe to burn in the +fireplaces. Then the field was all covered with the stumps of the trees +and with great rocks. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then, when it began to get warm, after the winter was over, the man got +out the old oxen. There were two pairs of oxen, and they came out of the +barn and put down their heads, and the man put the yokes over their +necks and the bows up under, and he hooked great chains to the yokes. +And he hooked one chain to the drag, and took his whip and said: "Gee up +there, Buck; gee up there, Star." And the old oxen began walking slowly +along to the field. + +Then the man unhooked the drag, and fastened one of the chains to a +stump, and hooked the other chain to that chain, and said: "Gee up +there." And all the oxen began to pull as hard as they could, and all of +a sudden out came the stump with a lot of dirt. And he pulled out all +the stumps the same way, and stood them up at the back of the field, +where they made a kind of a fence with the roots sticking slanting up +into the air. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then there were the big rocks all over the field. And the man fastened +the chains to a rock and the old oxen pulled as hard as they could, and +out came the rock and they put it on the drag. And then the man saw +where he wanted his fence; and they dug a trench and put flat rocks on +the bottom and then the biggest rocks they had on the flat rocks. And +they pulled all the rocks out of the ground with the chains, and put +them on the drag, and the old oxen pulled them over to the trench, and +the man piled them up and built a wall. + +Building the wall took a long time--a good many days. And when the oxen +had pulled all the rocks out of the ground and dragged them over to the +wall, the field was all soft and ready to be ploughed. So the oxen +started walking along, out of the field, along the road, dragging the +drag. And they went in at the big gate and up past the kitchen door to +the barn. Then the man unhooked the chains and took off the yokes and +the oxen went into the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +VI. + +THE HORSIE STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a little track that went up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. +Not very far from that farm-house there was a field where the horses and +cows used to go to eat the grass. That was the same field where they +went to get water from the river; and in the wall that was between that +field and the next, there was a wide gateway. At each side of the +gateway there was a post with holes in it, and long bars went across and +rested in the holes. And when the bars were across, the horses and cows +couldn't go through to the other field. But when the bars were taken out +of the holes, then the horses and cows could go through as much as they +wanted to and eat the grass in either field. + +One day little John was going across the field because it was the short +way; and there was a horse in the field, eating the grass, and the bars +were down. It was a kind, pleasant horse, but he liked to have fun. And +when he saw the little boy going across the field, he thought he would +have fun, so he ran after him. + + +[Illustration] + + +Little John saw the horse coming and he was frightened. He was near the +wall that was between the two fields, and he ran as hard as he could and +got to the wall before the horse caught him. Then he began to climb over +the wall into the next field. + +And the horse saw what he was doing and ran down the field, beside the +wall, and through the gate and back on the other side; and he got there +just as the little boy was getting down. And little John heard the +horse's feet on the ground--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump; and +he looked around and he saw the horse galloping up by the wall. Then he +was frightened and he began to climb back again over the wall as fast as +he could. + +And the horse saw what he was doing and ran down the field, beside the +wall, and through the gate and back on the other side; and he got there +just as the little boy was getting down. And little John heard the +horse's feet on the ground--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump; and +he looked around and he saw the horse galloping up by the wall. Then he +was frightened and he began to climb back again over the wall as fast +as he could. + +And the horse saw what he was doing and ran down the field, beside the +wall, and through the gate and back on the other side; and he got there +just as the little boy was getting down. And little John heard the +horse's feet on the ground--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump; and +he looked around and saw the horse galloping up by the wall. Then he was +frightened and he began to climb back again over the wall as fast as he +could. + +And the horse saw what he was doing and ran down the field, beside the +wall, and through the gate and back on the other side; and he got there +just as the little boy was getting down. And little John heard the +horse's feet on the ground--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump--ca-tha-lump; and +he looked around and saw the horse galloping up by the wall. Then he was +frightened and he began to climb over the wall again. But every time he +had climbed over the wall between the fields, he had gone a little +nearer to the road, until he was near enough to the wall between the +field and the road to reach that. And this time, instead of climbing +back into the other field, he climbed over into the road. + + +[Illustration] + + +And poor little John was very much frightened and ran along the road +crying, and got home, and his father saw him and asked him: "What's the +matter, John?" And then little John told his father about the horse. And +his father laughed and said that the horse was a kind horse but he liked +to have fun; and little John better not go there any more. And so the +little boy did not go through that field again, but went around by the +road. + +And that's all. + + + + +VII. + +THE LOG STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a little track that went up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. +But when this farm-house was just built, there wasn't any wheat-field +or any other field, and the places where the fields would be were all +covered with trees. And that was a long time before Uncle Solomon had +the farm. + +So the man that built the farm-house took his axe, one day, when the +snow was on the ground, and he went to the place where he wanted the +fields and he began to cut down the trees. There were big trees and +little trees, and it took him a long time to cut down all the trees on +the place where the field would be. He cut off all the branches, and the +branches and the little trees he cut up with his axe to burn in the +fireplaces; and he piled all that wood near the kitchen door. But the +big logs--the trunks of the big trees after the branches were cut +off--he was going to take to the mill, to have them sawed into boards. + +So, one morning, after that was all done, the man got out the oxen. +There were two yoke of oxen--two oxen they call a "yoke" of oxen, +because two are yoked together--and they came out of the barn and put +their heads down and he put the yokes over and the bows under and he +hooked the tongue of a great sled to each yoke. And on each sled was a +great chain. + +Then he said: "Gee up there," and the oxen all started walking slowly +along, and they walked out of the wide gate and along the road until +they came to the place where the trees were all cut down, and there they +stopped. And the sleds were beside one of the big logs, one sled at each +end. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then they unhooked the tongues of the sleds from the yokes and led the +oxen out of the way. And the man and two other men that were helping him +put some little logs sloping from the ground up to the sleds, and with +poles that had hooks on the ends they rolled the great log up the +little logs on to the sleds, so that it rested on them. And there was +one sled under each end, but under the middle there was nothing. Then +they fastened that log to the sleds, so that it couldn't roll off, and +they rolled another log up on the other side and fastened that; and they +rolled another log up on top of the first two. Then they fastened the +tongue of each sled to the logs, and the logs were held on with the +great chains, so they couldn't roll off. Then they hooked a chain to the +first sled and to one of the yokes, and another chain from that yoke to +the other yoke. And the man said: "Gee up there," and all the oxen +pulled as hard as they could, and the sleds started sliding along the +ground on the snow and into the road. And the oxen walked slowly along +the road, pulling the sleds with the logs on them, for a long way. + +When they had gone along the road for a long way, they came to a place +where there was a building beside a little river. And on the side of the +building was a wheel so large that it reached down into the water. And +when the water ran along, it made the wheel turn around and that made a +big saw go, inside the building. + +And the oxen pulled the sleds with the logs up beside the building and +there was a strong carriage that ran on wheels on a track. And the men +unfastened the chains and rolled a log off on to the carriage and +fastened it there. Then they pushed on the carriage and it rolled along +toward the saw, and the saw was going And the end of the log came +against the saw and the saw made a great screeching noise and began to +cut into the log, and it kept on cutting and the men pushed, and the saw +cut all the way through the log, to the other end, and that piece fell +off. That piece was round on one side and flat on the other. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then they rolled the carriage back and fastened the log farther over +and pushed it up against the saw again, and the saw cut off another +piece that was flat on both sides. That piece was a board. And that way +they cut the log all up into boards, and then they cut up the other logs +the same way. + +When the logs were all cut into boards, the men put the boards on the +sleds and fastened them on just the same way the logs had been fastened, +and the oxen started and turned around and walked along the road until +they came to the farm-house; and they turned in at the gate and went up +past the kitchen door to the place where the shed was going to be, and +there they stopped. And the men took the boards off and put them on the +ground in a pile, so that the man would have them there to build the +shed. For the shed wasn't built then. The barn was built first and then +the house. + +And the other big logs they took to the saw-mill on other days and sawed +them up into boards, so that the man had all the boards he needed to +build the shed and the chicken house and all the other things and some +to give to the men for helping him. + +And when that was done, the man took off the yokes and the old oxen went +into the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +VIII. + +THE UNCLE SAM STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +In that farm-house lived Uncle Solomon and Uncle John; and little +Charles and little John and their mother Aunt Deborah; and little Sam +and his mother Aunt Phyllis. Uncle Solomon was Uncle John's father and +Uncle John was little John's father, so that Uncle Solomon was little +John's grandfather. And little Sam was Uncle Solomon's little boy, so +that little Sam was little John's uncle. But little Sam was a littler +boy than little John. + +Little John and Uncle Sam used to play together; and one day when little +John was wheeling Uncle Sam in the wheelbarrow, he thought it would be +fun to tip him out. So he tipped Uncle Sam right out into some bushes, +and Uncle Sam scratched his face and began to cry. And Uncle Solomon +heard his little boy crying, and he came running out of the house. Then +he saw little John and the wheelbarrow, and little Sam in the bushes, +crying, and he knew that little John had tipped little Sam out of the +wheelbarrow. + + +[Illustration] + + +So Uncle Solomon was angry, and he grabbed little John by the back of +his collar and the back of his trousers, and he lifted him up and gave +him a great swing, and he tossed little John right over the wall. And +little John came down in some bushes and got his face scratched a +little, but he didn't cry. He just got up and ran around the wall and +went into the house another way, and kept out of Uncle Solomon's way. +But he didn't tip Uncle Sam into the bushes any more. + +[Illustration] + + +And that's all. + + + + +IX. + +THE MARKET STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +One morning, after the summer was over and all the different things had +got ripe and had been gathered, Uncle John woke up when the old rooster +crowed, very early, long before it was light. And he got up and put on +his clothes, and Aunt Deborah got up too, and they went down-stairs. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then, while Aunt Deborah fixed the fire and got breakfast ready, Uncle +John went out to the barn. He gave the horses their breakfast, and when +they had eaten it he took them out of their stalls and put the harness +on and led them out to the shed. Then he hitched them to the big wagon +and he made them back the wagon up to the place where all the things +were put that were to go to market. + +Then Uncle Solomon came out and helped, and they put into the wagon all +the barrels of apples that they could get in, and they put in a lot of +squashes and turnips and some kegs of cider and some bags of meal and +fine hominy and some butter that Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis had made +and some other things. And when these things were all in the wagon, +breakfast was ready, and Uncle John fastened the horses to a post and +went in to breakfast. And all this they had to do by the light of a +lantern, because it wasn't daylight yet. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then, when Uncle John and little John had had their breakfast, they came +out of the house, and Uncle John put little John up on the high seat and +he unhitched the horses and climbed up on the high seat beside him. And +then Aunt Deborah came out of the house and handed Uncle John a little +bundle, and he put the bundle under the seat. In the bundle was some +luncheon for Uncle John and little John; and for the horses there was +some luncheon too, oats in a pail that hung under the wagon, one pail +for each horse. And a lantern hung beside the seat, for it wasn't +daylight yet. + +When they were all ready, Uncle John said: "Get up," and the horses +started walking down the little track into the road and along the road. +The horses wanted to trot, but Uncle John wouldn't let them because it +isn't good for horses to trot when they have just had their breakfast; +and he held on to the reins tight and they had to walk. So they walked +along for awhile and it was very dark; and pretty soon Uncle John let +the horses trot. And they trotted along the road for a long time and at +last it began to get light, and little John was very glad, for he was +cold. Then Uncle John blew out the lantern and after awhile the sun came +up and shone on them and made them warm. And the horses trotted along +for a long time and at last they began to come to the city, and it was +very early. + +So the horses dragged the wagon through the city streets, and there were +not many people in the streets, for they had not had their breakfasts. +And by and by they came to the shops and little John saw the boys +opening the doors of the shops and sweeping the shops and the sidewalks; +and so they went along until they came to a great open place. And in the +middle of the open place was a big building, and all about it were +wagons, some standing in the middle of the street and some backed up to +the curbstone. All these wagons had come in from the country, bringing +the things to eat; and the building was a market, and the men in the +market bought the things from the men that drove the wagons, and the +people that lived in the houses came down afterward and bought the +things from the market-men. + +Then Uncle John drove the horses up to the sidewalk and he got out and +hitched the horses to a post and told little John not to get off the +seat; and Uncle John went into the market. When he had been gone some +time, he came back and a market-man came with him. The market-man had a +long white apron on and no coat; and he looked at the barrels of apples +and the squashes and the turnips and the kegs of cider and the bags of +meal and the butter and the other things, and he thought about it for a +few minutes and then he said: "Well, I'll give you twenty dollars for +the lot." + +And Uncle John thought for a few minutes and then he said: "Well, I +ought to get more for all that. It's all first-class. But I suppose I'd +better let it go and get back." + +So Uncle John unhitched the horses and backed the wagon up to the +sidewalk. Then he took the bridles off the horses' heads and took the +buckets of oats from under the wagon; and he put the pails on boxes at +the horses' heads, one for each horse, and the horses began to eat the +oats. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then a man came out of the market, wheeling a truck--a kind of a little +cart with iron wheels--and he helped the market-man take the barrels out +of the wagon, and the squashes and turnips and the kegs of cider and +the bags of meal and the butter and the other things. And they put them +on the truck, a part at a time, and he wheeled them into the market. +Then, when that was all done, the market-man took some money from his +pocket and counted twenty dollars and handed it to Uncle John. And then +the horses had finished eating the oats, and Uncle John took the pails +and hung them under the wagon again and put the bridles on the horses' +heads. + +Then Uncle John climbed up on the high seat beside little John and took +the reins in his hands and said "Get up"; and the horses started and +went across the open place to a great stone that was hollowed out and +was full of water. And the horses each took a great drink of water and +then they lifted up their heads and started along the streets. + +And pretty soon Uncle John stopped them at a shop, and he went in and +bought some things that Aunt Deborah wanted, and he paid the shop-man +some of the money the market-man had given him. Then they went to +another shop and Uncle John bought some more things. And after that they +didn't stop at any shops, but the horses trotted along through the +streets until they were out of the city and going along the road in the +country that led to the farm-house. + +By and by they came to a steep hill and the horses stopped trotting and +walked, for they were tired. And Uncle John fastened the reins and took +the bundle from under the seat and undid it, and in it were bread and +butter and hard eggs and gingerbread and a bottle of nice milk. And +Uncle John and little John ate the nice things and liked them, for they +were both very hungry. + +Then they got to the top of the hill and Uncle John took up the reins +again and said "Get up," and the horses trotted along for a long time +until they came to the farm-house; and they turned in at the wide gate +and went up to the kitchen door and there they stopped. And Uncle John +got down and took little John down. Little John was glad to get off the +high seat, for he had been there a long time and he was very tired. + +So he went into the house and Uncle John unhitched the horses from the +wagon and put the wagon in the shed. And he took the horses to the barn +and took off their harness and put them in their stalls, and they went +to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +X. + +THE MAPLE-SUGAR STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field; and +through the wheat-field to the maple-sugar woods. + +One day, when the winter was almost over and it was beginning to get +warmer, Uncle John got out the old oxen. And they came out and put their +heads down and he put the yoke over and the bows under, and he hooked +the tongue of the sled to the yoke; for the snow was not all melted, and +enough was on the ground for the sled to go on. + +Then he put on the sled his axe and Uncle Solomon's, and a lot of +buckets and a lot of wooden spouts he had made, and the big saw. Then he +put little John on the sled and said "Gee up there," and Uncle Solomon +came too, and they walked along beside the sled. And the old oxen walked +slowly along the track past the barn and past the orchard to the wide +gate that led into the wheat-field, and there they stopped. And Uncle +John took down the bars and the oxen went through the gate and across +the wheat-field, and stopped at the wide gate on the other side of the +field. Then Uncle John took down those bars and the old oxen started and +walked through and along the little road in the maple-sugar woods until +they came to a little house beside the road, and there they stopped. + +Then Uncle John opened the door of the little house; and inside, it was +about as big as a little room that a little boy sleeps in. And in one +corner was a chimney, and in front of the chimney was a great enormous +iron kettle, set up on a little low brick wall that was just like a part +of the chimney turned along the ground. In the front was a hole in the +low wall, so that wood could be put in, and at the back, under the +kettle, there was a hole into the chimney, so that the smoke would go up +the chimney and out at the top. And in one corner of the little house +were some square iron pans. + +Then Uncle John put two of the buckets down in the house, and the big +saw; and he shut the door and the oxen started and walked along until +they came where were some maple-sugar trees, and there they stopped. +Then Uncle John and Uncle Solomon took their axes and went to the trees +and they made little notches in the trees, low down, so that there was +room to put a bucket under. And they drove a spout in each notch and put +a bucket under each spout. And then they went to other trees and made a +notch in each tree and drove in a spout and put a bucket under and so +they did until they had used up all their buckets. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then the old oxen walked along until they came to a pile of wood that +was cut up all ready to burn; and there they stopped and Uncle Solomon +and Uncle John put the wood on the sled. Then they said: "Gee up," and +the oxen walked back to the little house, and they took the wood off +the sled. And the wood was in great long sticks, too long to put in the +place under the kettle. So Uncle John got the big saw from the little +house and he and Uncle Solomon sawed the wood into small sticks and +piled it up nicely. + +Then they put the saw on the sled and shut the door of the little house +and the old oxen started walking back along the little road, dragging +the sled, with the saw and the axes and little John. And they went +through the gate into the wheat-field and Uncle John put the bars back; +and they went across the wheat-field and through the gate at the other +side, and Uncle John put those bars back. And they walked along past the +orchard and past the barn to the shed. + +And Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the sled and took off the yoke, +and the old oxen went into the barn and went to sleep. + +The next morning, Uncle John and little John started along the little +road, past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard; and they +climbed over the bars into the wheat-field, and went through the +wheat-field and climbed over the bars into the maple-sugar woods. Then +they walked along until they came to the little house, and Uncle John +opened the door of the house and took out the two buckets he had left +there. + +Then they went to some of the maple-sugar trees where they had put +buckets the day before, and the sap was dripping slowly into the +buckets--drip--drop--drip--drop--and the buckets were nearly half full. +So Uncle John poured the sap from those buckets into the empty buckets +and went along to some other trees and poured the sap from those buckets +in with the other, and the buckets he carried were full. So he took them +back to the little house and emptied them into the big kettle. + +Then he went to other trees and filled the two buckets again with the +sap that had dripped, and emptied that into the kettle. And so he did +until he had taken all the sap that had dripped. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then he put wood under the big kettle and lighted it, and the fire +burned and the sap got hot and after a while it began to boil. And while +it was boiling, Uncle John stirred the sap once in a while with a +wooden stirring thing he had made. And when it had boiled a long time, +he dipped out a little with the stirrer and went to the door and dropped +it in the snow, so that when it got cool he could see whether it was +boiled enough. But it wasn't done enough, and he let it boil longer, +and then he dropped some more in the snow; and this time he thought it +was about right for maple-syrup. + +So he dipped sap out of the kettle into a keg that was in the little +house, until the keg was full. And then he put the bung into the +bung-hole and set the keg in the corner. + +Then Uncle John put more wood on the fire and the sap boiled a long +time. And at last he thought it was done enough for maple-sugar; and he +dipped some out with the stirrer and went to the door and dropped it in +the snow. And when it got cold, he saw that it was hard, and was just +right for maple-sugar. So he took the little square pans that were in +the corner of the house and he dipped the boiled sap from the kettle +into the pans and set them in the snow outside. Then he let the fire go +out, and when the sugar in the pans was hard, he brought it into the +house, and shut the door and started along the little road, and little +John after. They walked along through the maple-sugar woods and climbed +the bars into the wheat-field, and walked across the wheat-field and +climbed the bars at the other side, and walked along past the orchard +and past the barn and past the shed to the kitchen door, and there they +went in. + +The next morning, Uncle John and little John went to the maple-sugar +woods again, and Uncle John got some more sap and boiled it and made +maple-syrup and maple-sugar. And so they did every day until they had +taken all the sap that the trees ought to give. + +Then Uncle John got out the old oxen and they put their heads down and +he put the yoke over and the bows under, and he hooked the tongue of the +sled to the yoke. Then he said "Gee up there," and the oxen started +walking along past the barn and past the orchard, and Uncle John took +down the bars at the wheat-field and they went through and across the +field, and he took down the bars at the other side and they walked +through and along the road in the maple-sugar woods until they came to +the little house. + +There they stopped, and Uncle John opened the door and put the kegs on +the sled, and all the little squares of maple-sugar and all the buckets +and all the spouts that he had pulled out of the trees. And he shut the +door of the little house, and the oxen started and walked back along +the road through the maple-sugar woods into the wheat-field, and Uncle +John put up the bars. And they walked across the wheat-field and through +the gate at the other side, and Uncle John put up those bars; and they +walked along past the orchard and past the barn, and little John came +after. + +Then the old oxen dragged the sled to the place where they kept the +things that were to go to market, and Uncle John took off the +maple-syrup and the maple-sugar and put them in that place. But some of +the maple-syrup and some of the maple-sugar he put in the cellar for +themselves to use; for little Charles and little John and little Sam +liked maple-sugar and they liked maple-syrup on bread. And there was +enough maple-syrup and maple-sugar to last them a long time and a lot to +go to market besides. + +Then Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the sled from the yoke and put +the sled in the shed; and he took off the yoke and the old oxen went +into the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +XI. + +THE RAIL FENCE STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field; and +through the wheat-field to the maple-sugar woods. + +All about were other fields; and one of them was a great enormous field +where Uncle John used to let the horses and cows go to eat the grass, +after he had got the hay in. This field was so big that Uncle John +thought it would be better if it was made into two fields. He couldn't +put a stone wall across it, because all the stones in the field had been +made into the wall that went around the outside. So he thought an easy +way would be to put a rail fence across. + +So, one day, when it was winter and snow was on the ground, Uncle John +and Uncle Solomon took their axes and walked along the little track, +past the barn and past the orchard, and climbed over the bars into the +wheat-field. Then they walked across the wheat-field and climbed over +the bars into the maple-sugar woods; and they walked along the road in +the woods until they came to a place where were some trees that were +just the right size to make rails and posts. They were not maple-sugar +trees, but a different kind. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then they cut down enough of these trees to make all the rails and all +the posts they wanted; and they cut off all the branches and they cut +some of the trees into logs that were just long enough for rails, and +they cut the other trees into logs that were just long enough for posts. +Then they took the rail logs and with their axes they split each one all +along from one end to the other, until it was in six pieces. Each piece +was a rail. But the post logs they didn't split. + +Then they left the logs and the rails lying there and walked back, and +climbed over into the wheat-field, and went across the wheat-field and +climbed over at the other side, and walked past the orchard and past the +barn and past the shed and went in at the kitchen door. + +The next morning, Uncle John got out the old oxen, and they put their +heads down low, and he put the yoke over and the bows under, and hooked +the tongue of the sled to the yoke. Then he said: "Gee up there," and +they started walking slowly along, past the barn and past the orchard to +the wheat-field; and Uncle John took down the bars and they walked +across the wheat-field, and he took down the bars at the other side. +Then the old oxen walked through the gate and along the road to the +place where the post logs and the rails were; and Uncle Solomon had come +too, and little John. But they didn't let little John come when they cut +the trees down, because they were afraid he might get hurt. + +Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John piled the rails on the sled, and the +post logs on top, and the old oxen started and walked along the road and +through into the wheat-field and across the field, and Uncle John put +the bars up after the oxen had gone through the gates. Then they +dragged the sled along past the orchard and past the barn to the shed. +There they stopped and Uncle John and Uncle Solomon took off the logs +and the rails. The rails were piled up under the shed, to dry; but the +logs they had to make square, and holes had to be bored in them before +they would be posts. Then Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the sled +from the yoke and took off the yoke, and the old oxen went into the +barn. + +The next day, Uncle John took an axe that was a queer shape, and he made +the post logs square. Then he bored the holes in the logs for the rails +to go in, and piled the posts up under the shed. They were all ready to +set into the ground, but the ground was frozen hard, and they couldn't +be set until the winter was over and the ground was soft. + +After the winter was over and it was getting warm, the ground melted out +and got soft. Then Uncle John and Uncle Solomon took a crowbar--a great, +heavy iron bar with a sharp end--and a shovel, and they went to the +great enormous field. Then they saw where they wanted the fence to be, +and they dug a lot of holes in the ground, all in a row, to put the +posts in. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then they went back and Uncle John got out the oxen and put the yoke +over and the bows under and hooked the tongue of the cart to the yoke. +On the cart they piled the posts, and there were so many they had to +come back for another load. Then the oxen started and walked down the +little track and out through the wide gate into the road, and along the +road to the great enormous field where the holes were all dug for the +posts. Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John put the posts in the holes and +pounded the dirt down hard. + +Then the oxen walked back along the road to the farm-house and in at the +gate and up to the shed. And Uncle John put the rails on the cart and +the oxen walked back to the field again and in beside the row of posts. +And Uncle John took the rails off the cart and put them in the holes in +the posts, so that they went across from one post to the next. And in +each post were four holes, and four rails went across. + +Then the oxen went a little farther and the rails were put in between +the next posts, and so on until the rails reached all the way across the +field, and the fence was done. And when Uncle John wanted the cows or +the horses to go through, he could take down the rails at any part of +the fence. + +Then the old oxen started walking back out of the field into the road +and along the road to the farm-house. And they went in at the wide gate +and up the track past the kitchen door to the shed, and there they +stopped. + +And Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the cart from the yoke and put the +cart in the shed. And he took off the yoke and the old oxen went into +the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +XII. + +THE COW STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + + +[Illustration] + + +One morning, the old rooster crowed very early, as soon as it began to +be light. And that waked Uncle John and Aunt Deborah, and Uncle Solomon +and Aunt Phyllis. And they all got up and put on their clothes and came +down-stairs. Then Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis went about their work in +the kitchen, getting things for breakfast and fixing the fire; and +Uncle Solomon and Uncle John went out to the barn. Uncle Solomon looked +after the horses and gave them their breakfast, and Uncle John looked +after the cows. + +Between the two great doors of the barn there was a great open place so +that the wagons could go right through; and that was where they threshed +the wheat. And on one side were the stalls for the horses and the places +for the oxen, and on the other side were the places for the cows. In the +corner of the barn next to the horses was the harness-room, and in the +corner next to the cows was the milk-room. + +There were two big horses and two big oxen and six cows. The horses were +in stalls, but the cows didn't have stalls. They stood in a row on a +kind of a low platform, with their heads toward the open place in the +middle of the barn. Each cow had her head through a kind of frame made +of two boards that went up from the floor, so that when the boards were +fastened at the top she couldn't get her head out, but she could move it +up and down all she wanted to. And when they wanted to let the cows out, +they unfastened one of the boards and let it down. But Uncle John didn't +like the frames for the cows, so he never fastened the boards at all, +but he put a chain around the neck of each cow and hooked the other end +to a post. + +In front of each cow was a little low wall, about as high as her neck, +and just behind the wall was a trough that they call a manger, where +they could put hay or meal or other things for the cow to eat, so that +she could reach it. Just over the manger of each cow was a hole in the +floor of the loft where the hay was, so that they could put hay through +and it would fall right into the manger, in front of the cow. In winter +the cows had hay, but in summer they didn't have hay, because they could +eat the grass, and that was better. + +So, when Uncle John went to look after the cows, he didn't climb up to +the loft and pitch some hay down through the holes, as he would do in +winter, but he took a wooden measure and went to a big box that they +call a bin. It stood in the corner next to the milk-room, and it was +full of meal that was ground up from corn at the mill. And he gave each +cow a measureful of meal and put it in the manger so that she could eat +it. + +Then he went to the milk-room and got the big milk pails and his +milking-stool. The milking-stool was a little stool that had three legs, +and one of the legs was shorter than the other two, so that it sloped. + +Then Uncle John put the milking-stool down by a cow, and the pail was +between his knees, resting on the end of the stool. And he milked the +cow and the milk spurted into the pail. And when she had given all the +milk she had, the pail was about half full. + +Then Uncle John went to the next cow and milked her, and when that pail +was full, he took the other pail. And so he milked all the cows, one +after the other, and when both the pails were full, he took them to the +milk-room and poured the milk through a strainer into a big can. And the +cows were eating their meal all the time they were being milked. + +At the side of the barn, behind the cows, was a door that opened into +the cow-yard. A sloping place led down from the barn to the ground, so +that the cows could walk down into the yard. In the winter, the cows +stayed in the cow-yard while they were out of the barn, because it was +sunny and warm, and there was no grass in the field for them to eat. A +high fence was all around the yard, and in one corner was a tub made of +a hogshead cut in two, and a pump was beside it. And the tub was always +full of water, so that the cows could drink whenever they were thirsty. +So, when Uncle John had milked all the cows, he opened the door into the +cow-yard, and he unhooked the chains from the necks of the cows, one +after another. And the cows turned around and walked through the door +and down the sloping place into the cow-yard, the leader first, and +every cow took a drink from the tub in the corner of the yard. Then they +stood by the gate, waiting for little John to come. + +When a lot of cows are together, one of the cows is always the leader, +and she always goes first, wherever they go. If any other cow tries to +go first, the leader butts that one and makes her go behind. Or if the +other cow doesn't want to go behind, they put their horns together and +push, and the one that pushes harder is the leader. + + +[Illustration] + + +So the cows waited at the gate, and little John had come down-stairs and +Aunt Deborah had given him a piece of johnny-cake, because breakfast +wasn't ready and little boys are always hungry. Then little John came to +the gate to the cow-yard, and opened the gate, and the cows hurried to +go through the gate, the leader first, and the others following after. +And they went along the little track and through the gate into the road, +and along the road to the great enormous field. And there they stopped, +for the bars were up and they had to wait for little John to come along +and let them down, so that they could go through. + +And little John came running along, eating his piece of johnny-cake, and +kicking up the dirt with his bare feet, for in the summer-time he didn't +wear any shoes or stockings. And he came to the gate and he let the bars +down at one end, and the cows stepped over the bars carefully, the +leader first, and went into the field. And little John put the bars up +again, so that the cows couldn't get out, and he turned around and ran +back to the farm-house to get his breakfast. + +When the cows were all in the field, they began to eat the grass; and +they walked slowly about, eating the grass, until they had had all they +wanted. Then they went over to the corner of the field, where there was +a stream of water running along, and each cow took a drink of water. In +the middle of the field was a big tree with long branches and a great +many leaves, so that under the tree it was shady and cool. By the time +the cows had eaten all the grass they wanted, it was hot out in the sun, +and they all walked over to the big tree and got in the cool shade. + +Some of them lay down and some of them stood still, and they switched +their tails about to keep the flies off, and they chewed their cuds. For +a cow has two kinds of stomach. When she bites off the grass, she +swallows it down quickly, and it goes into the first stomach; and after +awhile, when she has eaten all the grass she wants, she goes and lies +down, or stands still and some of the grass comes back into her mouth in +a bunch and she chews it all up fine and swallows it again, so that it +goes down into her real stomach. Then another bunch comes up and she +chews that and swallows it, and so she does until all the grass is +chewed up fine. That is what they call chewing the cud. + +So the cows stayed in the shade of the big tree until they were hungry +again, and then they walked about and ate some more of the grass and +drank some more water out of the little stream. And by that time it was +in the afternoon and almost time for little John to come to drive them +home. + +So they all stood looking at the gate and waiting for little John. And +by and by little John came running along, and he let down the bars at +one end, and he called "Co-o-ow! Co-o-ow!" and the cows all started +hurrying along to the gate. And they stepped over the bars carefully, +the leader first, and walked along the road, for they knew the way to +go. And little John came running after. + +When the cows came to the farm-house, they turned in at the gate and +went up the little track to the cow-yard. And they went in at the gate +of the cow-yard, and up the sloping place into the barn. And each cow +knew where she ought to go, and she went there, and Uncle John fastened +the chains around their necks; and little John shut the gate of the +cow-yard and went into the house. + +Then Uncle John put a measureful of meal in the manger in front of each +cow, and he got his milking-stool and the milk pails and he milked all +the cows. And while the cows were being milked, they ate the meal and +chewed their cuds. + +When the cows were all milked, Uncle John poured the milk through the +strainer into the big cans and took it out to the spring-house to set +it, so that the cream would come on it. But some of the milk he took +into the house for their supper. + +Then he shut the big doors of the barn and fastened them, and the cows +lay down and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +XIII. + +THE HAY STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a little track that led up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +All about were other fields. One of them was a great enormous field, +and in this field was growing grass that would be made into hay. + +One day, when the summer was nearly half over, Uncle John saw that the +little tassels at the tops of the stems of the grass were getting +yellow, and he knew that the grass was ripe enough to cut for hay; and +the grass was as high as little John's head. So, very early the next +morning, Uncle Solomon and Uncle John took their scythes and their +whetstones and went over to the great enormous field, and two other men +came to help. When the grass that these other men had was ready to cut, +then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John would go and help them cut it. + +And they had a jug, and in it was water, with some molasses and a +little vinegar mixed with it. This was for them to drink when they got +very hot and thirsty, mowing, and they put it down by the stone wall, +where it was cool. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then the men all took their whetstones and sharpened their scythes, and +Uncle Solomon started first, at the corner of the field, and he swung +his scythe back and forth, and every time he swung the scythe it cut +down some grass and made a noise, "Swish." And then he took a little +step ahead and swung the scythe again, and he walked very slowly along, +cutting the grass. And when Uncle Solomon had got a little way along, +so that the next scythe wouldn't cut him, Uncle John began next to the +place where Uncle Solomon had begun, and he swung his scythe and walked +slowly along, cutting the grass. Then one of the other men began at the +next place, when Uncle John had got a little way along, and then the +last man. So all the men were walking slowly along, swinging their +scythes together, and cutting the grass, and the grass fell down in +four long rows. And they mowed this way all the morning, and cut down +all the grass in the field. + + +[Illustration] + + +And just when they had finished, and all the grass was cut down, they +heard the horn that Aunt Deborah was blowing. That meant that dinner was +ready. They had a horn to blow for dinner because the men had to work in +fields that were far from the house, where they couldn't hear a +dinner-bell. But they could hear the horn. So the horn hung on a hook +beside the kitchen door; and when dinner was ready, Aunt Deborah took +the horn from the hook and blew it. + +When the men heard the horn, they took their coats and their scythes and +their whetstones and the jug, and they went back along the road to the +farm-house and left the grass lying there, just as it fell down. And +the sun shone on the grass and dried it, so that it was changing to hay. + +Then, the next morning, Uncle Solomon and Uncle John took their +pitchforks and went over to the field and spread the grass out evenly, +so that it would dry better; and they left it until the afternoon. + +In the afternoon, Uncle John and Uncle Solomon took two great wide +wooden rakes, and little John took a little rake, and they went to the +field. Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John each held one of the great wide +rakes so that it trailed behind, and they walked along and the rakes +rolled the grass up into long rows. Then they walked along the other +way, trailing the rakes, and the grass rolled up into piles, and little +John raked after. They call the piles of hay haycocks, and they were as +high as little John's head. Then they went away and left the hay there +all night. + +In the morning, when the sun had shone on the haycocks long enough to +dry off the dew, Uncle John got out the old oxen. And they put their +heads down, and he put the yoke over and the bows under, and he hooked +the tongue of the hay-cart to the yoke. Then he put little John up in +the cart and took the pitchforks, and gave little John his little rake. +And the old oxen started walking slowly along, out into the road and +along the road to the great enormous field, and in at the gate. And they +walked along beside one of the haycocks, and there they stopped. + +Then Uncle John lifted little John out of the cart, and Uncle Solomon +and Uncle John both stuck their pitchforks into the haycock and lifted +it right up and pitched it over the side of the cart, so that it fell +into the cart. Then they went along to the next haycock and pitched that +in the same way, and little John raked after, raking up the hay that had +dropped from the pitchforks. So they went along to the other haycocks +and pitched them into the cart, and when the hay was nearly up to the +top of the side of the cart, Uncle John climbed in, and he made the hay +even in the cart, with his fork. Uncle Solomon pitched the hay up into +the cart, and Uncle John made it even in the cart, so it couldn't fall +out, and they piled the hay up in the cart until it was a great +enormous load, higher than the room. And little John raked after. + + +[Illustration] + + +When they had made the load as high as they could, the old oxen started +and turned around, and walked back through the gate and along the road +to the farm house, and in at the gate and up the track past the kitchen +door and past the shed, and in at the big door of the barn. And they +went along in the open place in the barn and stopped in the middle, so +that the load of hay was beside the floor of the loft where the hay was +kept, and the top of the load was higher than the floor of the loft. + +Then Uncle Solomon climbed up the ladder to the loft, and Uncle John +pitched the hay from the cart to the loft. And Uncle Solomon took his +fork and pitched the hay back against the wall and packed it tight, so +that they could get more in when they brought it, and fill the loft as +full as it would hold. + +When all the hay was out of the cart, Uncle Solomon came down from the +loft, and the oxen started walking along, out of the other big door and +around the barn and back to the hay-field. Then they filled the cart +again, the same way that they did the first time, and put that hay in +the barn. And they had to go back three times after the first time +before they had all the hay that was in the field. And when it was all +in the barn, there was hay enough for the horses and the oxen and the +cows to eat all winter. + +Then the old oxen walked out through the other door of the barn, and +around the barn to the shed. And Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the +cart and put the cart in the shed, and he took off the yoke and the oxen +went into the barn and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +XIV. + +THE FIREPLACE STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +In the kitchen there wasn't any stove, because they didn't have stoves +then, but there was a great enormous fireplace, so big that great long +sticks of wood could be put in it to burn. And Uncle John or Uncle +Solomon had to cut the wood that was to be burned in the fireplace, and +pile it up in a great pile near the kitchen door. + + +[Illustration] + + +In the fireplace was a long iron stick that went along near the top, and +at the side of the fireplace it bent down like an elbow and went into +some hinges that were in the wall of the fireplace. And at the end of +this long iron stick was a hook, so that a kettle would hang on it over +the fire. This iron stick they call a crane; and it would swing out on +the hinges, away from the fire, so that they could hang something on +without burning their hands, and then they could swing it back again. + +And every night, before she went to bed, Aunt Deborah took the shovel +and put ashes all over the fire, so that it wouldn't blaze and burn the +wood all up, but wouldn't go out, either. For there wasn't any furnace, +and if the fire went out, the house would get very cold, and there +weren't any matches then, so that it was hard to light the fire. + +At that farm-house were a great many chickens, and in the summer-time +they liked to fly up into the trees, and sit on the branches to sleep. +And in the morning, as soon as it began to get light, the old rooster +would wake up and flap his wings and crow very loud. So, one morning, +the old rooster crowed very early and waked Uncle John and Aunt Deborah, +and Uncle Solomon and Aunt Phyllis. + +And they all got up and put on their clothes and went down-stairs. Uncle +Solomon and Uncle John went to the barn to look after the horses and the +cows and the oxen, and Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis began to fix the +fire and get breakfast ready. + +Aunt Phyllis went to the spring-house for the milk and the butter, and +to the buttery for some other things. Then she went to the hen-house to +find some eggs. + + +[Illustration] + + +Aunt Deborah raked all the ashes off the fire and put on some sticks of +wood that Uncle John had brought in, and then she took the blower and +blew the fire with it until it began to blaze. Then she took the iron +kettle and filled it with water at the well, and she pulled the crane +out away from the fire, with an iron hook, and hung the kettle on the +hook of the crane, and swung it back over the fire. And the fire blazed, +and the water in the kettle got hot, and after a while it began to +boil. + +While the water in the kettle was getting hot, Aunt Deborah took some +corn-meal and some flour and some salt and some sugar, and mixed them +together in a big yellow bowl, and she mixed in some soda and some +cream-o'-tartar. They are fine white powders that would make the +johnny-cake light and nice when it was baked; for she was making +johnny-cake. Then she took the milk that Aunt Phyllis had brought from +the spring-house, and she poured some of it into the bowl and stirred it +all in. And when she had poured in all the milk that she wanted, she +took some of the eggs that Aunt Phyllis had brought, and she broke the +shells and let the inside of the eggs drop into a littler bowl, and +then she beat them all up together until they were all foamy. Then she +poured them into the big yellow bowl and stirred them all in. When all +the things were stirred up together, Aunt Deborah took a pan that had a +cover, and she put butter all over the pan, and poured in the things +from the yellow bowl. Then she put on the cover, and she took a kind of +rake and she raked some of the blazing fire away, and with a long iron +fork she put the pan down on the hot coals. Then she raked the fire on +top of the pan again and left it. + +When the johnny-cake was in the fire, getting baked, Aunt Deborah got +some tea out of the jar that they called a caddy, and she put it in the +teapot. Then she pulled the crane away from the fire, with the hook, +and she poured some boiling water in on the tea and set the teapot down +in front of the fire. Then she put some eggs in the kettle and swung it +back over the fire. + +While Aunt Deborah was making the johnny-cake and the tea, Aunt Phyllis +had put the plates on the table, and the mugs, and the cups and saucers, +and the knives and forks, and all the other things, and she had put some +butter on the table, on a plate, and some milk in a white pitcher. Then +she went to the buttery and took down a ham that hung on a hook, and she +cut some thin slices and put them on a plate and put that plate on the +table. And by that time the johnny-cake was done and the eggs, and the +tea. And Aunt Deborah swung the crane off the fire and took the eggs +out with a ladle that had little holes in it for the water to go +through. Then she poured cold water on the eggs, so that they wouldn't +cook any more, and she put them in a bowl and put them on the table. +Then she raked the fire off the top of the pan, and took the pan out +with the long iron fork. And she took the cover off, and the johnny-cake +was nice and brown, and just right and smoking hot. And she cut it into +little squares and put it in a dish, and Aunt Phyllis put all the rest +of the things on the table while Aunt Deborah went to the door and took +down the horn and blew it. + +Then Uncle Solomon and Uncle John came in from the barn, and little +Charles and little John came in from driving the cows, and little Sam +came down-stairs. And they all sat down at the table and ate their +breakfast, and it was very nice. + +And that's all. + + + + +XV. + +THE BAKING STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a little track that led up past the kitchen door and +past the shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +One morning the old rooster had crowed very early, and Uncle Solomon and +Uncle John and Aunt Phyllis and Aunt Deborah had come down-stairs and +done their work. It was Saturday morning, and that was baking day; so, +when they had all finished breakfast, and Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis +had cleared up the things and washed the dishes, they got ready for the +baking. + +The chimney was a great enormous chimney that went all across the end of +the kitchen. And beside the big fireplace was an iron door that opened +into the oven. For the oven was a big hole in the chimney, beside the +fireplace; and right in the middle of the chimney, behind the fireplace, +was a great big hole, as big as a closet, and at the back was a little +door that was just big enough for people to go in. In this closet in the +chimney they used to build a fire sometimes, and hang hams and fish +over it in the smoke. + +When they were ready to begin, Aunt Deborah opened the door to the oven, +and she took some wood that Uncle John had brought in, and she built a +fire right in the oven. Then she took up some coals from the fireplace +and lighted the fire in the oven and shut the door. And the fire burned +and the oven got hot. And once in awhile Aunt Deborah opened the door +and put in some more wood. + +Then, while the fire was burning in the oven and getting the oven hot, +Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis took flour and butter and lard and water, +and they mixed them together just the right way, and made some dough. +And they rolled the dough out thin, with a long wooden roller, and they +folded it over and rolled it out again, and did that over and over until +they thought it was right. Then they spread the thin dough out on the +bottom of some plates that were middle-sized deep. + +And Aunt Deborah had some apples all ready, with the skin cut off and +the cores cut out, and the nice part of the apples cut up into slices. +And some of the apples she had stewed in water until they were all soft, +and some she hadn't. + +First she put some of the stewed apples in the plates on top of the thin +dough, and put in a little sugar and some cinnamon and some nutmeg on +top of some; and on some she didn't put any cinnamon or any nutmeg. Then +she laid another thin piece of dough over the top of the apples, and +she made little marks with a fork all around the edge, and she cut holes +in the top with a knife. + +Then, in other plates she put the apples that were not stewed, and a lot +of sugar, and thin dough on top, the same way. Those were apple pies, +and they were three kinds. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then Aunt Deborah made some squash pies, and put in on the dough that +was on the bottom of the plates some of the inside of squashes that she +had cooked over the fire. The very inside of squashes is soft and full +of seeds, and that part isn't good to eat; but just next to the seeds is +the part that is good. And spices and a lot of things were mixed with +the squash to make it taste better. There wasn't any thin dough put +over the top of the squash pies, but just a thin strip around the edge. +And there were other kinds of pies besides the apple and the squash, and +when they were made, there were so many that they covered the tops of +both the tables, for Uncle Solomon and Uncle John liked pies. + +Then Aunt Deborah thought the oven was hot enough, and she opened the +door of the oven, and with a long rake she pulled the fire out into a +big pan and put it into the fireplace. Then she put into the oven all +the pies it would hold, and she shut the door; and the pies were baking +in the oven, it was so hot, though there wasn't any fire in it. And when +those pies had been in the oven for awhile, they were all done, and +Aunt Deborah pulled them out with a kind of shovel and set them down in +front of the fire, and she put other pies in; and so she did until all +the pies were baked. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then she put coals in the oven again, and a little wood, to get the oven +hotter, for it had cooled, baking so many pies. + +When she first came down that morning, Aunt Deborah had mixed some +bread, and had set it in a big pan near the fire, to rise; and now it +had risen enough, and she took it out of the big pan. And while the oven +was getting hot again, she put the bread on a smooth board and rolled +it around and pushed it with her hands. That is what they call kneading. + +Then she took some square pans that were deep, and she put some of the +bread in each pan and set them down by the fire again. And pretty soon +the oven was hot enough, and the fire was raked out, and the bread was +put in. By that time it was time to get dinner ready, and Aunt Deborah +left the bread in the oven while she got dinner. For the oven was +getting cooler all the time, and the bread would not get burned. + +So, when the bread was done, Aunt Deborah took it out and wrapped it in +a cloth until it was cool. And Aunt Phyllis put all the pies in the +buttery. Then they had enough pies and enough bread to last them all a +whole week, and they would not bake any more until the next Saturday. + +And that's all. + + + + +XVI. + +THE SWIMMING STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +In that farm-house lived Uncle Solomon and Uncle John, and little John +and little Charles and their mother, Aunt Deborah, and little Sam and +his mother, Aunt Phyllis. + +One day in summer it was very hot. Little Charles was about nine years +old, and little John was about seven, and little Charles said to little +John: "John, let's go in swimming." + +And little John said: "All right." + +So they went very quietly away from the kitchen door, where they were +playing, and went toward the barn, as though they were going to look for +eggs. But they sneaked around the barn and down close to the house on +the other side, where Aunt Deborah wouldn't see them, and over the fence +into the road. And they went along the road until they came to the field +that they used to go through to get water from the river. Then they +turned into that field and went down to the river, and along the bank of +the river until they came to a great big tree that grew close by the +edge of the river, at the end of a stone wall. + + +[Illustration] + + +When they came to that big tree, they stopped and took off all their +clothes and went into the water. And they stayed in the water a long +time and swam around and chased each other, and they ran along in the +water where it wasn't very deep, and splashed and had a fine time. And +when they had been in long enough and were all cool, they went back to +the place where they had left their clothes, and they took their shirts +and got themselves dry with their shirts as well as they could. Then +they spread their shirts out in the sunshine to dry, and they ran about +on the bank. And when their shirts were dry, they put their clothes on. +Then they went back along the road and over the fence and around the +barn, the way they had come, and began to play near the shed as though +they hadn't been away at all. + +Pretty soon Aunt Deborah came to the kitchen door and she called to +little Charles. "Charles, I want you to get me some eggs." + +And when Charles turned around to go, Aunt Deborah looked at him very +hard, and she called: "Charles, come here to me." But Charles didn't +want to come very near, so he came only a little way. + +And Aunt Deborah said: "Charles, I want you to come right here to me." + +So Charles came slowly beside his mother, and she took off his hat and +looked at his hair. His hair was a little wet, for he couldn't get it +quite dry with his shirt. + +And Aunt Deborah said: "Charles, you've been in swimming." + +And Charles dug up the dirt with his bare feet and said, "Yes'm." For +little Charles and little John never said things that were not true, +although they sometimes did things they ought not to do. + +Then Aunt Deborah said: "Charles, if you do that again I'll tell your +father." + +And Charles said, "Yes'm." Then he ran away quickly to find the eggs. + +Then Aunt Deborah said: "John, come here to me." + +So little John came beside his mother, and she took off his hat and saw +that his hair was wet. + +And she said: "John, you've been swimming, too." And little John looked +at his mother and grinned and said, "Yes'm." + +And Aunt Deborah said, "You mustn't do that, John. You're too little. +Don't do it again, and I'll ask Uncle Solomon to take you and Charles +in his boat." So little John ran off after little Charles. + +The next morning Uncle Solomon called to all the little boys: "Who wants +to go out in the boat with me?" + +And little Charles and little John and little Sam all said at the same +time, "I do." + +So Uncle Solomon said, "Come on, boys." + +Then he walked along the track and into the road and along the road, and +the little boys ran ahead; for they knew where he was going. And by and +by they came to the pond. It was a great big pond, and Uncle Solomon's +boat was on the bank under some trees. Uncle Solomon had built that boat +himself, for he had been a sailor, and knew all about boats. So he +pushed the boat off into the water, and the little boys all got in and +sat still. For Uncle Solomon wouldn't let them jump around in the boat +because that might tip it over. + +So Uncle Solomon rowed the little boys over to a nice place where it was +shady, and where the water was not very deep; and he rowed cross-handed, +because he thought that was easier. When they had got to the place, the +little boys all took off their clothes, and Uncle Solomon took up each +boy and threw him over into the water. They were not afraid, because he +had taught them how to swim, and he was right there, to see that nothing +happened to harm them. And they swam around and had a fine time. + + +[Illustration] + + +And when Uncle Solomon thought they had been in the water long enough, +he made them swim near the boat, and he reached over and pulled them +into the boat, one at a time. Then they dried themselves with a towel he +had brought, and they put on their clothes, and Uncle Solomon rowed the +boat back to the place where he kept it. + +Then the little boys got out and he pulled the boat up on the shore, and +they all went back along the road to the farm-house. And they went in at +the wide gate and up to the kitchen door. And there was Aunt Deborah, +with four pieces of gingerbread. One piece she gave to little Charles +and one to little John and one to little Sam, and the biggest piece of +all she gave to Uncle Solomon. + +And they all ate their gingerbread, and thought it was very good indeed. + +And that's all. + + + + +XVII. + +THE CHICKEN STORY + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +Behind the barn was the hen-house, and inside the hen-house there were +long poles that went all the way across, for the hens to sit on to +sleep. Those poles they call roosts. In winter the hens all sleep on the +roosts in the hen-house, because it is warmer there; but in the summer +they like to get up in the trees and sleep out-of-doors. + +Along the side of the hen-house were some boxes with hay in them, and a +board along the top. These were the nests, and in each nest was a +pretend egg, made of china. The hens would see the pretend egg and think +it was real, and they would lay the real eggs in the nests. For they +like to lay eggs in places where eggs are already. + +There was a little door, low down, for the hens to go through, and +outside was a yard, with a fence around made of strips of wood. In this +fence was a door that was kept shut in winter, but was open in summer so +that the hens and chickens could go out and eat the bugs and worms. Bugs +and worms sometimes eat the growing things that the farmers have +planted, so the farmers like to have the chickens eat the bugs and +worms. And in the side of the hen-house was a big door for people to go +through. + +When the summer was beginning, there were a good many hens and some +chickens that were half grown up, and a very old rooster, and some that +were not so old. Sometimes the roosters would fight, but they didn't +fight very hard, for they were not the kind that fight hard. + +All the roosters and the hens and the chickens that were half grown up +flew up into the trees when it was beginning to be dark, and they sat +on the branches in long rows, and put their heads under their wings and +went to sleep. The very old rooster and most of the hens roosted in the +apple-trees in the orchard, but some of the hens roosted in other trees. + + +[Illustration] + + +And in the middle of the night the old rooster waked a little and +crowed, but it wasn't a very loud crow. But when it began to be light in +the morning, the old rooster waked and flapped his wings and crowed very +loud. And that waked the other roosters and they flapped their wings and +crowed, and the hens waked, and all the roosters and the hens flapped +their wings and flew down to the ground, and began to look about for +their breakfast. + +Some of the hens stayed in the orchard and looked about on the ground +and scratched up the dirt and picked up the bugs and worms that they +found. Some of them went over to the cow-yard and flew over the fence +and scratched around there, and they drank water out of the big tub in +the corner. And some of the hens went to the kitchen door to see what +things Aunt Deborah had thrown down there for them to eat. The chickens +that were half grown up went over to the fields where the potatoes and +the beans and the peas were growing, and they ran about among the vines +and picked the bugs and worms off the vines. + +After awhile, when all the hens and chickens had finished their +breakfasts, some of the hens went into the hen-house to lay eggs. Each +of these hens laid one egg in one of the nests, and when she had laid +the egg, she came out of the hen-house and cackled and made a great +noise. For that is the way hens do. But there were two of the hens that +did not like to lay eggs in the hen-house. + + +[Illustration] + + +One of these hens walked along the little road and across the +wheat-field into the maple-sugar woods. She had made a nest there, out +of dried grass and leaves, and it was hidden away under some bushes, +where nobody could find it. That hen laid an egg in that nest every day, +until she had laid nine. Then she sat on the eggs and kept them warm, +and she came over to the farm-house every day to get something to eat +and then she went back to her nest again. And when she had sat on those +eggs for three weeks, the little chickens came out of the shells and ran +about. And then she walked over to the farm-house and the little +chickens ran along with her. + + +[Illustration] + + +The other hen that wouldn't lay eggs in the hen-house made a nest in the +wheat-field; but little John found that nest and took the eggs away, so +she didn't have any chickens. + +When the hens had laid their eggs, they went out into the road and sat +down in the dust and scratched the dust up all over themselves, for they +liked the warm dust in among their feathers. And they stayed there until +they were hungry again. Then they scratched around in the dirt, and ate +some more bugs and worms, and the things that Aunt Deborah threw out for +them to eat. And so they did until it began to get dark. + +Then they all walked along to the orchard or to some other trees, and +they stood under the trees, and looked up and gave queer little jumps +and flapped their wings, and they flew up into the trees and sat on the +branches. And they went along the branches sideways until they had +found the places they liked. Then they squatted down and put their heads +under their wings and went to sleep. + +And that's all. + + + + +XVIII. + +THE SHAWL STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. This farm was +Uncle Solomon's. But before he had the farm, he was a sailor, and he +sailed in great ships, over the great enormous ocean. A great many ships +used to sail from Boston, over the big ocean, carrying different things +to far countries, and one of these ships was the brig _Industry_. Uncle +Solomon was the captain of the brig _Industry_, but that was when he +was a young man, and a long time before he had the farm. + +One day the brig _Industry_ was lying beside the wharf at Boston, and +she was tied to the wharf with great ropes. And all the things had been +put in the ship, the things they were to sell in the far country where +they were going, and the things to eat, and the water they would drink. +For the ocean water is salt and bitter, so that people can't drink it, +and they had to carry all the water that they would need to drink and +almost all the things they would need to eat. The water was in big +hogsheads, down near the bottom of the ship. The sailors were all on the +ship, and everything was all ready to start. Then Captain Solomon walked +down the wharf, and he got on the ship, and the great ropes were +untied, and the sailors hoisted the sails, and the ship sailed away from +the wharf. She sailed down the harbour and past the islands and out into +the great ocean. + +So the wind kept blowing, and the _Industry_ kept sailing along over the +ocean for a great many days. She sailed along, through parts of the +ocean where it is always hot and where it rains a great deal, and past +the country where the monkeys live, and around the end of that country. +And after awhile Captain Solomon saw some land, and he knew it was an +island where no people lived, but where beautiful clear water ran out of +a crack in the rock. So he made the ship go near that island, and then +the sailors fixed the sails so that the ship wouldn't go ahead. And the +sailors let down one of the rowboats into the water. For every big ship +has some rowboats that are hung up over the deck. And they took all the +hogsheads of water and emptied out what water was left. Then they put in +the bungs and tied all the hogsheads together with ropes that went +between them, and they threw them over the side of the ship into the +water. Then the sailors in the rowboat caught the end of the rope and +rowed, and they went to the island, dragging the hogsheads that floated +on the top of the water. And they filled the hogsheads with nice fresh +water that came out of the rock, and then they rowed back to the ship, +dragging the hogsheads. And they were hoisted up into the ship, and the +rowboat was hoisted up, and the sailors fixed the sails again so that +the ship would sail ahead. + + +[Illustration] + + +So they sailed along for a great many days, and at last they came to the +far country. That country is called India. And the _Industry_ sailed +into a wide river, and the sailors took down the sails and let down the +great anchor to the bottom of the river. For the water by the shore was +not deep enough for the ship to go there, so they had to keep the ship +in the middle of the river. On the shore was a city, and a lot of men +came out from the shore in little rowboats and took the things out of +the _Industry_ and carried them to the city. And the boats were so +little, and there were so many things, they had to go back and forth a +great many times. + +When the things were all taken out of the ship, Captain Solomon had his +rowboat let down into the water, and he got in, and two sailors rowed +him to the land. Then he went to the man who had bought all the things +he had brought, and the man paid Captain Solomon the money for the +things. Then Captain Solomon started to look about to see what he could +buy to take back to Boston. + +First he bought a lot of tea, and a lot of spices, like cinnamon and +cloves and nutmegs, and a lot of china dishes that had houses and trees +and birds painted on them in blue. Then he bought a lot of pretty tables +and such things that were made of teak-wood and ebony and ivory. And he +bought a lot of little images that were carved out of ivory, and some +trays that were shiny black, with birds and flowers painted on them in +red and silver and gold. Then he bought a great many logs of teak-wood +to carry back to Boston, to make into chairs and mantels and doors for +the inside of houses. And when all these things were carried to the +ship and put in, Captain Solomon had some money left, and he looked +about to see what he could buy that was very nice. + +In India they have cloth that is made of the hair of goats, and shawls +that are made of the hair of camels. The people made these things and +brought them to the city to sell. The cloth was very nice and the shawls +were very fine and beautiful. + +So Captain Solomon went to the place where they had the cloth of goat's +hair and the camel's-hair shawls, and he bought a great many shawls and +some of the cloth. Some of the shawls were white, with a pattern of +curly shapes in the middle, in red and blue and yellow, and some had a +border of the same kind all around the edge. Some were red, with a +pattern all over them of blue and brown and yellow and white. And +besides the shawls, there were narrow pieces made of camel's hair, that +were meant to be worn around ladies' necks. And they were all very +beautiful. + +So Captain Solomon had all the shawls and the pieces of cloth put in two +great chests made of cedar, and he had the chests carried on the ship +and put in his cabin. His cabin was the room where he did all his work, +looking at the charts and maps, to see where the ship was, and writing +down in a book what happened every day. The beautiful shawls would be +taken care of in his cabin better than in the bottom of the ship, with +the teak-wood and the other things. + +When Captain Solomon had bought the shawls and got them put on the ship, +he bought a lot of things for the sailors to eat while the ship was +sailing back to Boston. There were flour and meal and very hard crackers +and salt and sugar and fine hominy and peas and beans and a lot of other +things, and great hogsheads of meat that was in salt water. And there +was a cow that they kept in a kind of pen on the deck of the ship, and +four sheep and a lot of chickens. So they could have milk and eggs, and +sometimes roast chicken for dinner, or roast mutton. Then they filled +all the water barrels with fresh water, and the sailors pulled up the +great anchor and hoisted the sails. + +So the _Industry_ sailed out of the river and into the big ocean, and +they sailed away for a great many days. And when they came to the island +where the nice water ran out of the rock, Captain Solomon had all the +water barrels filled with fresh water again. Then they sailed along, +around the end of the country where the monkeys lived, and over another +big ocean. And after a long time they came to Boston, and the _Industry_ +sailed in past the islands and into the harbour, and up to the wharf. +And the sailors took down the sails and fastened the ship to the wharf +with great ropes. + +Then Captain Solomon went on shore and got a big wagon. The horses +dragged the wagon down on the wharf, and the men took the two chests out +of the cabin and put them on the wagon. Then Captain Solomon got on the +wagon with the men, and they drove the horses through the streets until +they came to the place where the men stayed that owned the _Industry_. +That place they call an office. + +[Illustration] + +So Captain Solomon got down from the wagon, and the men took the chests +and carried them into the office. In the office were Captain Jonathan +and Captain Jacob. They had been sailors, too, and they owned the +_Industry_. And Captain Solomon opened the chests and showed the cloth +and the shawls to Captain Jonathan and Captain Jacob, and they thought +the cloth and the shawls were very beautiful. And while Captain Jonathan +was looking at the shawls he found one that was white, with a pattern +in the middle of red and yellow and brown and blue. He thought that +shawl was the prettiest shawl he had ever seen. So he said: "Jacob, I am +going to give this shawl to my daughter Lois." + +And Captain Jacob said, "All right." For Captain Jonathan's daughter +Lois was Captain Jacob's wife. + +So Captain Jonathan gave the shawl to his daughter Lois. And after a +great many years she gave the shawl to her daughter Lois. And after a +great many years more, when that Lois was an old lady, she gave the +shawl to her niece, who was named Lois. And when that Lois was an old +lady she used to wear the shawl almost all the time. But one day she +forgot and hung the shawl over the balusters near the door just when the +cook was going away. And the cook saw the shawl and took it away and +never brought it back. + +And that's all. + + + + +XIX. + +THE BUYING-FARM STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. And in the fence +was a wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. The farm wasn't +Uncle Solomon's then, but it belonged to the man that had built the +farm-house, and that man had built the barn first and then the house. +And he had cut down the trees and made the fields smooth and nice where +the different things were to grow. And when he had lived there a good +many years, he was tired of being there, and he wanted to go somewhere +else. + +Captain Solomon had sailed on the great ocean a great many years, and he +was tired of being a sailor, and thought he would like to have a farm; +and besides, he was afraid that if he kept on being a sailor, his little +boys would want to be sailors, too, and he didn't want them to be. There +were three boys, Uncle John and his two brothers; and when they got big +enough, Uncle John's brothers ran away and were sailors. For they didn't +like to be on a farm. But Uncle John stayed on the farm after Uncle +Solomon bought it. + +So one day Captain Solomon came to the farm and he found the man that +had got it all ready and had built the house. And the man showed Captain +Solomon all the fields where the things were growing, and the orchard +and the maple-sugar woods and the barn and the house. And Captain +Solomon liked the farm. So he paid the man some money, and the man gave +the farm to Uncle Solomon. For after he had bought the farm, the people +all called Captain Solomon Uncle Solomon. Then the man took all his beds +and chairs and tables and the other things from the house, and he moved +them away to another place. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then Uncle Solomon put all his things in great wagons, and it took a +long time to move them to the farm, for Uncle Solomon had lived in +Wellfleet, a town that is on the shore of the great ocean, and the farm +was a long way from that town, and it was not on the shore of the ocean. +They didn't have railroads then, and all the things had to be dragged in +the wagons. But at last the wagons came to the farm, and Uncle Solomon +took all the things out of the wagons and put them in the house. He put +the wagons in the shed and the horses in the barn. That was a very long +time ago, more than one hundred years. + +When all the things were put in the house, Uncle Solomon bought some +cows and the things he needed to do farm work with. Then he began to do +all the things that have to be done on a farm, the things that the other +stories tell about. + +And that's all. + + + + +XX. + +THE BUTTER STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +In the morning, when Uncle John had milked all the cows, he took all +the milk, in the big pails, to the milk-room that was in the corner of +the barn, and he poured it through a cloth into some cans. Then he +carried the pails to the kitchen door, and Aunt Deborah washed them out +with cold water. Then she poured some very hot water into them and +rinsed them out, and set them in the sunshine. And Uncle John went back +to the milk-room and took the cans of milk and carried them out to the +spring-house. + +The spring-house was a little low house that was in the orchard, and a +stream of water ran right through the middle of it. It was the same +stream of water that ran on through the big field where the cows went to +eat the grass, and then it ran on, under the road and through another +field and into the river. They didn't have ice then, in the summer +time, but the water of the little stream was cool, and they used that to +keep the milk and the butter from getting too hot. They had made a +trench for the water to run through, and in the bottom of the trench +they had put great flat stones, so that the water ran over the stones. +And on top of the stones the water wasn't deep at all. + +So Uncle John took the milk to the spring-house and poured it into big +flat pans, and set the pans in the water on the flat stones, so that the +water would keep the milk cool while the cream came to the top. The +cream is the yellow, fat part of milk, and when the milk stands still, +the cream comes to the top. + +Every time Uncle John had finished milking the cows, he took the milk +to the spring-house and put it in flat pans and left the pans in the +cool water. And when the milk had stood so for as long as all day or all +night, Aunt Deborah went out to the spring-house and took a kind of big +spoon and skimmed the cream off the top of the milk, and put the cream +into a stone jar. And she left the cream in the jar for two or three +days until it was just right to make into butter. + + +[Illustration] + + +When the cream in the jar was just right, Aunt Deborah and Aunt Phyllis +took it to the buttery and put it in the churn, a kind of box that had a +long handle. And on the end of the handle was a big piece of wood with +holes all through it. Then Aunt Phyllis took hold of the long handle and +made it go up and down, and Aunt Deborah held on to the churn, so that +it wouldn't tip over. And when Aunt Phyllis was tired, Aunt Deborah made +the handle go up and down, and Aunt Phyllis held on to the churn. And +the cream splashed all about, and at last it began to turn into butter, +in little lumps. + + +[Illustration] + + +When it was done enough, Aunt Deborah poured off the watery stuff that +they called buttermilk, and she washed the butter with water, and she +put in a lot of salt. The buttermilk she saved, because sometimes people +like to drink it. Then she took the butter that was all in little lumps, +and she worked it together, so that the water came out of it, and it was +all in big lumps. And she worked that all together until it was worked +enough, and was in one big lump. + +Then she got a little mould, a kind of cup with a cover. And in the +inside of the cover was a picture, cut into the wood, of an ear of corn +and some marks all about. Then Aunt Deborah put some of the butter into +the mould, and she put the cover over, and pushed hard, and the butter +was squeezed into a little round cake, with the picture of the ear of +corn on the top. Then she took out that piece and put in some more, and +she made a little cake of that. And so she did with all the butter, +until it was all in little cakes; and those cakes of butter they call +pats. + +When all the butter was made into pats, Aunt Deborah put the pats into a +great round wooden box and carried the box out to the spring-house to +get cold, and keep until it was wanted. Every week she made enough +butter to fill the big round box. That was enough for them to eat, and +some to take to market besides. + +And that's all. + + + + +XXI. + +THE BEAN-POLE STORY + + +Once upon a time there was a farm-house, and it was painted white and +had green blinds; and it stood not far from the road. In the fence was a +wide gate to let the wagons through to the barn. And the wagons, going +through, had made a track that led up past the kitchen door and past the +shed and past the barn and past the orchard to the wheat-field. + +All about were other fields where different things grew. There were +squashes and turnips and melons and corn and oats and potatoes and +cabbages and onions and peas and beans. Some of the bean plants grew +like little short trees, but the others wanted to climb on something. So +Uncle John had to get some bean-poles for the bean plants to climb up. +So, one morning, when summer was just beginning, the bean plants had +come up through the ground, and were tall enough to begin to climb. + +Uncle John took his axe and a big sharp knife and he got out the old +oxen. They put their heads down and he put the yoke over and the bows +under, and hooked the tongue of the cart to the yoke. Then he said "Gee +up there;" and the old oxen started walking slowly along, past the barn +and past the orchard to the wheat-field, and little John came after. + +And Uncle John took down the bars, and the oxen went through the +wheat-field, and he took down the bars at the other side of the field, +and they walked through into the maple-sugar woods. Then they went along +the road in the woods past the little maple-sugar house, and they kept +on until they came to a place where there weren't any big trees, but +there were a great many little slim trees very close together. The +little slim trees were about as big as little John's wrist at the +bottom, and they were about twice as tall as Uncle John. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then Uncle John stopped the oxen, and he took his axe and cut down a +great many of the little slim trees. They were so little that he cut +down each tree with one whack of the axe. And when the trees were cut +down, as many as he wanted, he took the big sharp knife and he cut off +all the branches of each tree. The trees grew so close together that +there weren't many branches, and what there were, were very small. Then +Uncle John put all the branches in a pile away from the trees, and he +piled the trees all on the cart. The trees, after the branches were cut +off, were straight and almost smooth. At the bottom they were about as +big as little John's wrist, and at the top they were only as big as his +thumb. These smooth trees without any branches they called poles. + +Then Uncle John said, "Gee up there," and the oxen started and turned +around, and walked slowly along, through the maple-sugar woods, and +through the wheat-field, and Uncle John put up the bars after they had +gone through. Then they walked along past the orchard and past the barn +and past the shed and past the kitchen door, and through the wide gate +into the road. And they went along the road until they came to the field +where the beans were growing; and they turned in at the gate into that +field, and went along to the bean plants, and there they stopped. + +Then Uncle John took the poles out of the cart, one at a time, and he +stuck a pole into the ground near each bean plant, so that the vine, +when it was feeling around for something to climb on, would find the +pole. The poles, after they were stuck into the ground, went up in the +air just a little higher than Uncle John's head. And Uncle John said, +"Gee up" again, and the old oxen turned around and went back along the +road and in at the wide gate and up past the kitchen door to the shed. +And Uncle John unhooked the tongue of the cart and took off the yoke, +and the oxen went into the barn. + + +[Illustration] + + +Then the bean vines kept on growing, and they got higher and higher, and +they twisted around and found the poles, and they held on to the poles +and kept on twisting and climbing until they had reached the tops of the +poles. Then the flowers came on the vines, and afterward the pods with +beans in them grew where the flowers had been. For the beans are only +the seeds that the flowers change into after they wither away. And at +the end of the summer, when the beans had stopped growing and were +ripe, Uncle John gathered them and took them in to Aunt Deborah. + +And that's all. + + + + +THE END. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sandman: His Farm Stories, by +William J. 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