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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peter and Polly in Winter, by Rose Lucia
+
+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: Peter and Polly in Winter
+
+Author: Rose Lucia
+
+Release Date: October 24, 2011 [EBook #37837]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETER AND POLLY IN WINTER ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Matthew Wheaton and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+    PETER AND POLLY IN WINTER
+
+    BY
+
+    ROSE LUCIA
+
+
+    Formerly Principal of the Primary School
+    Montpelier, Vermont
+
+    _Author of "Peter and Polly in Spring," "Peter and Polly in
+    Summer," and "Peter and Polly in Autumn."_
+
+
+    AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
+
+    NEW YORK      CINCINNATI      CHICAGO
+
+    BOSTON      ATLANTA
+
+
+    COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY
+    ROSE LUCIA.
+
+    COPYRIGHT, 1914, IN GREAT BRITAIN.
+
+    PETER AND POLLY IN WINTER.
+
+    E. P. 21
+
+
+    To
+    C. M. G.
+
+    [Illustration: _Frontispiece_ MAP]
+
+
+
+
+    CONTENTS
+
+
+    PETER AND POLLY
+    THE BIRDS' GAME OF TAG
+    THE STONE-WALL POST OFFICE
+    PLAYING IN THE LEAVES
+    "HOW THE LEAVES COME DOWN"
+    THE BONFIRE
+    THE HEN THAT HELPED PETER
+    THE FIRST ICE
+    THE THREE GUESSES
+    THE FIRST SNOWSTORM
+    THE STAR SNOWFLAKE
+    HOW PETER HELPED GRANDMOTHER
+    THE SNOW MAN
+    PETER'S DREAM
+    CUTTING THE CHRISTMAS TREE
+    THE GIVE-AWAY BOX
+    CHRISTMAS MORNING
+    THE SNOW HOUSE
+    THE FALL OF THE IGLOO
+    PULLING PETER'S TOOTH
+    DRIVING WITH FATHER
+    THE STAG
+    POLLY'S BIRD PARTY
+    THE NEW SLED
+    BROWNIE
+    DISH-PAN SLEDS
+    CAT AND COPY-CAT
+    POLLY'S SNOWSHOES
+    THE WOODS IN WINTER
+    THE WINTER PICNIC
+    THE SEWING LESSON
+    FISHING THROUGH THE ICE
+    MAKING MOLASSES CANDY
+    GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
+    AROUND THE OPEN FIRE
+
+
+
+
+PETER AND POLLY IN WINTER
+
+
+
+
+PETER AND POLLY
+
+
+Peter Howe is a little boy. Polly is his sister. She is older than
+Peter.
+
+They live in a white house. The house is on a hill. It is not in the
+city. It is in the country.
+
+There are no houses close about it. But there are trees and fields
+around it.
+
+In summer these fields are green. In winter the snow covers them.
+
+The fields and the hills are as white as the house. Then there is fun
+playing in the snow.
+
+Peter likes to watch the snowflakes. He calls them "white butterflies."
+But he knows what they are.
+
+His friend, the Story Lady, told him. They are just frozen clouds.
+
+Peter said to her, "I think they are prettier than raindrops. They can
+sail about in the air, too. Raindrops cannot. I like winter better than
+summer."
+
+"It will be winter soon, Peter," said the Story Lady. "But many things
+must happen first.
+
+"The birds must fly away. The leaves must turn red and yellow. Then they
+will fall and you can rake them into heaps. We will go to the woods for
+nuts.
+
+"All these things will happen before winter comes."
+
+"Yes," said Peter. "And my grandmother must knit me some thick
+stockings. And my father must buy me a winter coat. Grandmother must
+knit some stockings for Wag-wag, too."
+
+"But Wag-wag is a dog, Peter. Dogs do not need stockings."
+
+"My dog does," said Peter. "He needs a coat, too. His hair is short. It
+will not keep him warm. I shall ask father to buy him a coat."
+
+"Do, Peter," said the Story Lady. "It is good to be kind to dogs. And
+when Wag-wag wears his coat and stockings, bring him to see me. I will
+take his picture."
+
+
+
+
+THE BIRDS' GAME OF TAG
+
+
+It is fall. Summer is really over. But it is still warm. Jack Frost has
+not yet begun his work.
+
+Peter and Polly have been watching the birds. For days they have seen
+great flocks of them. In the summer there were not so many together.
+
+One day they saw several robins. These were flying from tree to tree.
+
+Peter said, "I know they are having a party. They are playing tag."
+
+"Perhaps they are," said his father. "Perhaps each bird is telling
+something to the bird he tags."
+
+"What is he telling?" asked Peter.
+
+"I think he is saying, 'Brother bird, don't you know that winter is
+coming? Soon the snow will be here. What shall we do then?
+
+"'We cannot get food. We shall freeze. Come, let us fly away to the
+South. It is warm there.'"
+
+"What does brother bird say?" asked Peter.
+
+"I think brother bird says, 'It is a long way to the South. It will take
+many days and nights to fly there.
+
+"'Are our children's wings yet strong enough? I do not like to go. But
+I know that we must.'"
+
+"Doesn't he like to go, truly?" asked Peter.
+
+"We do not know, Peter. The robins make their nests here. They lay their
+blue eggs here. They hatch their little birds here. They never do this
+in the South.
+
+"Besides, they sing their beautiful songs here. They never sing them in
+the South. We like to think that they love the North better. But, of
+course, we do not know."
+
+"How can they find their way back?" asked Polly.
+
+"We do not know that, either, Polly. Many birds fly in the nighttime.
+Then they rest a part of the day."
+
+"I couldn't find my way in the dark," said Polly.
+
+"But the birds can," said father. "We do not know how. The winter home
+of some of our birds is thousands of miles from here."
+
+"I like to watch the swallows," said Polly. "They sit in a line on a
+telephone wire. Then one flies to another wire. In a minute they all
+fly, too.
+
+"I think that they are talking about going away soon. I hope they will
+not get lost."
+
+"Yes," said father. "They will soon be gone. But perhaps some of these
+very birds will come back here next summer."
+
+"I wish we could know them," said Polly.
+
+"We shall have a few birds left this winter," said father. "You know
+some of them. You know the chick-a-dees and the woodpeckers. And this
+winter I shall show you others."
+
+"May we hunt for nests and eggs, father?" asked Peter.
+
+"We may hunt, Peter, but we won't find any eggs in winter. We shall find
+other things. Perhaps we shall find the white-footed mouse. He sometimes
+makes his home in an old bird's nest."
+
+"Can a mouse climb trees, father? If he lives in a bird's nest, does he
+lay bird's eggs?"
+
+"He can climb trees, Peter. But he cannot lay eggs. We will see if we
+can find Mr. White-foot some day.
+
+"But first we will watch the birds fly away and the snow come."
+
+
+
+
+THE STONE-WALL POST OFFICE
+
+
+Around Peter's house is a beautiful field. This is Mr. Howe's hayfield.
+You can find it on the map in the front of this book.
+
+The children like this field. All the year round, it is a pleasant
+place.
+
+In the spring they find blue violets here. In the summer they watch the
+birds that make nests in the tall grass. In the winter they slide here
+on the crust.
+
+At the farther side of the field, there are some trees. These are
+butternut trees. In front of the trees is a stone wall.
+
+Peter and Polly like to play by this wall. Sometimes they play that it
+is a post office.
+
+The holes in the wall are the boxes. There is a box for every one in the
+village. Peter has more than one box; so has Polly.
+
+The children take turns being the postmaster. If Peter is the
+postmaster, Polly calls for the mail.
+
+The real post office is in their father's store. So they have often seen
+Mr. Howe put the mail into the boxes.
+
+They use little sticks for the post cards. Leaves are the letters.
+Stones are the packages. Sometimes the boxes are full of
+mail--especially Peter's and Polly's.
+
+Often they play that it is Christmas time. Then the boxes are full of
+packages. It is fun to guess what is in each package.
+
+One day Peter said, "There is a knife in this package. I like it. There
+is a hammer in this package. I will build a house with it.
+
+"There is a game in this package. Will you play it with me, Polly? And,
+O Polly! There is a pony in this package! That is what I wish for most
+of all."
+
+"But, Peter, a pony is too big to be in your post-office box. It would
+not come by mail."
+
+"Then Santa Claus will bring it," said Peter. "If I get it, I do not
+care how it comes."
+
+One day the children saw that the butternuts were falling.
+
+Polly said, "Let's pick up all we can. We will put them in our
+post-office boxes. When they are full, we will bring your cart. Then we
+can take the nuts home. We will crack them next winter."
+
+So they filled the boxes with nuts. The nuts were still green. The
+children stained their hands with them.
+
+While they were playing with the nuts, they saw two squirrels. These sat
+in the trees above them. They watched Peter and Polly with their bright
+eyes, and scolded them a great deal.
+
+"They want our nuts," said Polly. "But we have put them into our
+post-office boxes. We will keep them."
+
+The next day the children went for their nuts. They took Peter's cart
+with them. What do you think they found?
+
+Why, they found their boxes empty! The nuts were all gone!
+
+"Some one bad has been here," said Peter.
+
+Polly laughed. "You always say that, Peter. I think it was those
+squirrels. And I don't care, because they need the nuts to eat this
+winter."
+
+"I don't care, either," said Peter. "I think we forgot to lock our
+boxes."
+
+"Perhaps we did," said Polly. "But I guess the squirrels thought the
+boxes were theirs. When they called for their mail, they found the boxes
+full. How pleased they must have been! Let's pick up more nuts for
+them."
+
+So the children again filled the post-office boxes with nuts. Then they
+went home and left them for the squirrels.
+
+
+
+
+PLAYING IN THE LEAVES
+
+
+One day Peter saw something that pleased him. It was a branch of red
+leaves on a maple tree.
+
+He said to mother, "It will be winter soon."
+
+"Why do you think so, Peter?"
+
+"I have seen red leaves," said Peter.
+
+"But, Peter, a few red leaves do not count. There are red leaves in the
+summer. You must watch until you see many red, yellow, and brown
+leaves."
+
+"What makes the leaves red and yellow, mother? Is it magic?" asked
+Peter. "Can you do it?"
+
+"Perhaps it is a kind of magic, Peter. It is like the clouds turning
+into snow. I cannot do that."
+
+Then Peter watched for all the trees to turn. At last they were bright
+with colors.
+
+The maples were red and yellow; the oaks a deep red. The beeches were a
+bright yellow.
+
+Even the elm trees in front of the house were yellow. Now Polly liked
+more than ever to swing. The swing took her way up among the yellow
+leaves.
+
+Then, one day, the leaves began to fall. Down they came, a few at a
+time. The next day more fell, and the next and the next.
+
+Polly said, "They are prettier than the snowflakes. The snow is white.
+These have lovely colors. See them flying through the air."
+
+At last most of the trees were bare. The leaves lay on the ground.
+
+Then Peter said, "Oh, the poor trees! They haven't any clothes on. I am
+so sorry."
+
+Polly said, "The leaves are not clothes. They are children. Now they
+have gone to bed. The snow is their blanket. When it comes, it will keep
+them warm. If we leave them alone, they will sleep all winter. I learned
+it in a poem."
+
+"They cannot go to sleep yet," said Peter. "I shall not let them. I
+shall wake them up."
+
+"How will you do that?" asked Polly.
+
+"I shall run in them. That will keep them awake. I shall do it now. Come
+on! See if you can make as much noise as I can."
+
+After a while the children raked the leaves into large heaps. Then they
+jumped in the heaps. This scattered the leaves. But the children did not
+care. They raked them up again.
+
+Once Peter jumped where the leaves were not very deep. He came to the
+ground with a bang. He was surprised. But he was not much hurt.
+
+He said to mother, "My teeth shut with a noise when I went down."
+
+Mother said, "It is lucky that your tongue was not in the way. You would
+have bitten it badly."
+
+"Come in now, both of you. You must wash your hands and faces. Father
+will be home soon. You may play in the leaves to-morrow."
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE LEAVES CAME DOWN[1]
+
+
+    I'll tell you how the leaves came down.
+      The great Tree to his children said,
+    "You're getting sleepy, Yellow and Brown,
+      Yes, very sleepy, little Red;
+      It is quite time you went to bed."
+
+    "Ah!" begged each silly, pouting leaf,
+      "Let us a little longer stay;
+    Dear Father Tree, behold our grief;
+      'Tis such a very pleasant day
+      We do not want to go away."
+
+    So, just for one more merry day
+      To the great Tree the leaflets clung,
+    Frolicked and danced and had their way,
+      Upon the autumn breezes swung,
+      Whispering all their sports among,--
+
+    "Perhaps the great Tree will forget,
+      And let us stay until the spring,
+    If we all beg and coax and fret."
+      But the great Tree did no such thing;
+      He smiled to hear their whispering.
+
+    "Come, children, all to bed," he cried;
+      And ere the leaves could urge their prayer
+    He shook his head, and far and wide,
+      Fluttering and rustling everywhere,
+      Down sped the leaflets through the air.
+
+    I saw them; on the ground they lay,
+      Golden and red, a huddled swarm,
+    Waiting till one from far away,
+      White bedclothes heaped upon her arm,
+      Should come to wrap them safe and warm.
+
+    The great bare Tree looked down and smiled,
+      "Good night, dear little leaves," he said.
+    And from below, each sleepy child
+      Replied, "Good night," and murmured,
+      "It is so nice to go to bed!"
+
+    --SUSAN COOLIDGE.
+
+[1] Copyright, 1889, by Roberts Brothers.
+
+
+
+
+THE BONFIRE
+
+
+The next day father said, "Peter and Polly, will you work for me? I wish
+to buy your leaves. I will give you a cent for three loads."
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" said Polly.
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" said Peter.
+
+"You must put the leaves in a pile in the garden. I will show you
+where."
+
+"What will you do with them, father?" asked Polly.
+
+"You will see to-night, if you are good workmen."
+
+In the night the wind had blown the leaves about. So the children raked
+them up once more.
+
+Then they filled the big basket full. They packed in the leaves as hard
+as they could.
+
+"That is to give good measure," said Polly. "Father always gives good
+measure at his store. So you and I must, too."
+
+Every time they took a basketful to the garden, Polly made a mark on a
+piece of paper.
+
+At last the yard was raked clean. They had taken to the garden
+twenty-nine loads. They had worked nearly all day.
+
+At supper father said, "You are good workmen, chicks. Our yard looks
+very clean. It is ready for winter.
+
+"You piled the leaves carefully in the garden, too. Now, how much do I
+owe you?"
+
+"We took twenty-nine loads, father," said Polly. "I wish there had been
+one more to make thirty."
+
+"Why do you wish that, Polly?"
+
+"Because three goes in thirty better than in twenty-nine."
+
+"Well," said father, "we will call it thirty loads, Polly. I saw you
+packing the leaves into the basket very hard.
+
+"You are honest workmen to give me such good measure. Now, Polly, three
+goes in thirty how many times?"
+
+"Ten times, father. So you owe us ten cents. We shall each have five
+cents."
+
+"Very good, Polly. Here is your money. I have a surprise for you. Put on
+your coats and come to the garden. Mother will come, too."
+
+In the garden they found father beside the pile of leaves. He had thrown
+many things upon it.
+
+He said, "I came home early and cleaned up the garden. Now, what shall
+we do with all this stuff?"
+
+"Burn it, burn it!" shouted both children at once. "A bonfire, a
+bonfire!"
+
+"Very well," said father. "You may burn it. Here is a match for you,
+Polly. And here is one for you, Peter. Light your fire."
+
+Polly and Peter lighted the great heap. Soon the red flames were leaping
+up. They made the garden bright. Farther away from the fire it was very
+dark.
+
+"Oh, see, see, mother!" cried Polly. "The flames are as pretty as the
+red and yellow leaves. Have they taken the color from the leaves? How
+hot they are!"
+
+[Illustration: The children danced around the fire until it died down.
+Then mother took them into the house. It was bedtime.]
+
+
+
+
+THE HEN THAT HELPED PETER
+
+
+Peter is a nice little boy. But he can be very naughty. Mother and
+father know this. Grandmother Howe and Polly know it, too.
+
+You see, Peter always wishes his own way. And you know this is not good
+for little boys and little girls.
+
+Peter cannot have cake between his meals. He may always have milk to
+drink. Sometimes he may have bread and jelly, or bread and sugar.
+
+He likes this very much. But he does not like the crusts of the bread.
+So he used to eat only the soft part. The crusts he threw away.
+
+But at the table he could not throw them away.
+
+Then he put them under the edge of his plate. You know how.
+
+When mother took the plate, there would be a crust on the table. It did
+not look very well.
+
+One day father said, "Peter, you are a big boy now. You are nearly five
+years old. You are old enough to eat your crusts.
+
+"I will give you a week in which to learn how. After that, I shall not
+expect to see any more crusts on the table."
+
+Peter knew that, when his father spoke so, he meant what he said. But
+the little boy thought he would not eat his crusts until he had to do
+so.
+
+He said to himself, "In a week I will begin to eat them all up. But now
+I will still put them under my plate."
+
+So, every day when his plate was taken away, there were the crusts.
+Peter did not see his father look at them. And his father said nothing
+more about them.
+
+By and by Peter began to think that his father had forgotten.
+
+So, when the week was over, he said to himself, "I am sure that my
+father has forgotten. I am going to keep on leaving my crusts."
+
+But his father had not forgotten. He was just waiting to see if Peter
+would obey.
+
+That noon he saw that Peter had left a crust.
+
+He said, "My son, you have not learned to eat your crusts. And you have
+not learned to obey. I must teach you."
+
+Then Peter was more naughty still. He said, "I do not like old crust. I
+will throw old crust away. Then I cannot eat it."
+
+He picked up the crust and jumped down from his chair.
+
+His father called, "Peter!"
+
+But Peter did not stop. He ran to the door and threw the crust out upon
+the grass.
+
+His father went after him. "You may pick up your crust, Peter," said he.
+
+This time Peter started to obey. He knew that he had been very naughty.
+But, before he could get to the crust, an old hen ran up. She snatched
+it in her bill and off she went.
+
+Peter looked at his father. He was not sure what his father would do. He
+almost wished the hen had not taken the crust.
+
+Father only laughed. He said, "That old hen is a friend of yours, Peter.
+If it had not been for her, you would have eaten that crust."
+
+"I know it," said Peter. "And, father, I am sorry. I do not like to be
+naughty. I will be good. I will eat my crusts now to please you."
+
+And after this he did.
+
+
+
+
+THE FIRST ICE
+
+    "Water now has turned to stone,
+    Stone that I can walk upon."
+
+
+One morning mother said, "Polly, will you go to the store for me? I need
+a can of corn. We must have it for dinner."
+
+"May Peter go, too, mother?"
+
+"Oh, yes, Peter may go, if he wishes. Run and find him."
+
+Now Polly and Peter liked to go to the store. It belonged to their
+father. Sometimes they helped him unpack goods. Sometimes they sat still
+and watched the customers.
+
+Sometimes he let them play keeping store. Once Polly had really sold
+some candy to another little girl.
+
+But to-day they could not stay to play. They must get the can of corn
+for mother, and come home.
+
+They went down the hill. At the railroad tracks they stopped. They
+looked for a train. They saw none, so they ran across the tracks.
+
+Then they came to the bridge. You can find it on the map in the front of
+this book.
+
+They stopped to look over the rail at the water, far below.
+
+"O Polly!" said Peter. "What is on the water?"
+
+"Why, it is ice, Peter. The top of the water is frozen. See, the ice
+goes nearly across the river."
+
+"Ice, ice!" shouted Peter. "Now winter is almost here. The leaves have
+gone. The ice has come. Let's run and tell father."
+
+The children ran to the store.
+
+"Father, father," called Peter, "we have seen ice!"
+
+"So have I," said father. "Where did you see it?"
+
+"We saw it from the bridge. The river is frozen at the sides. It is not
+frozen in the middle."
+
+"Yes," said father. "It freezes first at the edges, because the water
+flows more slowly there. In the middle it flows faster.
+
+"Every cold night that ice will grow. It will soon cover the middle of
+the river, too. And at the same time it will grow thicker."
+
+"By and by it will be so thick that we can walk upon it. Then it is time
+to learn to skate. Perhaps you can learn this winter."
+
+"When the ice is thick enough, men cut it into blocks. What will they do
+with them?"
+
+"Make houses of them," said Peter.
+
+"O Peter, we are not Eskimos," said Polly. "I know, father. They will
+put the ice into big ice houses. They will keep it to use in the hot
+summer. I saw them doing it last winter."
+
+"Right, Polly. That is where our ice comes from in the summer."
+
+"Does all the water in the river freeze, father? Where do the fishes go?
+Are they in the ice?"
+
+"The ice is lighter than the water, Peter. So it stays on top of the
+water. The bottom of our river does not freeze. The fishes are there.
+They do not mind the cold as we do.
+
+"Did you come to the store just to tell me about the ice, chicks?"
+
+"No, father," said Polly. "We came for a can of corn. We saw the ice
+when we were on the bridge."
+
+"Then here is the corn. Take it to mother and tell her about the ice."
+
+Off went the children. When they came to the bridge, Peter dropped some
+small stones on the ice. But it did not break.
+
+"It must be thick now, Polly," said he. "I wish we could skate."
+
+"We weigh more than those stones do, Peter. I think the cold will have
+to make the ice grow more before father will let us. And, anyway, we
+have no skates."
+
+"Let's tell mother about that, too, Polly. Perhaps she knows where there
+are some."
+
+So Peter and Polly hurried up the hill to find their mother.
+
+
+
+
+THE THREE GUESSES
+
+
+"Polly and Peter," said Mr. Howe, "I have something for you. It is
+something to use in the winter, and not in the summer. You may have
+three guesses."
+
+"It can't be a sled," said Polly, "for we have sleds."
+
+"It can't be a coat," said Peter, "for we have coats."
+
+"And we have mittens and leggings and overshoes, too," said Polly.
+
+"It might be my pony," said Peter.
+
+"No," said Polly. "It couldn't be, Peter. We can use a pony in the
+summer. Let's not guess that."
+
+"Is it good to eat, father?" asked Peter. "I am hungry now."
+
+"No, Peter. And there are four of them; two for each of you. They are
+hard and shiny."
+
+"Guns, guns!" shouted Peter.
+
+"One guess is gone, Peter. What would you do with two guns?"
+
+"Are they for us to wear, father?" asked Polly.
+
+"Yes, Polly, but not all the time. You cannot wear them in the house."
+
+"Then I know what they are, father. If there are two for each of us,
+that is one for each foot. Can't you guess now, Peter?"
+
+"Rubber boots," shouted Peter.
+
+"I think it is skates, father. And I am glad. I have wished for some
+ever since we saw the ice."
+
+"You have made a good guess, Polly. Bring me the box that is in the
+hall."
+
+Out of the box Mr. Howe took two pairs of shining new skates.
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" cried both children, when they saw what was in the
+box.
+
+"We will go skating now," said father. "Then we can try them."
+
+At the edge of the river he stopped. He put on the children's skates.
+Then he put on his own.
+
+"I will show you how to do it," he said. "Then I will help you just a
+little."
+
+He showed them how to strike out, first with one foot and then with the
+other. His tracks looked like this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Then Polly tried, but her tracks looked like this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"That is not the way, Polly," said her father. "You are skating with
+your right foot. But you are only pushing with your left. You must skate
+with both. Watch me again."
+
+Then Peter tried. His tracks looked like this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The cross marks the place where Peter fell down. But he did not care. He
+got up and tried again.
+
+Polly was doing better. So her father took hold of her and helped her a
+little.
+
+He said, "I wish you to learn alone. Then you will be a good skater. If
+I help you all the time, you will never be able to skate alone."
+
+Polly said, "That is what my teacher tells us. She says, 'I will show
+you how to do it. And I will help you a little. Then you must try for
+yourself.'"
+
+"That is good," said father. "You must learn to do things alone. Your
+teacher and your father will not always be near."
+
+Soon the skates were taken off. "We must not stay too long the first
+time," said father. "You may come again to-morrow. You may skate every
+day until the snow comes."
+
+"Oh, may we, father, may we?" cried Peter and Polly, jumping up and
+down. "And when the snow comes, we can sweep it off the ice."
+
+"Maybe I shall not wish for any snow now," said Peter. "Maybe I like
+skating better."
+
+"You will get the snow just the same, my son," said father. "So you may
+as well wish for it. It is sure to come."
+
+"Now, good-by. We have all had a good time. Take my skates home with you
+and dry them when you dry yours. Then they will not rust. We will bring
+mother the next time we come."
+
+
+
+
+THE FIRST SNOWSTORM
+
+
+One morning mother called to Peter, "Wake up, Peter! Look out of your
+window. Winter has come."
+
+Peter had been dreaming about a big snow man who chased him. He jumped
+out of bed and said, "You didn't get me that time, old snow man. I woke
+up too soon."
+
+He ran to the window. The ground was white. The trees were white. The
+air was full of the white butterflies that Peter likes so well.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" he shouted. "I must go out to play! I must go out to play!"
+
+"Not until you are dressed, Peter," said mother. "Then you must have
+breakfast. After that you may go out."
+
+At breakfast father said, "It has snowed a foot since dark yesterday.
+How many inches is that, Polly?"
+
+"It is twelve inches, father. Do you think this snow has come to stay?
+Or will it melt away?"
+
+"I think that it will stay, Polly. It is time for sleighing."
+
+Peter and Polly put on their coats and caps, their leggings, overshoes,
+and mittens. Then they were ready to go out.
+
+At first Peter ran about in the yard. He kicked up the snow as he ran.
+It flew all over him.
+
+"Polly, Polly!" he called. "I am a snow man now. I shall chase you as
+the one in my dream chased me."
+
+He ran after her. Just as he caught her, she slipped. Down they both
+went. They were covered from head to foot with snow.
+
+"Now we are both snow men," said Polly. "Let's go and shake the little
+trees."
+
+These were two fir trees. They were at the side of the house. Polly took
+hold of the end of a low branch. Peter stood under the tree, while Polly
+shook it. Down came a shower of snow.
+
+Then Polly stood under the other, while Peter shook that. Down came
+another shower of snow. Some of this went into Polly's neck. But Polly
+did not care.
+
+"Now we will show grandmother how white we are," she said.
+
+Grandmother heard them coming. She went out on the piazza.
+
+She said, "I see two snow men. I cannot ask them in. Snow men would melt
+near the fire. Then they would be nothing but water."
+
+"Oh, yes, grandmother, they would be Peter and Polly," said Peter.
+
+"Why, Peter! Why, Polly! Is this really you? I have no spectacles on,
+this morning. Where are your sleds?"
+
+"In the barn, in the barn!" shouted Peter. "We could not wait for them."
+
+"See the posts of your fence, grandmother," said Polly. "They all have
+on tall white caps."
+
+"So they have, Polly. And how clean the snow caps are. How clean the
+snow makes everything. We are all glad to have it, aren't we?"
+
+"I am, I am!" shouted Peter. "Winter has come, winter has come! Good-by,
+grandmother. I must go and play."
+
+"Good-by," called grandmother. "Come down to dinner, if mother will let
+you. We will have sugar on snow."
+
+"She will let us," called Peter. "I know she will. And I will get the
+pan of snow for the sugar."
+
+
+
+
+THE STAR SNOWFLAKE
+
+
+All that day Peter and Polly played in the snow. All day Peter's white
+butterflies fell. Down they came out of the air, softly and silently.
+
+Peter liked to stand and look up into the sky. He liked to feel the soft
+flakes light upon his face. He liked to see them on his coat sleeve.
+
+Polly said, "Aren't the flakes pretty, Peter? They are little stars. The
+perfect ones have six points. The Story Lady told me a story about a
+star snowflake. I will tell it to you.
+
+"Once a little water fairy lived in our brook, back of grandmother's
+house. One day she was very, very naughty. She did not wish to go up
+into the air. She did not wish to be part of a cloud. She wished to
+stay in the brook.
+
+"Her father said, 'You must go. And I shall have you punished for being
+so naughty. I shall have Jack Frost change you into a snowflake.'
+
+"Jack Frost came one day to change the cloud into snowflakes. He saw how
+sorry the water fairy was because she had been so naughty.
+
+"So he said, 'You know that I have to make all snowflakes like stars.
+Some of them are very pretty. I will change you into the prettiest star
+snowflake that I know.'
+
+"'And when you melt,' said Jack Frost, 'you will be a water fairy again.
+You will always be good then, won't you?'
+
+"So he changed her into a beautiful star snowflake. I have seen her
+picture. The Story Lady showed it to me."
+
+"Let's find her," said Peter. "Then let's show her to the Story Lady.
+That will be better than the picture."
+
+So the children looked and looked. They found many stars. But Polly was
+not sure that any one of them was the right one.
+
+At last Peter found the most beautiful star of all. "This is the water
+fairy, this is the water fairy!" he cried.
+
+And Polly said, "It does look like the picture. So let's go and show it
+to the Story Lady."
+
+Down they went to her house and into the kitchen. There was the Story
+Lady, washing dishes.
+
+"O Story Lady," said Peter. "I have the water fairy on my arm! She is
+changed into a star. See her!"
+
+But when the Story Lady looked, there was no star snowflake.
+
+"She has gone," said Peter. "That is too bad." And he looked ready to
+cry.
+
+"Why, yes, Peter," said the Story Lady. "She has gone. But don't you
+think that she is happy to be just a water fairy again? She likes that
+better, you know. You must be glad that you found her and helped her
+melt."
+
+"I am glad," said Peter. "But it was only a 'Once upon a time' story,
+wasn't it?"
+
+"Of course it was, Peter. But don't you know that all snowflakes are
+water fairies? Now run along and play with those that are left."
+
+
+
+
+HOW PETER HELPED GRANDMOTHER
+
+
+Grandmother was getting ready for Thanksgiving. Peter and Polly and
+father and mother were going to her house on that day.
+
+So grandmother was making mince pies. She was making other things, too.
+One was fruit cake.
+
+Peter and Polly were down at grandmother's, helping. At least, Polly was
+helping and Peter was hindering.
+
+He seemed bound to stand just where grandmother wished to walk. He
+spilled a cup of milk on the table. After he had wiped it up, he upset
+some flour.
+
+But he did not mean to hinder.
+
+Polly watched her grandmother make the pies. She watched her roll the
+pie crust thin and trim it to the size of the plate.
+
+She said, "If I had some dough, I am sure I could do that."
+
+Her grandmother gave her some and a little plate. Polly rubbed the plate
+with melted butter. Then she rolled out the dough and put it on the
+plate.
+
+"That is very good, Polly. Now we will fill our pies. Here is the
+mincemeat."
+
+Polly tried to make her little pie look like grandmother's large one.
+
+"Next we must put on the covers," said grandmother. "Roll yours out like
+mine."
+
+She had Polly stick a knife through her cover in four places. Ask your
+mother why she did this.
+
+Then she helped Polly put on her cover, for that was quite hard to do.
+Last of all she showed her how to pinch together the edges.
+
+"Now," said grandmother, "we will bake our pies. What shall you do with
+yours?"
+
+"I should like to take it home to show mother and father. May I?"
+
+"Why, to be sure. They ought to have a bite of your first pie. Please,
+Peter, carry this pail of sugar into the pantry for me. I do not need it
+any more."
+
+The pies were baked brown. As soon as hers was cool enough, Polly
+carried it up the hill to mother.
+
+"See, mother," she said, "I can cook now. Grandmother let me make a pie.
+It is for you and father."
+
+"How good it looks, Polly! We will try it for dinner. You have done this
+well. I see that I must begin to teach you to cook.
+
+"Bread comes first. The next time I sponge bread, you may try. Your
+first good loaf you may take to grandmother."
+
+"Oh, may I, mother? I want to learn to cook. Then I can cook for you and
+father. I watched grandmother all the morning. I helped her, too."
+
+"So did I help grandmother," said Peter.
+
+"O Peter, what did you do to help?" asked Polly. "You spilled the milk
+and then you spilled the flour. That isn't helping much."
+
+"I did help," said Peter. "I helped all the morning. I worked very
+hard."
+
+"I am sure that you meant to, Peter," said mother. "But tell me what you
+did."
+
+"Why," said Peter, "why, I carried away the pail of sugar."
+
+Polly laughed, but mother said, "That was kind, Peter. And you know that
+you always help by being a good boy. So I really think that you are
+right."
+
+
+
+
+THE SNOW MAN
+
+
+"Let's make a snow man this morning. Will you, Peter? The snow is just
+right for big balls."
+
+"Then we will," said Peter. "But let's get Tim to help us."
+
+Tim is Peter's playmate. He lives on a farm. His house is farther up the
+hill. Look for it on the map in the front of this book.
+
+Soon Tim was down at Peter's. His big dog Collie was with him. Wag-wag
+and Collie are friends. They often play together.
+
+The three children began to roll snowballs. Polly's grew very large. The
+boys had to help her with it. They pushed it over and over. At last it
+was quite near the edge of the bank.
+
+"One more push," said Polly. "Then it will be just right. People can see
+the man from the road."
+
+But that push was too much. Over the edge of the bank the big ball
+rolled.
+
+"Oh, stop, stop!" cried Peter. "Do not run away. We will make you into a
+good snow man."
+
+But the ball did not stop. It rolled against Tim. It knocked him flat.
+Peter and Polly fell down the bank after it. At last it smashed itself
+against the fence.
+
+"Never mind," said Polly. "We can make another. Do not let the next one
+knock you down, Tim."
+
+"Old snowball ran over me," said Tim. "But I do not care. He smashed
+himself."
+
+Another big ball was made. It was rolled into place. Then smaller ones
+were lifted on it. These were for the body.
+
+At last the head was ready. Polly stood in a chair. She stuck the head
+on the body. She made eyes, a nose, and a mouth with small sticks.
+
+She put an old hat on the head. She put a branch under the arm.
+
+Then she said, "We will name you White Giant. You may take care of our
+house at night. In the daytime you may play with us. Will you, old
+Giant?"
+
+Polly did not think that the snow man could talk. But just then she
+heard some one say, "Of course I will play with you, Polly."
+
+"Oh, oh! Has he come alive?" cried Peter. "Can he chase me? I do not
+wish him to do that." And he ran behind Polly.
+
+"I cannot chase you, Peter," the snow man seemed to say. "I cannot move
+at all in the daytime. But at night you should see me."
+
+"I saw you the other night in a dream," said Peter. "I did not like you.
+You chased me."
+
+"I will never do that again, Peter. So you must not be afraid of me."
+
+Just then Tim cried out, "Look, look!" And there behind a tree was
+Peter's father.
+
+Polly laughed. "I know now that the snow man did not talk," she said.
+"At first I thought he did. It was you, wasn't it, father?"
+
+"Why do you think so, Polly? You didn't see me. Did it sound like me?"
+
+"No, it did not, father," said Peter. "And I think it was the snow man.
+I am going to watch him to-night and see."
+
+"Why don't you?" asked father. "I should like to know about it. You tell
+me when you find out. Where are your mittens, Tim? Aren't your hands
+cold?"
+
+"I've lost them. And Peter has lost one of his red ones. We can't find
+them at all."
+
+"Perhaps they are under the snow. The sun will help you find them by and
+by. Peter, run in and tell mother. She will get some mittens for you and
+Tim to wear.
+
+"When you come back, bring the old broom. That is better than the branch
+for your snow man. If you watch to-night, you may see what he does with
+it."
+
+
+
+
+PETER'S DREAM
+
+
+At bedtime Peter said, "I want to sit up. I am going to watch the snow
+man."
+
+"Why?" asked mother.
+
+"I heard him speak," said Peter. "He said he would not chase me. He said
+I ought to see him at night. He can move then."
+
+"Very well," said mother. "But you might get into your bed. You can
+watch him from your window."
+
+"I did not think of that, mother. I will go now."
+
+Soon Peter was in bed. By sitting up, he could see the snow man. His
+window was wide open. But Peter had on thick night clothes. He did not
+feel the cold.
+
+The moon was bright. Peter thought of his friend, the Fairy Bird. He
+wished the Bird would come again and take him to the moon.
+
+All at once he rubbed his eyes. Where was the snow man? He looked again.
+The snow man was gone!
+
+"Oh, oh!" said Peter to himself. "I've lost him. That's too bad. Now I
+shall not see anything."
+
+But just then the door opened softly. Peter saw something white coming
+into his room. It was the snow man!
+
+Peter was so surprised that he nearly jumped out of bed. He was
+frightened, too. He called, "Oh, dear!"
+
+"Sh, sh, sh!" said the snow man. "You'll wake every one in the house. I
+came up here to please you. I don't care to see any one else.
+
+"It was hard work climbing the stairs. You children didn't make me very
+good legs; nor very good arms, either, I must say. I have no feet and no
+hands.
+
+"My hat came off when I broke myself away from the snow. But, without
+hands, I couldn't put it back on my head.
+
+"I do wish that you would make me better next time. You can, if you try.
+But I'm thankful you gave me eyes and a mouth, too. I like to see and I
+like to talk."
+
+"Don't you like to eat?" asked Peter. "What do you eat? Oh, dear! I'm
+afraid you eat little boys like me."
+
+The snow man began to shake. Bits of snow dropped on the floor.
+
+"Why, Peter, I believe you are afraid of me. You needn't be. You'll
+laugh, too, when I tell you what I do eat. Sticks and twigs and leaves
+that I pick up when you are rolling me.
+
+"Best of all I like mittens. I don't get very many. But I ate yours and
+Tim's this morning. They were good. I like red ones best. And I had only
+one red mitten."
+
+Then Peter did laugh. "What queer things to eat," he said. "And how
+funny you look when you laugh. You shake, but you do not laugh with your
+mouth."
+
+"Yes," said the snow man. "That's all because of Polly. You see, she
+made my mouth with a horrid straight stick. I can't bend it at all."
+
+"You make me very cold," said Peter. "You are so white. I want my mother
+to come and tuck me up."
+
+"I will try," the snow man said. And, with his snowy arms, he tried to
+pull up the bedclothes. One arm slipped and hit Peter's neck. Peter was
+so surprised that he screamed.
+
+In just a minute mother ran in. "What is it, dear?" she asked.
+
+Peter could only say, "The snow man, the snow man! He has been up here!"
+
+"He's out in the yard, dear. I can see him. And he has lost his hat. The
+wind must have blown it off. It has been raining hard. The rain has come
+in at the window. It is wet on the floor."
+
+"He didn't have his hat up here," said Peter. "He dropped it when he
+started. He couldn't put it on. And he made those spots on the floor.
+It was not the rain. Pieces of snow dropped off him when he laughed."
+
+Mother only said, "I'll tuck you up again, Peter. We can see about it in
+the morning. Now good night."
+
+In the morning the rain had stopped. The children went to look at the
+snow man. He had grown much smaller in the night. There was a crack near
+the bottom of his legs.
+
+"He did walk, he did, I know he did!" cried Peter. "That's what made the
+crack. And, O Polly, look at this!"
+
+Sticking out of the snow man's stomach was the end of a red mitten!
+
+
+
+
+CUTTING THE CHRISTMAS TREE
+
+
+It was nearly Christmas. Peter could hardly wait for the day to come.
+
+He kept saying, "Mother, will it be Christmas to-morrow? Mother, will it
+be Christmas to-morrow?"
+
+At last father said, "Do you want Christmas before I get the tree?"
+
+"No," said Peter. "But will you ever get it?"
+
+"I will to-day. You and Polly may go with me. We will choose the
+prettiest fir tree we can find. Put on your things, and we will start
+now."
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" cried Peter, jumping up and down. "Now I know that
+Christmas is almost here."
+
+"It will be here to-morrow," said father. "Run and tell Polly."
+
+They went through the field back of the house. They climbed over the
+stone-wall post office. Polly looked into some of the boxes for mail.
+
+She said, "Father, one day Peter told me that he had a pony in his
+post-office box."
+
+"It must have been a very large box, Polly. We do not have such large
+ones at the store. Which is it?"
+
+"I don't care if I didn't have it in my box," said Peter. "I think I
+shall get it on the tree. It will be up in the tiptop."
+
+"Then we must find a strong tree, my boy. Can you see one you like?"
+
+"That one," said Peter.
+
+Father laughed. "That is a strong tree. But it is too tall. We should
+have to cut a hole in the ceiling to stand it up. Find a smaller one."
+
+"There is a good tree, father. See how pretty it is. It looks like our
+little firs at home."
+
+"I believe that is just right for us, Polly. I will cut it down. Please
+hold my coat."
+
+Father swung his ax. He gave three sharp blows. All at once there was a
+chatter overhead.
+
+In the next tree a gray squirrel was running up a large branch. He was
+scolding with all his might. His tail was jerking. He looked very cross.
+
+"Well, old fellow," said father, "did I disturb you? I am sorry. Go back
+to sleep. We will not take your tree."
+
+"His is too bare, isn't it, father? The leaves have all gone. We must
+have a fir tree for ours. It has queer leaves. But they do not fall off
+in the winter."
+
+"That is why we call such trees evergreens, Polly. They are always
+green. Pine trees are evergreens, too. Their needles are longer than fir
+needles."
+
+"I think that is one of our squirrels," said Peter. "He took our nuts,
+Polly. I wonder where he put them."
+
+"He thought they were his," said Polly. "He needed them."
+
+Soon father had cut down the fir. He put it over his shoulder. The end
+dragged on the snow.
+
+"Now we are ready for home," he said. "To-night mother and I will dress
+this tree. To-morrow you may see it."
+
+"Have you really a dress for it?" asked Peter. "I hope it is red. Who
+made it?"
+
+"O Peter, how silly you are! Father means dress it up with candy bags
+and popped corn and presents."
+
+"I know now," said Peter. "Ponies and guns and things."
+
+"See the snow sparkle, children. The sun makes it do that. Look at the
+blue sky. Doesn't the air feel good to you?"
+
+"It makes me feel like running," said Polly.
+
+"Then run along, chicks. You will get home first. Tell mother that the
+Christmas tree is really coming. You may pop the corn this afternoon."
+
+
+
+
+THE GIVE-AWAY BOX
+
+
+When Peter and Polly got home, they ran into the house.
+
+"Mother, mother!" they shouted. "The Christmas tree is coming. Father
+has it."
+
+"Why, mother," said Polly, "what makes the house smell so sweet? It
+smells just like the woods."
+
+"It is the green wreaths, Polly. I have them in all the rooms. There is
+one on the front door, too. These wreaths smell better than the ones
+that we buy. You may help me make the rest of them. We need more."
+
+So the children went into the kitchen. On a table were pieces of
+evergreen boughs.
+
+They helped their mother twist the pieces into circles. On each circle
+she wound many small twigs. When done, the wreaths were firm and thick
+and green.
+
+"How good it does smell, mother. I like Christmas smells. But see my
+hands."
+
+"That is the pitch from the greens, Polly. Just rub on a little butter.
+It will take off the pitch. Then wash your hands in warm water. I will
+clean up the rest of the greens. When this is done, we will pop our
+corn."
+
+That was always fun. Polly liked to shake the popper. She liked to see
+the white kernels of corn hop up and down. She liked the good smell,
+too.
+
+Soon two large panfuls were popped. Then came another task. The corn
+must be strung. Polly and Peter both helped. But, of course, mother
+could string faster than they. She told them stories while they worked.
+
+"When I was a little girl," said mother, "we did not have a Christmas
+tree. Instead, we hung up our stockings. We hung them near the
+fireplace. We thought Santa Claus could reach them better there.
+
+"I was the smallest in our family. So my stocking was the smallest. My
+presents would never go into my stocking. This used to tease me.
+
+"My dear grandmother found it out. One day she said to me, 'I am going
+to knit you a new red stocking. It is not to wear. It is for you to
+hang up.'
+
+"And the very next Christmas, what do you think? She had knit me a
+stocking as long as I was tall! How pleased I was to hang it up!
+
+"Now, children, the Give-away Box is ready. You may choose your things
+to give away."
+
+On the floor in the dining room there was a large box. It was filled
+with games, dolls, bags of candy and popped corn, and many other things.
+
+These were for Peter and Polly to give away. They would make other
+children happy. And that would make Peter and Polly happy, too.
+
+Peter chose a jumping jack for Tim. Polly chose to give him a whistle.
+
+"He cannot whistle with his mouth yet," she said. "Perhaps Collie will
+come for this whistle."
+
+When Polly was out of the room, Peter chose a present for her. It was
+the prettiest doll that he had ever seen.
+
+Polly chose a train of cars for Peter. But he did not know that.
+
+"We can give this candlestick to Mrs. White," said Polly. "She gave us
+back our Jack-o'-lanterns. I think she would like it."
+
+Mother said, "Why don't you give the hot water bag to grandmother? Her
+bag leaks."
+
+"Oh, we will, we will!" cried both children.
+
+"Farmer Brown is our friend," said Polly. "He showed us his sheep. Mrs.
+Brown is our friend, too. She gave us a party last summer. The lambs
+came to it. It was on her steps. Let us give them two wreaths."
+
+"There is my teacher," said Peter. "I will give her these marbles."
+
+Polly said, "Your teacher! You don't go to school, Peter."
+
+"I did one day," said Peter. "I like her. She was good to me. She is my
+teacher. I don't care what you say."
+
+"Never mind about that, chicks," said mother. "I'm afraid she hasn't a
+pocket for the marbles. Why not give her the box of handkerchiefs?"
+
+Before long the Give-away Box was empty. The presents were tied up.
+Every friend in the village had been remembered.
+
+Peter and Polly were tired. They were glad when it was bedtime.
+
+As mother tucked her up, Polly said, "I like the Give-away Box. It is
+fun. It is as much fun as it is to get things. You gave it to us,
+mother. You give us everything."
+
+"Father, too," said mother. "And it makes fathers and mothers happy to
+do that."
+
+
+
+
+CHRISTMAS MORNING
+
+
+Early Christmas morning Peter awoke. He heard a noise in mother's room.
+So he knew that he might get up.
+
+He pushed open the door. "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" he shouted.
+
+"Merry Christmas," said mother, hugging him tightly.
+
+"Merry Christmas," said father, tossing him up into the air. "Did you
+see Santa Claus last night?"
+
+Just then Polly ran in. "Oh, oh, it is Christmas!" she cried. "Merry
+Christmas! Merry Christmas! See what I found in my bed."
+
+It was a box of animal crackers. They were all sheep.
+
+"O father! You did it for a joke. You know I do not like mutton."
+
+Peter ran to look in his room. He thought a joke might be there, too.
+
+"See, see!" he shouted. "I have found a letter box. That is not a joke."
+
+"Look inside," said father.
+
+Peter looked. There he saw a very small pony. It was made of cloth. On
+its back it had a cloth monkey.
+
+"A joke, a joke!" cried Polly. "Your pony came in your letter box after
+all."
+
+There were to be no more presents until after breakfast. So the children
+dressed quickly.
+
+It was hard for them to eat anything.
+
+At last Polly said, "I cannot wait another second. I will eat my
+breakfast with my dinner. Here comes grandmother. Now may we open the
+door and see the tree?"
+
+"In just a minute," said father. "You say 'Merry Christmas' to
+grandmother. I have one last thing for the tree. You may come in when I
+call." And out he ran.
+
+"I wonder what it is," said Polly. "I can hear him coming back through
+the side door."
+
+Then grandmother came in, and Polly forgot to wonder any more.
+
+At last they heard father shout, "Come!"
+
+Polly opened the door, and the children rushed in.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" said Polly.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" said Peter.
+
+Such a beautiful tree they had never before seen. It was hung with
+strings of popped corn and red cranberries. It was covered with colored
+balls and big gold stars. Over it was white, shiny stuff that looked
+like snow.
+
+It had candy bags and oranges. At the top, there was a doll with wings.
+And there were many boxes and packages.
+
+"Oh! Oh! Oh!" said both children again.
+
+"Do you like it?" asked mother.
+
+"I never saw anything so pretty," said Polly. "Is that a fairy at the
+top?"
+
+"I think it is Santa Claus's little girl," said Peter. "I should like to
+have her for my own."
+
+"Should you rather have that than anything else here?" asked father.
+
+"I think so, father. May I?"
+
+"Walk around the tree and see if you are sure, my son."
+
+Peter did as he was told. He had not taken many steps when he jumped
+back with a cry.
+
+"What is it? What is it?" he asked.
+
+Polly ran forward, and what do you think she saw?
+
+On the other side of the tree something moved. Polly saw two large eyes,
+two long ears, a brown head, and then she knew that it was a pony.
+
+"Peter, Peter!" she cried, "here is the pony! It is on the Christmas
+tree! O Peter, Peter, Peter!"
+
+"Lead her out," said father. "She will come with you. She likes
+children."
+
+So Polly took hold of the little strap. And the pony walked out into the
+room after her.
+
+"Her name is Brownie," said father. "She is grandmother's present to you
+and Peter. She is half yours and half Peter's."
+
+"O grandmother!" cried Polly. "I thank you now, but I will thank you
+better by and by."
+
+"Which half is mine, grandmother?" asked Peter.
+
+"Half of both halves," said grandmother. "Why?"
+
+"Nothing," said Peter. "I love both her halves. And I love you, too. And
+I love the tree, and Christmas, and everybody."
+
+"And so you should," said father. "Come now, we will take Brownie to her
+stable. Then you may get the presents off the tree."
+
+
+
+
+THE SNOW HOUSE
+
+
+One day there was a heavy snowstorm. At the same time the wind blew. It
+heaped the snow over the road in front of Polly's house.
+
+The snow was so deep that horses could not walk through. Men had to dig
+the road out.
+
+Mr. Howe helped to do this. Peter and Polly watched the work. They
+thought it great fun.
+
+The men threw the snow by the side of the road. Soon the piles were very
+high. They were twice as high as Polly could reach.
+
+A few days after this Polly said, "I know what we can do."
+
+"What?" asked Peter.
+
+"Let's play Eskimos."
+
+"How do you play it?" asked Peter.
+
+"Well," said Polly, "first we must make a snow house. Then we can think
+of other things to do."
+
+"We can't," said Peter.
+
+"Can't what?" asked Polly. "Can't think of things to do? I can, if you
+can't."
+
+"No," said Peter, "we can't make a snow house. We tried. It tumbled
+down. Don't you remember?"
+
+"I've thought how to do it, Peter. Come on. I will show you."
+
+Polly took Peter to the great pile of snow by the side of the road.
+
+"There is our house," she said. "It is all made for us."
+
+"That isn't any house, Polly. I think I won't play with you to-day. You
+tease me. I am going to see Tim. Good-by."
+
+"O Peter! Wait, wait! I won't tease. I will tell you about it now. That
+is our house really and truly. But it is just the outside.
+
+"We must make a hole in the pile for a door. Then we must dig out the
+inside. Can't we do that, Peter?"
+
+Peter said, "Oh, yes. We can do that. I see about it now. I will help.
+We can dig very well.
+
+"We dug our cyclone hole last summer. Perhaps we shall find another box
+with silver dollars in it."
+
+"Perhaps we shall not, too," said Polly. "I don't expect to find things
+in the snow. People hide their gold and silver in the ground.
+
+"The ground does not melt. Snow does. So it would not hide their gold
+and silver very long."
+
+"Why doesn't the ground melt, Polly?"
+
+"Well, I don't know. You ask father. Snow melts because it is made of
+water."
+
+"Butter melts, sugar melts," said Peter. "They are not made of water. I
+wish to know why the ground does not melt, too. I wish to know now."
+
+"Peter, can't you stop asking questions and go to work? See, first we
+must dig a path here. Then we will begin our door."
+
+It took a long time to dig the path. But at last it was finished. Then
+they made a hole. It went straight into the side of the big snow pile.
+That was for the door.
+
+"Now we must hollow out a place," said Polly. "It will be our room. We
+must make it large. We shall sleep there and eat there and live there.
+That is the way the Eskimos do. I read it in a book at school."
+
+"I'd rather live in a house," said Peter. "Let's live in the house and
+play out here."
+
+"Then we will," said Polly. "It would be cold here anyway. I should
+think Eskimos would freeze in snow houses. But they do not."
+
+The next day the children scraped out more snow, and the next and the
+next. At last they had made quite a large room.
+
+It was nearly round. The floor was packed hard. The white walls were
+smooth. Polly could stand up straight in the middle.
+
+Mother gave them an old rug for the floor.
+
+She said, "Eskimos have fur rugs. You must play that this is bearskin."
+
+Father said, "Do you know what Eskimos call a snow house? It is igloo.
+Perhaps some day I will try to crawl into your igloo. I should like to
+see it."
+
+"Oh, do, father. Then we will have a party. It is quite warm inside. But
+we can make the door bigger for you."
+
+"Never mind about that," said father. "Perhaps I can get a fairy to
+shrink me. We shall see."
+
+
+
+
+THE FALL OF THE IGLOO
+
+
+For many days the children played in their igloo. More snow fell. They
+dug it out of the path. Then they could get to the door.
+
+"It only makes our house taller," said Polly. "It does not hurt the
+inside. I do not care how much snow comes on top of it."
+
+"You may care some day," said father. "Snow is heavy. After a while it
+may break down your roof."
+
+"What if we are inside when the roof breaks, Peter? The snow will get
+down our necks."
+
+"It will do more," said father. "It will bury you."
+
+"Will it hurt us, father?"
+
+"I think not. But you will look like snow men afterward."
+
+One day Tim was playing with Peter and Polly. They were in the igloo.
+Collie was outside playing with Wag-wag.
+
+Wag-wag could go into the igloo. But the children did not like to have
+Collie there. He was so large that he took up too much room.
+
+Polly was the mother Eskimo. Peter was the father Eskimo. Tim was the
+little boy Eskimo.
+
+_Mother Eskimo._ "I think we need some meat. We need a seal. I can use
+its skin. I will make boots of it."
+
+_Father Eskimo._ "I killed a bear yesterday. Use the bearskin for
+boots."
+
+_Mother Eskimo._ "Oh, no. That would not make good boots. I need
+sealskin for them. Besides I wish to use the bearskin to make some
+trousers. I must have new ones."
+
+"O Polly," said Peter, "women do not wear trousers."
+
+"Eskimo women do, Peter. Now you go and catch me a seal."
+
+_Father Eskimo._ "But it is cold. I may have to watch many hours for a
+seal. I must sit very still beside his hole in the ice. If I move, he
+will not come up there to breathe. Perhaps I shall freeze, sitting so
+still."
+
+_Mother Eskimo._ "No, you will not. Do I not make you good fur clothes?
+Do I not sew them with my good bone needle? They will keep you warm."
+
+_Father Eskimo._ "Yes, but don't I have to get the fur for them? That is
+harder than making the clothes."
+
+_Mother Eskimo._ "I am not so sure that it is. Should you like to scrape
+the skins to clean them? Should you like to chew them to make them
+soft?"
+
+_Father Eskimo._ "No, I should rather hunt than chew skins. So I will go
+now."
+
+Father Eskimo crawled out of the igloo. He called to the dogs.
+
+"Come here, dogs. You must drag my sledge. I am going out to catch a
+seal. You must draw it home on the sledge."
+
+The dogs were jumping up and down and playing with each other. They did
+not know that they were Eskimo dogs.
+
+Peter could not get them. He grew quite cross. He crawled back into the
+igloo.
+
+"I cannot catch the dogs," he said. "I shall not go hunting. I shall not
+play Eskimo any more to-day."
+
+Polly started to speak. But instead she screamed. Something was
+happening. What were the dogs doing? Were they on the top of the igloo?
+
+The roof was breaking. She could see the leg of one dog sticking
+through. Then something fell on the children.
+
+It was the snow roof. It was also two dogs. Collie and Wag-wag had
+broken down the igloo.
+
+Father was just coming home. How he laughed when he saw the children and
+the dogs. He pulled them out from under the snow.
+
+He said, "Aren't you glad you are not real Eskimos? Aren't you glad you
+live in a strong house? Let's all go in and see what mother is cooking
+for supper. It will not be seal meat. Tim must come, too."
+
+
+
+
+PULLING PETER'S TOOTH
+
+
+Peter had a loose tooth. It was a lower front tooth. It was his first
+loose tooth. He had always wanted one.
+
+When Polly's teeth became loose, he would feel of his.
+
+He would say, "I wish I could wiggle mine, too. I wish I could pull mine
+out."
+
+Mother said, "You are not yet old enough to lose your teeth. I am glad
+that you are not. Why do you wish to have a loose tooth?"
+
+"Because they are nice to wiggle," said Peter. "Because Polly is faster
+than I am. She has had four. I like the holes in her face, too. She can
+make a funny noise through them. It is a whistle."
+
+"Your turn will come by and by," said mother. "I suppose you will lose
+your upper front teeth first."
+
+But it happened one day that Peter fell down. He bumped his nose. He
+also cut his lip on a tooth.
+
+He must have bumped that tooth quite hard, for it became loose. Peter
+was much pleased.
+
+"I should let it alone," said mother. "Perhaps it will grow tight
+again."
+
+But Peter could not seem to let it alone. He wiggled it with his tongue.
+He wiggled it with his fingers. At last he made it very loose.
+
+Then he said, "Polly, I must pull my tooth."
+
+"Oh, let it come out," said Polly. "Two of mine did."
+
+"No," said Peter. "I shall pull it. You pulled one of yours with your
+fingers. I shall do that."
+
+But the loose tooth would not come out.
+
+"It will not pull," said Peter. "I shall put a string on it. I shall tie
+the end of the string to the door. Then I shall shut the door hard. It
+will pull my tooth. You did that."
+
+"Yes," said Polly. "That was fun. But I know a better way now. I will
+show it to you."
+
+She took a flatiron. She tied a string to it. She set it on the kitchen
+table. Then she tied the other end of the string to Peter's loose tooth.
+
+She said, "This string is too short to reach the floor. You push the
+flatiron off the table. It will fall down and jerk out your tooth."
+
+"Shall I now?" asked Peter.
+
+"Yes, now."
+
+So Peter pushed the flatiron. But Polly had not been right. The string
+was too long. It reached to the floor.
+
+Down went the flatiron, bang! It landed on the edge of Peter's boot. It
+landed on the edge of Peter's toe, too. It hurt him, but not much. And
+the tooth did not come out.
+
+"Oh! Oh!" cried Peter. "It hurt my foot, it hurt my foot! It didn't pull
+out my tooth at all." And he started to jump up and down.
+
+The very first jump surprised him. Something pulled at his mouth and
+then seemed to let go.
+
+It was the string around his tooth. He had jumped up far enough to pull
+the tooth out himself.
+
+How Polly did laugh when she saw this!
+
+Peter cried, "It's out, it's out! We have found a new way! I found it!"
+And he got down on the floor to pick up his tooth.
+
+"I am going to save it to plant in my garden," he said.
+
+"To plant!" said Polly. "What for?"
+
+"So I shall have more," said Peter.
+
+Then Polly laughed again. She ran to tell mother about Peter's garden.
+
+
+
+
+DRIVING WITH FATHER
+
+
+One morning father said, "I am going to Large Village to-day. You
+children may have a ride. You may go as far as Farmer Brown's. I will
+leave you there."
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" cried Polly.
+
+"Oh, goody, goody!" cried Peter.
+
+"You are to stay to dinner. I shall have my dinner at Large Village. Run
+and get ready."
+
+"Oh, oh, oh!" cried both children at once.
+
+Farmer Brown lived two and one half miles away. You must follow the road
+past Mr. Howe's store to find his house.
+
+Peter and Polly liked to go there. They liked to see his horses, cows,
+sheep, pigs, and hens.
+
+"We can see the sheep," said Polly. "They will not be in the pasture.
+The snow has covered the grass. Their wool will be thicker now than it
+was last summer."
+
+"We can see the pigs," said Peter. "Perhaps they will grunt at us."
+
+They drove to the farm in a low sled. When they were out of the village,
+Mr. Howe stopped.
+
+"Do you wish to ride on the runners?" he asked.
+
+This was a great treat. Peter and Polly could never "catch rides" on
+people's sleds. Some of the other children were allowed to do this. But
+father showed Peter and Polly how they might get hurt.
+
+He said, "If you 'catch rides,' I shall worry. I shall worry all the
+time. So I ask you not to do it. When you drive with me, you may 'catch
+rides' all you please."
+
+So, on the way to Farmer Brown's, he drove slowly. And the children
+jumped on and off the sled at any time they wished. It was fun.
+
+The road followed the river all the way. But the river could not sing
+now. It was covered with ice.
+
+They passed through thick woods. Many of the trees were cedar. They are
+evergreens. So they had not lost their leaves.
+
+"Look there," said father, stopping the horse.
+
+On one tree were many little birds. They looked black and gray. They
+were hopping about from twig to twig. They were calling, "Chick-a-dee,
+chick-a-dee."
+
+"I know them," said Polly. "They are saying their own names over and
+over. They are getting their breakfast. Aren't they cold at night,
+father? Where do they sleep? I wish they would come to our house."
+
+"I hope they sleep in some old hole, Polly. Then they can keep one
+another warm. Perhaps they rent part of a woodpecker's hole for the
+winter.
+
+"We must put out some food for the birds to-morrow. Do not let me
+forget."
+
+At last Mr. Brown's house was in sight. The farmer and his wife came to
+the door to meet them.
+
+"Well, well," said Mr. Brown, "here are our little friends. Your cheeks
+are red. You look as if you had been running. Didn't your father give
+you a ride?"
+
+"Oh, yes," said Polly. "But we have been running behind. We have been
+catching rides on his sled. He lets us.
+
+"He lets us ride on the runners, too. He does not wish us to do it
+except on his sled."
+
+"I hope that you mind him," said Mr. Brown.
+
+"We do," said Polly.
+
+"Shall we go out to the barn?" asked the farmer. "Where is Wag-wag?
+Didn't you bring him? He might have come."
+
+"I didn't know he was invited," said Polly. "Yes, let's go to the barn.
+Let's see everything you have there. Have you any little lambs?"
+
+"It is not quite time for little lambs yet. But you can see all the
+sheep. They look fatter than they did last summer. That is because their
+wool has grown longer. When we get back, it will be dinner time."
+
+
+
+
+THE STAG
+
+
+"There is one hen that goes up into the hay," said Farmer Brown. "I
+think she lays her eggs there. But I cannot find them."
+
+"Let us go up into the hay to look for them," said Polly.
+
+So the children hunted. The barn was not very cold. Still it was not so
+nice as in the summer time.
+
+At last Polly nearly tumbled over something. It was the brown hen. She
+flew away with a loud cackle. Then Polly saw four eggs lying in the hay.
+
+"I've found them, I've found them!" she shouted. She gave Peter two and
+took two herself. Then they went down to show Mr. Brown.
+
+"You have sharp eyes," he said.
+
+"I used to think I could see better if I had spectacles," said Polly. "I
+used to think that I should have four eyes then."
+
+"I am going to feed the horses now," said Mr. Brown. "You may come."
+
+While Mr. Brown did this, Peter and Polly looked carefully at each
+horse. They were hunting for one that they knew.
+
+It was the old brown mare. They had ridden horseback on her last summer.
+That was when they went with John to hunt for the turtle's eggs.
+
+"There she is, I think," said Polly.
+
+"Are you looking for John's mare? Yes, that is the one," said Farmer
+Brown. "You will not need her to ride any more. I hear you have a pony
+of your own."
+
+Then the children told him about their pony. They told him about the
+Christmas tree.
+
+"Ho, ho!" laughed Farmer Brown. "Who ever heard of a pony on a Christmas
+tree?"
+
+"But think of a pony in a letter box," said Polly. And Farmer Brown
+laughed still more.
+
+How warm the cow stable was! Polly said, "How can it be so warm? There
+is no stove."
+
+"The cows themselves make it warm," said Mr. Brown. "See, here is one
+just the color of a deer. Isn't she pretty?"
+
+"I guess the deer would be glad, if they had such a nice, warm house,"
+said Polly.
+
+"Yes, the winter is hard for them. It is cold, and food is not easy to
+find. There are two that sometimes come to our barnyard. I give them
+grain and hay and salt."
+
+"I wish I could see a deer to-day," said Polly. "Let us go to the
+barnyard and look."
+
+"We will feed the sheep now, Polly. You can watch for one while I am
+doing that."
+
+When the sheep were fed, it was dinner time. After dinner Mrs. Brown let
+the children play on the piazza.
+
+All at once Peter said, "See the pretty cow coming down from the woods.
+Whose is she? Perhaps she is lost."
+
+"Where, Peter?" asked Polly.
+
+"Coming across the field. Now it is right there near the fence."
+
+"Oh, oh!" cried Polly. "That isn't a cow. I think it is a deer. See its
+horns."
+
+She called to Mr. Brown. Just as he came out of the house, the deer
+reached the fence. He walked quite close to it. Then he jumped over it.
+
+"A pretty jump," said Mr. Brown. "The fence is more than four feet high.
+That is a fine stag. A stag is a father deer, you know."
+
+The stag walked across the road. He jumped another high fence. Then he
+went off up the railroad track.
+
+"Oh," said Polly, "I wish I could jump like that. He didn't run at all."
+
+"It was a pretty sight," said Mr. Brown. "I am sorry the old fellow did
+not stop for dinner. I am afraid he will have nothing better than bark
+and twigs, now."
+
+"It wasn't a cow, was it?" asked Peter.
+
+"Cows can't jump like that, Peter. Though perhaps one did. I have heard
+of a cow that jumped over the moon. Have you?"
+
+"Yes, I have. But I know she didn't really. Oh, here is father. We will
+tell him about my pretty cow."
+
+
+
+
+POLLY'S BIRD PARTY
+
+
+"Do you remember something, father?" asked Polly.
+
+"What is it, chick?"
+
+"Something you told me not to forget, father."
+
+"Let me think. What was it? Yes, I remember now. We were to put out some
+food for the birds. Is that it?"
+
+"That is it. So, let us do it now."
+
+"Very well," said father. "We will. But mother must help. She must give
+us bones."
+
+"Bones!" said Polly. "Birds don't eat bones. But dogs do. If we put out
+bones, Wag-wag will get them."
+
+"Wag-wag will not get these," said father. "I shall tie them up in the
+trees. Wag-wag has not learned to climb trees."
+
+"I saw him trying one day," said Polly. "He was after a chipmunk. The
+chipmunk ran up a tree. Wag-wag put his fore paws on the trunk. He
+stood up on his hind feet. He tried hard to get up that trunk. He barked
+and barked."
+
+"What did the chipmunk do?" asked father.
+
+"The chipmunk stopped on a branch over his head. He sat there and
+chattered. Grandmother said he was laughing.
+
+"She told me he was saying, 'You can't come up, Wag-wag. You can't come
+up. You don't know how to climb. I am safe!'"
+
+"Perhaps he was saying that," said father. "Now here are the bones."
+
+"Oh, I see," said Polly. "They have meat and fat on them. That is for
+the birds. They need not try to eat bones."
+
+"Yes, and here is grass seed. Some birds would rather have that. And
+here is cracked corn, too. It is for the larger birds."
+
+He put the grass seed into small baskets. He did the same with the corn.
+
+"Now we are ready," he said. "You help me carry these things out. I will
+come back for the stepladder."
+
+Soon father had tied the bones to the trees. He put them on the small
+branches. He tied them so that the birds could get at them easily. The
+birds could perch on the branches and peck at the meat.
+
+He said, "I will not tie them to large branches. Some cat might walk out
+and catch our birds."
+
+Then he fastened up the baskets. He fastened them tightly. They could
+not swing. The birds could perch upon the edge and eat the seeds and the
+corn.
+
+"Now our party is ready," said father. "Do you suppose anything will
+come to it? We will keep food here the rest of the winter."
+
+How Peter and Polly watched the food! It seemed as if the birds would
+never come. But at last they found it.
+
+The very next morning Polly saw two birds eating there. She did not know
+what they were. She ran to tell mother.
+
+"See our birds!" she cried. "We have two. What are they, oh, what are
+they?"
+
+"You know them in the summer," said mother. "Then the father bird is
+yellow and black. You call them your canaries."
+
+"But they have changed their clothes," said Polly. "They do not look
+the same. They are not so pretty."
+
+"Many birds change their color," said mother. "Do you dress in the
+winter just as you do in the summer? How those birds like the seeds!"
+
+"There, there!" cried Polly. "See that big bird. He is after the meat. I
+know him. He is a blue jay. Don't you frighten away my other birds, Mr.
+Blue Jay."
+
+It was not long before many birds found the food. Day after day the
+chick-a-dees feasted. A few crows came. Once a flock of snowbirds
+stopped at the party. And there were many that Peter and Polly did not
+know.
+
+One day Polly saw a bird that she liked very much. It was a robin. She
+was surprised and pleased.
+
+"I did not know that robins were here in cold weather," she said to him.
+"I like you best of all. You make me think of spring. Peter likes winter
+best. But I like you and spring. Please come to see me every day."
+
+And the robin did for nearly a month. Then he came no more. Perhaps he
+grew tired of waiting for spring. Perhaps he flew south to find it.
+Polly never knew.
+
+
+
+
+THE NEW SLED
+
+
+"I am going to begin to make something to-day," said father. "The stove
+is lighted. The workshop is warm. Who will be my helper?"
+
+"I will," said Polly.
+
+"I will," said Peter.
+
+"Very well. You may both help. Come to the shop and guess what we are to
+make."
+
+The workshop was in Mr. Howe's barn. In it was a large workbench. Tools
+hung on the walls. A box of tools was near the bench.
+
+On the other side of the shop there was a very low workbench. It had two
+drawers. In the drawers were tools.
+
+There were two small hammers. There were two small saws. There were two
+small screw drivers. There were two pots of glue. There were nails,
+tacks, and screws.
+
+The big bench and the big tools were for Mr. Howe. The little bench and
+the little tools were for Peter and Polly.
+
+It was not hard to guess what was to be made. Father had laid the pieces
+of wood together. Any one could tell what they would make.
+
+"It's a sled like your low one," said Polly. "I think it must be for
+Brownie. It is too small for a big horse."
+
+"That is just what it is, Polly. Grandmother wished to give you a
+sleigh. But this will be better. If you tip over, you will not fall far.
+
+"I am glad to have you learn to use Brownie in the winter, too. The snow
+will make a soft cushion, if you fall off your sled."
+
+The parts of the sled had been made for father. He needed only to put
+them together. This did not take very long.
+
+"Now," said father, "the carpenters have finished their work. We must
+draw our sled to the blacksmith's shop."
+
+"What for?" asked Peter.
+
+"For the iron runners, my boy. They will make your sled slip easily. The
+blacksmith has been making them. He says that he will fit them on
+to-morrow."
+
+So the three took the sled to the blacksmith. On the way Polly rode a
+little. Then Peter rode a little. Father was the horse.
+
+Once he played that he was running away. He tumbled Polly off into the
+soft snow. The children thought this great fun.
+
+At the blacksmith's shop they saw the runners. These did not quite fit
+the wooden runners. Polly felt sorry about this.
+
+But the blacksmith said, "Never you mind, Polly. I can heat them at the
+forge. That will make them soft. Then I can bend them as I wish.
+
+"You ought to know about this. Haven't you seen me shoe horses? Haven't
+you seen me make the shoes fit?"
+
+"Yes," said Polly. "But, you see, I forgot about that."
+
+The next afternoon the sled came home. The blacksmith's boy drew it. The
+iron runners were on. They fitted well.
+
+"Now," said father, "we have another job to begin to-morrow. We must
+paint the sled. What color shall it be?"
+
+The children talked about it a long time.
+
+At last Polly said, "Peter likes red and I like red. May we paint it
+red, father?"
+
+"Red is a good color," said father. "We will paint it red. See that your
+brushes are soft. You must help on the work, you know."
+
+The next day the painting began. Each child had a part to do all alone.
+Of course, Peter got paint on his hands. And there were large, red spots
+on his clothes. But they were old, and no one cared.
+
+The first coat of paint dried quickly in the warm room. Then another was
+put on, and the work was done.
+
+Peter and Polly went to the workshop many times a day to look at the
+sled. They touched the paint with their fingers. Surely it must be dry.
+
+At last father said, "The paint is hard now. The sled is ready for use.
+We will harness Brownie to it to-morrow."
+
+
+
+
+BROWNIE
+
+
+"Now may we harness Brownie?" asked Polly.
+
+"Now you may," said father.
+
+He drew out the new, red sled. He put on Brownie's little harness. He
+helped the children harness her to the sled.
+
+They jumped in. Polly had the reins. She said, "Get up, Brownie," and
+Brownie walked out of the yard.
+
+"First, we will show grandmother," said Polly. "Brownie is grandmother's
+present. She must see us driving her."
+
+They stopped in front of grandmother's house. Peter went in to call her
+to the door. Polly held Brownie.
+
+"Well, well," said grandmother, "that is nice. What a pretty sled you
+have. I like the color."
+
+"We helped to make it," said Polly. "We wished you to see us first. We
+are going to show the children now. Hear our pretty sleigh bells.
+Good-by."
+
+Down the hill Brownie trotted. Her bells jingled softly. She went across
+the railroad track and into the bridge.
+
+Some of the village children were looking over the railing. They were
+watching men cutting ice.
+
+When they saw Peter and Polly, they cried, "Here comes the pony! See
+Peter and Polly! Look at the red sled! Give us a ride! Oh, give us a
+ride!"
+
+"Yes, we will," said Polly. "Come up on the street, where it is smooth.
+Two of you get in with us. We will take two more by and by."
+
+Polly could drive quite well. She had often driven father's horse, when
+father took her with him. She let each child hold Brownie's reins.
+
+"Let more ride at once," said one of the girls. "There is room in the
+sled."
+
+"No," said Polly. "The pony is strong, but she is little. I will not
+let her drag more than four. And two are enough, going uphill."
+
+So they trotted up and down the street. Sometimes the boys and girls who
+were not riding ran by Brownie's side. Brownie seemed to enjoy the fun
+as much as any of them.
+
+At last it was time to go home. The children all patted the pony. This
+was to thank her for the good time she had given them. Then Peter and
+Polly drove away, up the hill.
+
+Mother came out of the house. She said, "Do you think you can do an
+errand for me? Can you drive to the creamery? I wish some buttermilk.
+Here is a pail for it."
+
+"What fun," said Polly. "Yes, of course, we can do that. You hold the
+pail, Peter."
+
+Down the hill they trotted again. At the creamery, Polly took the pail.
+She went inside.
+
+She said, "Have you some buttermilk for me?"
+
+"Plenty," said the creamery man. "Just hold your pail under the faucet."
+
+"See our new pony," said Polly. "See our new sled."
+
+"Are you driving your pony? I saw her the day she came. She is a fine
+pony. If you tip over going home, come back for more buttermilk."
+
+"Thank you," said Polly. "We have not tipped over yet."
+
+"There always has to be a first time," said the man.
+
+Going up the hill, Polly said, "We are nearly home. Perhaps we shall not
+tip over to-day. Why does every one think that we shall?"
+
+But, as they turned into their driveway, Polly pulled the wrong rein.
+Brownie stepped to the side of the road. One of the sled runners struck
+a bank of snow.
+
+Over went sled, children, and buttermilk. Brownie stopped and looked
+around. Polly was standing on her head in the soft snow. Peter was
+covered with buttermilk. No one was hurt.
+
+Polly scrambled up. She pulled Peter to his feet. She said, "Don't cry,
+Peter. Buttermilk will not hurt you. You like it."
+
+"Yes, I do," said Peter. "But that is inside, not outside. How would you
+like it down your neck?"
+
+"Well," said Polly, "you get into the sled again. We must go back for
+more buttermilk. You may drive all the way. Perhaps you won't tip us
+over."
+
+
+
+
+DISH-PAN SLEDS
+
+
+"Peter and Polly," said mother, "should you like to play a new game?"
+
+"Oh, yes, oh, yes! Tell us fast!" cried both children.
+
+"I cannot tell you," said mother. "But I will show you. Get ready to go
+out of doors. Here comes Tim. That is good. He may play, too."
+
+"How many can be in this game, mother?"
+
+"Ever so many, Polly. Please take this dish pan. Peter, carry this pan.
+Tim, here is one for you. Now follow me."
+
+Mrs. Howe went through the open gate into the hayfield. A hard crust was
+on the top of the snow.
+
+"See, children," she said, "what a fine crust. It holds me up. It is
+just right for sliding. By and by the sun will make it soft."
+
+"I wish we had our sleds," said Peter. "Let's go back for them."
+
+"You have them with you," said mother. "That is the game."
+
+"I don't see any game," said Peter. "And I don't see any sleds."
+
+"Then I will show you, my son. Bring your big pan here. Put it down on
+the edge of the hill. Now sit in it. Hold on to the handles. Keep your
+feet up. You need not steer. You can't run into anything here. Now go."
+
+Mother gave Peter a push. Away he went on the icy crust.
+
+"Mother, mother!" cried Polly, jumping up and down. "Look at Peter,
+look! I want to go! I want to go!"
+
+"In a minute," said mother. "Watch Peter, first."
+
+Peter's dish-pan sled was not like a real sled. It did not go straight.
+It turned around and around. First Peter slid backward, then sideways.
+At last he reached the bottom.
+
+He stood up and looked around. Then he laughed.
+
+"Did you like it, Peter?" called mother.
+
+"I did! I did!" cried Peter. "It felt just like sliding and rolling down
+hill at the same time. I am going to play this game all the morning.
+Let's all go now."
+
+"Very well," said mother. "If you bump into one another, it won't hurt
+you. Get ready."
+
+So the children, in their dish-pan sleds, started down the hill. Polly
+bumped into Tim. This made him spin around and around. Polly went the
+rest of the way backward. Near the bottom she fell out.
+
+Just then Wag-wag came running up the field. He was dragging Peter's
+sled behind him.
+
+He had heard the children and was coming to find them. Perhaps he
+thought they had forgotten Peter's sled.
+
+"Oh, look, look!" said Polly. "Wag-wag has a sled, too. Let's give him a
+slide. Come here, Wag-wag. Come here, sir."
+
+But Wag-wag would not come. Instead, he ran up the hill past Mrs. Howe.
+The children picked up their dish pans and chased him.
+
+"Never mind," said mother. "When he is tired of playing with the sled,
+he may bring it back. Or you can go after it.
+
+"Now good-by. Slide until the crust is soft. Then come in. Do you like
+the new game, children?"
+
+"Oh, we do, we do!" they all cried.
+
+"And we like our new sleds, mother. We are going to name them," said
+Polly.
+
+"I am going to tell my mother not to wash dishes any more. I am going
+to tell her to give me her dish pan," said Tim.
+
+The children slid for a long time. At last the crust began to be soft.
+They sank in a little at every step.
+
+"I shall slide once more," Polly said. "Then I shall go home."
+
+"I shall get my sled first," said Peter. "I wish Wag-wag had not left it
+so far away."
+
+Peter started across the field. Before long, he came to a place where
+the snow was very soft. He sank into it as far as his legs could go. He
+could not get to the sled. So he went home feeling quite cross.
+
+Tim's father was in the yard. He had come for Tim. Collie was with him.
+
+Peter said, "Wag-wag is a bad dog. He left my sled out in the field. The
+snow is soft. I cannot get to it."
+
+Tim said, "My father will send Collie after your sled, Peter. Won't you,
+father?"
+
+"Oh, will you?" asked Peter. "I shall want to slide in the road after
+dinner. Dish pans are not good in the road. So I need my sled."
+
+"Why, yes," said Tim's father. "Collie can get it. He will not break
+through the crust as you do."
+
+He showed Tim's sled to Collie. He put the rope into Collie's mouth. He
+pointed to the end of the big field. Then he said, "Collie, go bring the
+sled."
+
+Collie was a wise dog. He understood many things that were said to him.
+He knew what his master wished him to do now.
+
+He went running over the snow. He found the sled and drew it home.
+
+"Good old Collie," said his master, patting him.
+
+"There," said Tim, "I told you Collie is smarter than Wag-wag. He is,
+too."
+
+"Maybe he isn't," said Peter. "Maybe Wag-wag was smart to leave my sled
+there. But anyway I like Collie because he got it for me."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CAT AND COPY-CAT
+
+
+One winter day grandmother had been visiting Mrs. Brown. In the
+afternoon she started for home. The sun was warm. The snow was packed
+hard in the road. The walking was good.
+
+Grandmother liked the cold, crisp air. She liked the blue sky, and the
+hills and fields all white with snow. She liked to hear the
+chick-a-dees, calling among the trees.
+
+She was halfway home, when she heard a noise behind her. It was, "Meow,
+meow."
+
+"That sounds like a cat," said grandmother to herself. "But, of course,
+it is not. No cat would be in these woods in winter."
+
+"Meow, meow," came the sound again.
+
+This time grandmother looked around. What do you think she saw? There,
+in the road behind her, were two black and white kittens. They were
+trotting along side by side. They looked just alike.
+
+Grandmother stopped and called, "Kitty, kitty, kitty! Come here, you
+pretty kitties. Where did you come from? Are you following me?"
+
+As soon as grandmother stopped, the kittens, too, stopped. She went back
+toward them. When she did this, the kittens turned and ran away. They
+did not wish to be caught.
+
+Grandmother called to them again. She tried in every way to get near
+them. But she could not.
+
+At last she said, "Poor kittens! You do not know that I am your friend.
+I do not like to leave you here in the cold. But I cannot stay any
+longer. I must go home."
+
+So she walked on up the road. When the kittens saw this, they started
+after her. She looked back and saw them following. Side by side they
+came, their little pointed tails straight up.
+
+"Well, I never!" said grandmother to herself. "Now, do you suppose they
+will follow me home?"
+
+She kept looking back to see. Every time she looked, the kittens were
+coming. But, if she stopped, they stopped.
+
+Through the village they went. They did not seem afraid. There were no
+people about. Not a dog was to be seen.
+
+At last they reached grandmother's house.
+
+"Now," said grandmother, "you have followed me to my door. Are you
+looking for a new home? Did you pick me out to be your mistress? If you
+really wish to live with me, you may. We shall see."
+
+She unlocked the door and went in. She left the door open. And after her
+went the two black and white kittens. They ran under the stove at once.
+Then grandmother shut the door.
+
+In a short time she gave them some warm milk. When they had finished it,
+they took a walk around the room.
+
+One found grandmother's workbasket. Then he felt sure that he should
+like his new home. He began to play with the spools.
+
+His brother saw him. He thought he should like a game, too. So he rolled
+some of the spools out on the floor. But grandmother put the basket away
+before they did much harm.
+
+Just then the telephone bell rang. The kittens both looked around. One
+jumped upon the table. From there he jumped to the telephone box.
+
+He put his paw on the bell, which kept ringing. Perhaps he thought it
+would play with him. Perhaps he did not like the noise.
+
+Then one jumped up into grandmother's lap. She patted it; and soon the
+other came, too.
+
+"You funny kittens," said grandmother. "You are almost alike. You, sir,
+have a black spot on this leg. You have not. If you are to be my
+kittens, I must name you.
+
+"You are so nearly alike, I shall call you Cat and Copy-cat. And, if you
+are good, you shall always live with me.
+
+"Now I will telephone to Peter and Polly about you."
+
+
+
+
+POLLY'S SNOWSHOES
+
+
+"Peter, I've thought of something. Let's make some snowshoes."
+
+"How do you do it, Polly?"
+
+"I think I know. I saw a pair this morning. They were made of barrel
+staves. They are not real snowshoes, of course."
+
+"Of course not," said Peter. "Father's snowshoes are not made of barrel
+staves. Let's go to look at his. Let's make some like them."
+
+"We can't, Peter. But we can make the other kind. Let's see if there is
+a broken barrel. Then we'll ask mother if we may have four staves."
+
+"My flour barrel is just empty," said mother. "We will roll it outside.
+I will knock it to pieces. Then you may have your four staves. Please
+clean them out of doors. If you do not, you will get flour all over the
+workshop."
+
+When the children took the staves into the workshop, Peter said, "What
+next?"
+
+"We want four strips of leather next. They are for straps. We will tack
+one strap on each stave. They will go across the staves. We will tack
+them at the sides. They must be loose. We shall put our toes under
+them."
+
+"How will our snowshoes stay on?" asked Peter.
+
+"I'll show you by and by. I must ask mother to cut this leather for me."
+
+When the leather was cut, Polly tacked on the straps. The snowshoes now
+looked like this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"I wish to put mine on," said Peter.
+
+So he stuck his toes under the leather straps. He scuffed over the
+floor. Then he tried to go backward. But he only pulled his feet out of
+the leather straps.
+
+"They will not stay on. I knew they would not," he said. "I do not like
+them very well."
+
+"I'm fixing mine so that they will stay on," said Polly. "I will fix
+yours, too."
+
+To each end of the leather straps Polly had tied a piece of soft rope.
+Her snowshoes now looked like this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Put your toes under the straps, Peter. I will wind the ropes back of
+your heels. Now they go around your ankles and tie in front. See if the
+snowshoes will come off now."
+
+Peter scuffed around the room again. The snowshoes held fast. They
+worked very well when he scuffed. But, if he tried to step, the backs
+flew up and hit him.
+
+"Father's don't do that," said Peter.
+
+"I know it," said Polly. "There are holes in father's. His toes go down
+through those holes. You haven't any holes. So your toes push the front
+of your snowshoes down. Then the backs fly up and hit you. You must
+scuff, not walk."
+
+"I will," said Peter. "Let's go out of doors and try them. They are
+good snowshoes now."
+
+So out the children went. There was a little crust. The children walked
+on it. Their snowshoes held them up.
+
+They called to mother. She must see them. Mother looked through the
+window. She clapped her hands.
+
+All went well for a few steps. Then the toe of Polly's snowshoe caught.
+It cut into the crust.
+
+This pulled Polly forward. She fell on her face. Her arms stuck down
+into the snow. The points of her snowshoes stuck down into the snow,
+too. At first Polly could not get up.
+
+Then she rolled over on her side. She was almost on her feet again, when
+Wag-wag dashed up.
+
+He had seen Polly rolling in the snow. He thought it was a game. He
+wished to play, too.
+
+He took the end of one snowshoe in his teeth. He pulled and pulled. He
+shook the snowshoe. Then he jumped around Polly and on her.
+
+Polly was laughing so that she could not scold him. She could only say,
+"Oh, don't, Wag-wag! Don't!"
+
+Mother and Peter were laughing. And perhaps Wag-wag was laughing, too.
+
+At last he stopped playing. Mother came out of the house. She threw a
+broom to Polly. Polly helped herself up with this.
+
+She said, "These are good snowshoes. They are best when I am on them.
+They are not so good when I am down. But I think that I can do better
+than that next time."
+
+
+
+
+THE WOODS IN WINTER
+
+
+"We are going on a picnic to-day, chicks," said Mr. Howe.
+
+"A picnic, father! I thought picnics were in summer."
+
+"So they are, Polly. But why not have a winter picnic, too? I am going
+into the woods. You may come, if you wish."
+
+"But at picnics we have things to eat. We eat out of doors."
+
+"We shall have things to eat to-day. And we shall eat out of doors,
+too."
+
+"But, father, we shall be cold!"
+
+"What keeps us warm in the house in winter, Polly?"
+
+"A fire," said Polly. "Oh, now I know, now I know! You will build a fire
+in the woods. Once you promised me that you would. Goody, goody, goody,
+goody!" And Polly jumped up and down for joy.
+
+"What shall we eat?" asked Peter. "Just bread and butter?"
+
+"Oh, no," said father. "We shall have bread and butter, of course. But
+we shall have other things, too. We will cook our dinner."
+
+"Oh, oh, oh!" cried both children.
+
+"Are you glad? I thought you would like it. Now help me get ready.
+Please get my knapsack, Polly."
+
+In the kitchen, mother was busy spreading bread. She wrapped paper
+around the slices. She put coffee into a small, cheese-cloth bag. She
+filled a flat bottle with milk.
+
+Father took six eggs. He rolled them up in paper. He put a jar of bacon
+into his knapsack. Then the bread, coffee, and eggs were fitted in. The
+bottle of milk went into his pocket.
+
+"We will take my camp dishes," he said. "I will fasten my hatchet to my
+belt. Get on your things, and we are ready."
+
+"Let's play that we are Indians," said Polly. "Where are we going,
+father?"
+
+"Up the wood road on the hill. I must see if all our wood has been cut.
+We need a little for our furnace, a little for our stove, and a great
+deal for our fireplaces.
+
+"Let's all keep our eyes wide open to-day. We may see interesting
+things."
+
+"I think that cooking our dinner will be interesting, father. I almost
+wish it were dinner time now."
+
+"We will build our fire where our trees have been cut. There we shall
+find plenty of firewood," said father.
+
+"See those tracks in the snow, children. A rabbit has been here. Yes,
+this hollow is where he lies. The snow is packed hard. It is a little
+dirty, too. Perhaps he is near by, watching us."
+
+"Poor rabbit," said Polly. "What a cold bed. The Eskimos have snow beds.
+But they have fur rugs to cover the snow."
+
+"The rabbit has one between him and the snow, too. Only his rug is on
+his back. It keeps him warm," said father.
+
+"Look, look!" cried Polly. "Over there by those trees!"
+
+"That's surely a rabbit, Polly. See him jump along. He is nearly as
+white as the snow. He did not wait for us to call, did he?"
+
+"What big jumps," said Polly. "I think he could beat Wag-wag."
+
+"I am sure that he could, Polly. His hind legs are very long. They are
+made for jumping. He can take twice as big jumps as he is taking now.
+But he will not, unless we frighten him."
+
+"Why doesn't he go into a hole in the winter? Why doesn't he sleep until
+spring comes? The woodchuck does. Why doesn't he?" asked Polly.
+
+"He is not made so that he can. Some animals store up fat on themselves.
+In the winter they go to sleep.
+
+"Then they seem to live on that fat. For, in the spring, they are always
+thin and hungry looking.
+
+"You couldn't do that, you know. And the rabbit cannot do it. What are
+those birds, Peter?"
+
+"Chickadees," said Peter. "I always know them. They cannot fool me. They
+never say anything but 'chick-a-dee.'"
+
+"Oh, yes, they do, my son. Listen! What is that? There it is again."
+
+"Some one is whistling," said Polly. "Isn't it a pretty whistle?"
+
+"It is just two notes," said father. "Aren't they sweet and clear?"
+
+"It is quite near. But I cannot see any one. Are you doing it, father?"
+asked Polly. "Why, now I can hear three people."
+
+"Look above you, Polly. You will see who is whistling."
+
+Polly looked. There on a limb of a tree was a chick-a-dee. He was
+singing those two notes. In the next tree another was singing two other
+notes.
+
+"So you see, Peter, that they do say something besides 'chick-a-dee.'
+These two notes are their song. The other is just their talk. Perhaps
+you can learn to whistle those notes.
+
+"Here is the place where our wood has been cut. Let us look at it."
+
+
+
+
+THE WINTER PICNIC
+
+
+"Yes," said father, "we shall have plenty of wood. See, this wood with
+rough bark is maple. This, with smooth bark and lighter spots, is beech.
+We will not use it in our fireplaces. It might snap sparks out on the
+floor.
+
+"And here is some beautiful white birch. This is for our fireplaces.
+Here is yellow birch, too. Yes, there is plenty for next winter."
+
+"If we were really Indians, we could make canoes out of the white birch
+bark," said Polly.
+
+"Isn't it nice here? The trees are thick all about us. How still it is!"
+
+"It is still in the woods in winter," said father. "I always like it."
+
+"I think it is too bad to cut the trees down, father. Will they grow
+again?"
+
+"See, Polly," said father. "We have cut down only the largest trees.
+They were as large as they would ever be. Now the smaller ones will have
+a better chance to grow.
+
+"I would not cut them all down, unless I planted more. It would not be
+good for my land to do that.
+
+"This is the spot for our fire. Let us make it now."
+
+He found a place, near a log, where the snow was not deep. He cleared
+most of it away. There he built the fire. He used pieces of birch bark
+instead of paper. Small twigs made very good kindling wood.
+
+Peter and Polly pulled birch bark from the logs. They broke up the dry
+twigs.
+
+With his hatchet, father cut sticks of wood. He laid some of these on
+the fire. He stuck his kettle irons down into the snow. They looked like
+this:
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Then he lighted the fire.
+
+He filled the coffeepot with snow. He hung it on the hook of the kettle
+irons. It was quite near the blaze. When the snow had melted, more was
+put in.
+
+Father said, "It takes much snow to make a coffeepot full of water.
+When the water boils, we will put in the bag of coffee."
+
+Polly had taken out the camp dishes. She said, "We must have three
+plates, three cups, three knives and forks and spoons. I will put them
+on this log. I will put the bread and butter on the log, too."
+
+Father had cut a straight stick. It looked like a cane. He took out the
+frying pan.
+
+"This stick is my handle," said he. "See where it fits in. Now I shall
+not need to stand too near the fire. Frying would be hot work, if I had
+not a long handle. Give me the bacon, Peter."
+
+Soon the bacon was cooking nicely. How good it smelled! Then the eggs
+were dropped into the pan.
+
+When they were fried, father said, "Dinner is ready. Bring your cups.
+You are to have a little coffee. It will be mostly milk."
+
+This was a great treat. Peter and Polly did not drink coffee at home.
+Then father gave them their bacon and eggs.
+
+"Why," said father, "I forgot the sugar for our coffee."
+
+"Mother did not," said Polly. "I saw her put it in, and here it is."
+
+How good everything tasted! They sat on the log near the fire to eat. So
+they were quite warm.
+
+"This is the best dinner I ever had," said Polly. "Who taught you to
+cook, father? I forgot all about playing Indians, I have been so busy."
+
+When dinner was over, father picked up the dishes. He wiped them with
+paper napkins. He put them into their case. Mother would wash them at
+home.
+
+The fire burned low. He threw some snow on it. This made it safe to
+leave.
+
+"Now I will show you some tracks," said he. "They were made by the
+white-footed mouse. See how small they are. That line in the snow is
+where he dragged his tail.
+
+"He must have gone up into this tree. But I cannot see him anywhere.
+Perhaps he lives in that old nest up there. He may have watched us eat
+our dinner."
+
+"Good-by, Mr. White-foot," called Polly. "We are sorry not to see you.
+We are going home now."
+
+Down the hill through the quiet woods they went. Polly had the big
+knapsack over her shoulder. It was quite empty now, and not at all
+heavy. Peter ran ahead.
+
+At the door, Polly said, "Thank you, father, for our good time. It is
+the best picnic that I ever had."
+
+
+
+
+THE SEWING LESSON
+
+
+"Mother," said Polly one day, "I wish I could sew something real. I am
+tired of my patchwork. I wish I could make a dress for my doll. She
+needs a new dress."
+
+"Then you shall try it, Polly. Go to the drawer in the sewing table. You
+will find a pattern at the back of the drawer. It is for you."
+
+"O mother!" said Polly. "How did you think of it?"
+
+"I knew you would need it soon. Here is the cloth for the dress."
+
+She gave Polly some pretty blue cloth. She said, "Spread it out on the
+table. Pin the pattern smoothly to the cloth. Be sure to pin it
+straight. Now cut around the edge."
+
+Polly worked very carefully. At last she said, "See, mother, this is
+what I have left. There was too much."
+
+Just then Peter came into the room. "What are you doing?" he asked.
+
+"I am cutting out a doll's dress. See my pattern. See my pretty cloth."
+
+"What is this piece for?" asked Peter.
+
+"Nothing," said Polly. "That is left over. I do not need it at all."
+
+"I wish I could have it," said Peter. "I wish I could sew something,
+too."
+
+"You may have it," said mother. "You may sew something. What do you wish
+to sew?"
+
+"Let me see, mother. I think I will make me some clothes."
+
+"There is not quite cloth enough for that, Peter. Besides, it would be
+hard to do. Why not make a bean bag?"
+
+"That would be good," said Peter. "Where are the beans?"
+
+"You shall have them when the bag is finished," said mother.
+
+"But I must have them now. I must sew around them, mustn't I?"
+
+"No, dear. This is the way we do it. First we cut it right. Then we turn
+the edges. Then we baste them together.
+
+"Here is a little thimble. Here is a large needle. Begin at this
+corner. Make your stitches as small as you can.
+
+"If they are too far apart, your beans will fall out, by and by. How are
+you getting on, Polly?"
+
+"I have some of the pieces basted together. May I stop basting and sew a
+little?"
+
+"If you like. Aren't you glad now that you can sew over and over so
+nicely?"
+
+Peter and Polly did not finish their work that day. But at last the bean
+bag was done. Then Peter took it to Tim's house. He wished to show Tim
+what he had made.
+
+At last the dress, too, was finished. How pleased Polly was! She put it
+on her doll at once.
+
+She said, "Now I will take her calling. I will show her to the other
+children. They will all wish to make dresses."
+
+"If they do, we will cut the patterns for them," said mother. "Perhaps
+we can have a little sewing school. I will be the teacher, and you may
+be my helper. Should you like that?"
+
+"Oh, I should, I should, mother. You do think of nice things. I will go
+this minute and tell the other girls."
+
+
+
+
+FISHING THROUGH THE ICE
+
+
+"I wish I could go fishing," said Peter.
+
+"You'll have to wait until summer," said Polly.
+
+"Then I wish it were summer now."
+
+"Why, Peter Howe! When it was summer, you wished for winter. Now it is
+winter, you would like it to be summer."
+
+"Yes," said Peter. "You see, when I wished for winter, I forgot all
+about fishing. Anyway it will be summer soon."
+
+"Not very soon," said Polly. "Will it, mother?"
+
+"I will take you fishing," said father.
+
+"How can you?" cried Peter. "Can you make it summer?"
+
+"No, but I can take you fishing just the same. Get ready and we will
+go. Polly may come, too, if she likes."
+
+"Oh, oh, oh!" shouted Peter. "Where is my fish pole, mother?"
+
+"You will not need it, Peter," said father. "We shall need just our
+lines, hooks, sinkers, and bait.
+
+"Put an extra pair of mittens in your pocket. You might take the red
+ones that the snow man liked so well."
+
+They walked up the road. By and by they came to a bridge. At one end
+they climbed down to the river.
+
+Here they found a path. It took them on to the river. At the end of the
+path the snow was trodden down. Peter saw two holes in the ice.
+
+"Father," he said, "see those holes. Who made them?"
+
+"The blacksmith and his boy chopped them yesterday. Then they fished
+through them. You see now why the blacksmith did not shoe Brownie
+yesterday.
+
+"He knew you would be sorry about that. So he told me to bring you
+fishing."
+
+"I'd rather do this than anything else," said Peter. "I will thank him
+for his holes."
+
+"You will not like to do it long," said father. "It is a cold day."
+
+He baited Polly's hook and Peter's hook. He showed them how far into the
+water to put their lines.
+
+Then he said, "While you are fishing, I will build a little fire. There
+are plenty of small pieces of wood by the bank. You may warm your
+fingers at my fire. Perhaps the fish will not bite to-day."
+
+"Did the blacksmith catch any?" asked Polly. "Oh, yes," said father.
+
+"Maybe he caught them all," said Polly. "I haven't had a bite yet. I am
+getting cold standing here."
+
+"Then come and warm your fingers at my fire," said father.
+
+Just then Peter said, "I feel something!" And he began to pull up his
+line.
+
+As soon as he pulled, Polly cried, "Oh, I feel something, too. It's a
+bite, a bite!" And she began to pull up her line.
+
+All at once they both stopped pulling.
+
+"I'm caught," said Polly.
+
+"I'm caught," said Peter. "It won't come any farther. But it jerks.
+Maybe it isn't caught. Maybe it's a big fish."
+
+Father began to laugh. "I think your big fish is Polly," he said. "Let
+me see."
+
+He took Peter's line. He told Polly to let hers out slowly. Then he
+pulled. Surely enough, Peter's hook came up through his hole. Polly's
+hook came up, too.
+
+Peter and Polly had caught each other! How they laughed at this!
+
+Peter said, "I shall carry my big fish home to mother. She will like
+it. But she will not cook it. Let us go now to tell her."
+
+"Very well," said father. "Roll up your line. Then warm your hands
+before we start."
+
+Polly had dropped her hook back into the water. All in a minute she felt
+a good bite.
+
+"Oh, I have one, I have one!" she cried.
+
+"Pull in!" said father.
+
+Polly pulled. Up through the hole came a beautiful big trout.
+
+"Well, well, well!" said father. "Isn't that a beauty? I wonder how it
+happened to bite our pork. We must throw it back. It's too bad."
+
+"O father, my fish!" cried Polly. "Why did you? Wasn't it a good fish?"
+
+"Indeed it was, Polly. But back it had to go. We can't keep trout in the
+winter."
+
+"Then let's go home now," said Polly. "I might catch more. And I should
+not like to throw them back."
+
+"I'm all ready," said Peter. "I think we have had a good time. You
+caught a big fish and I caught a big fish and we can't eat either of
+them."
+
+
+
+
+MAKING MOLASSES CANDY
+
+
+It was a wet, rainy day. Peter and Polly had been out in the rain. It
+did not hurt them.
+
+They had on rubber boots, rubber coats, and rubber caps. Peter's rubber
+coat was yellow. Polly's was black. They played that they were firemen.
+
+In the afternoon, mother wished them to stay in the house.
+
+She said, "The rain makes the snow wet. It is not nice to play in. We
+will have a candy party. We will make molasses candy. You may each pull
+some."
+
+"I should rather do that than play out of doors," said Polly.
+
+"So should I," said Peter.
+
+"Very well, children. Put on your aprons. Now, Polly, get the molasses
+jug."
+
+Mother measured out the molasses. Then she put it on the stove to boil.
+Soon she measured out some white sugar. She poured it into the
+molasses.
+
+"Peter, you may carry away the sugar. That is the way you helped
+grandmother, you know."
+
+"Now let me stir," said Polly.
+
+"Oh, no," said mother. "We do not stir this candy. I thought you knew
+better than that."
+
+Soon the molasses boiled. The children liked to watch it. They liked the
+good smell.
+
+Peter said, "See it bubble up just like our spring."
+
+"It is the steam, trying to get out, that makes the bubbles," said
+mother. "You know that steam is strong. You have seen it lift the lid of
+the teakettle.
+
+"Now let us try the candy. Bring a cup, Polly. Bring a cup, Peter. Fill
+them half full of cold water."
+
+Mother dipped a spoon into the boiling candy. She poured part of the
+spoonful into Polly's cup, and the rest into Peter's cup.
+
+"Let it stand a minute. Then we will see if the candy is hard enough to
+pull. After that you may eat it."
+
+This was just what the children wished to do. They were glad because
+mother had to try the candy again.
+
+At last, it was poured into cake tins. It was set out of doors to cool.
+There was a big tin for mother, a little tin for Polly, and a little tin
+for Peter.
+
+Peter and Polly could hardly wait for the candy to cool. They were in
+such a hurry to begin pulling it. Polly stuck her finger into hers
+before it was ready. It almost burned her.
+
+A few minutes after this, mother said, "Yours is cool enough now. Mine
+is not. Wash your hands again. Then you may begin."
+
+What a sticky time there was!
+
+Polly pulled her piece over and over quite well. Soon it began to grow
+light colored. When it stuck to her hands, she ran out of doors. This
+cooled the candy.
+
+But Peter could not pull so fast. His piece stuck to both hands. It got
+between his fingers. Mother scraped it off and he began again.
+
+At last, he dropped part of it on the floor. Mother said, "Let it alone,
+Peter. I will scrape it up. It is not good to put with yours now."
+
+Peter said, "I guess I do not like to pull candy. I am going to make fly
+paper of mine. It is sticky enough."
+
+"Yes," said mother. "It is sticky. But you are doing very well."
+
+"Mine is ready to cut up, I think," said Polly.
+
+She laid it on the clean kitchen table. She pulled it out into a long,
+thin strip. Then she took a pair of clean scissors. She cut the strip
+into short pieces.
+
+"That is just the way," said mother. "Put it on the buttered plate. You
+are a good candy maker. Grandmother must have some of this. O Peter!
+What are you doing?"
+
+Poor Peter had somehow got his hand stuck to his hair.
+
+"I am just trying to get my hand away," said Peter. "But it is stuck."
+
+"I should think it is," said mother. "You must sit quite still until I
+get my candy ready to cut. Then I will help you."
+
+"O Peter! How funny you look!" laughed Polly. And indeed he did look
+funny, with his hand held close to his hair.
+
+"But I don't feel funny, Polly. You stop laughing at me."
+
+Mother gently pulled his hair away from the candy. Then she scraped his
+hands.
+
+"Please save my candy, mother," said Peter.
+
+"I cannot, Peter. It is not clean now."
+
+And Polly said, "You may have mine, Peter. I am sorry I laughed."
+
+Then mother washed Peter's hands. "I must wash your hair, too," she
+said. "But never mind. It needed washing. You have had fun with your
+candy, haven't you?"
+
+Peter answered, "Yes, I have, mother. But please do not make it so
+sticky next time."
+
+
+
+
+GRANDMOTHER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
+
+
+"Here is grandmother. Light the fire, Peter. Light the fire, Polly."
+
+Peter and Polly each took a match. Peter lighted the open fire at the
+left. Polly lighted it at the right side.
+
+Soon the kindling wood began to crackle. Then the flames leaped high in
+the fireplace.
+
+Grandmother had come over to supper. She was to spend the evening. It
+was her birthday. Peter and Polly were to stay up later because of this.
+
+The Story Lady was coming to supper, too. Perhaps, just perhaps, she
+would tell them a story. She knew stories about everything.
+
+"Here she is now," cried Polly. And the Story Lady walked in at the door
+with grandmother.
+
+Soon supper was ready. Polly had helped mother set the table. She
+thought that it looked very pretty.
+
+Grandmother's birthday cake was in the center. On it were a dozen small,
+colored candles. Polly had helped to put them there.
+
+When mother had shown her the candles, she had said, "Why, mother,
+grandmother is more than twelve years old.
+
+"She must have a candle for every year. That is what I have."
+
+"I know you do, Polly," mother had said. "But grandmother is sixty years
+old. We cannot put sixty candles on this cake. It is not large enough.
+
+"So we will count the fives in sixty. Then we will use one for every
+five years. That makes just twelve."
+
+"Yes," Polly had answered, "I have learned that. Twelve fives make
+sixty. It is a good way to do. I shall do it when I am sixty years old."
+
+Now the cake was on the table. Just before it was time to cut it,
+father lighted the candles.
+
+They all watched them burn for a few minutes. The melted wax ran down
+the sides. They grew shorter and shorter.
+
+"See Nan Etticoat," said Polly. "The longer she stands, the shorter she
+grows. Do you know that story, grandmother?"
+
+"My grandmother taught me to say Nan Etticoat," said grandmother. "That
+was many years ago. She told me about making candles, too.
+
+"When she was a little girl, there were no electric lights. There were
+no gas lights. There were no lamps. Every one used candles.
+
+"Not such pretty, colored ones as these. They were larger and quite
+rough. How should you like to make them, Polly?"
+
+"Oh, I should like to," said Polly. "May we?"
+
+"Perhaps not," said grandmother. "We do not need to do so. We have other
+lights.
+
+"But in those old days, people made their own candles. They called it
+'dipping candles.' It was a hard task.
+
+"I am sure that they did not light many at once. I am sure that my
+grandmother did not have candles on her birthday cakes.
+
+"Now, my son, the wax is dripping on the frosting. The candles are
+nearly burned. If you will put them out, I will cut my birthday cake."
+
+Mr. Howe pinched the lighted ends in his fingers. He did this very
+quickly.
+
+"Don't they burn your fingers, father?" asked Polly.
+
+"No, indeed, Polly. I do not give them time to burn me. This is better
+than to blow them out. Then there is smoke. But children must not do it
+this way."
+
+Grandmother took the knife and cut the cake. She cut it as a pie is cut.
+Each one had a very fat piece.
+
+"Now we shall see if this cake is as good as it looks," said
+grandmother. "I am sure that it is, for your mother is a good cook,
+Polly."
+
+But Polly was not listening. She was looking at something that she had
+found in her cake.
+
+She poked it with her fork. Then she took it up in her fingers.
+
+"Why, mother," she said, "what a queer thing there is in my cake. How
+did it get there?"
+
+Just then Peter said, "There is a lump in my piece, too. It is something
+hard."
+
+Father said, "Clean the cake from your lumps and see what they are. Why,
+I have a lump myself."
+
+"And so have I," said the Story Lady.
+
+"And so have I," said mother.
+
+"Then," said grandmother, "I am the only one who has no lump. How did
+you let these lumps fall into your cake, daughter? Can I ever again call
+you a good cook?" And she laughed at Mrs. Howe.
+
+Just then her fork struck something.
+
+"Dear me!" cried grandmother. "A lump in my piece, too! Now I think they
+must have been put in the cake on purpose."
+
+"Oh, see, see, grandmother! See what mine is!" And Polly held up a
+little, white china pig.
+
+"Look at mine!" shouted Peter. He had scraped the cake from his lump. In
+his hand was a small, white china monkey.
+
+"What is yours, Story Lady? And yours, mother? And yours, father?" asked
+Polly.
+
+"Mine is a cat," said the Story Lady.
+
+"And here is a kitten to go with her," said mother.
+
+"And here is a naughty dog, to chase your cat and kitten," said father.
+"Let's put them in a row on the table. Then we can all see them."
+
+"But where is your lump, grandmother?" asked Polly.
+
+Grandmother held out her hand. On it, there lay a beautiful, gold
+thimble.
+
+"Oh! Oh! Isn't it pretty!" cried Polly. "Who gave it to you?"
+
+"Indeed it is, Polly. I think I know who gave it to me. It was you, my
+daughter. You knew that I had lost mine.
+
+"I thank you for this. And I thank you for another happy birthday party.
+Perhaps you may put lumps in your cakes, just on birthdays."
+
+"I will not do it at other times," said mother. "Now let us all go into
+the other room and sit before the open fire."
+
+"When our bedtime comes we need not go, need we, mother?" asked Polly.
+
+"Not to-night, Polly. You and Peter may sit up a while," said mother.
+
+
+
+
+AROUND THE OPEN FIRE
+
+
+The open fire was blazing well. "Let me draw the chairs about it," said
+father. "Then we can all enjoy it."
+
+"We do not need chairs, father," said Polly. "Peter and I will sit on
+the floor. I will sit next to grandmother."
+
+"I will sit next to mother," said Peter.
+
+"When I was little," said grandmother, "I liked to sit on the floor. I
+thought it quite soft enough. Now that I am older, I like chairs
+better."
+
+"If you sit in a chair, it is never in the right place," said Polly. "A
+floor is always in the right place. It is a big seat, too."
+
+"What a good fireplace this is," said the Story Lady. "It is so large
+that you can put real logs into it. And it never smokes."
+
+"Just think of long ago, when there were no stoves," said grandmother.
+"How would it seem now to heat our houses with open fires?"
+
+"Why weren't there any stoves, grandmother? And where were the
+furnaces?"
+
+"People did not know how to make stoves and furnaces, Peter. They had
+very large fireplaces, instead. My grandmother told me about them."
+
+"What beautiful white birch logs," said the Story Lady. "They make such
+a good fire."
+
+"They came from our woods," said Peter. "We were up there one day. We
+went to see next winter's wood. There is plenty. Some is already cut and
+piled."
+
+"At first, I did not like to see the pretty trees cut down," said Polly.
+"But father told me that it is sometimes best."
+
+"So it is, Polly," said the Story Lady. "We need the wood to keep us
+warm, and for many other things, too. What are some of them?"
+
+"Carts, sleds, telephone poles!" shouted Peter.
+
+"Houses, barns, bridges!" shouted Polly.
+
+"Yes, indeed, children, for all those and more. So we must cut down some
+of the trees. But we must take care that others grow in their places.
+
+"Thousands of years ago, people believed strange things about trees.
+They believed that in some lived beings called dryads.
+
+"These dryads were like lovely maidens. A maiden is a girl, you know.
+They could come out of their trees. But still they were a part of the
+tree.
+
+"If a tree was cut down, the lovely dryad who lived in it died. So, in
+those days, most people did not wish to cut down trees. They were afraid
+of hurting the dryads.
+
+"When trees grew old and fell, the dryads died, too. Sometimes kind
+people propped up old trees. Then the dryads could live a little
+longer."
+
+"Oh, I wish I could see one," said Polly. "What did they wear?"
+
+"No one knows exactly, Polly, because no one ever saw a dryad. It is one
+of those stories that have come to us from thousands of years ago.
+
+"Most of the stories are not true. We call them myths. And we like them
+very much."
+
+"Are myths as good as 'Once upon a time' stories?" asked Peter.
+
+"Yes, indeed, Peter. Get your mother to tell you some, and see."
+
+"Now I shall think of this story, when I see our fire burning a dryad's
+house," said Polly.
+
+"I shall play that there are dryads in our trees, too. Perhaps, if I
+play hard enough, one will really be there.
+
+"When spring comes, I shall go to the woods often. I know where there is
+a hollow tree. That will make a good dryad's house."
+
+"Spring is coming soon," said mother. "The cold winter is nearly over.
+But, first of all, bedtime is coming. It has nearly come, now. Say good
+night, Peter and Polly. Then off with you."
+
+So Peter and Polly said good night and went upstairs to bed. Perhaps
+they dreamed of dryads. Perhaps they dreamed of spring-time. Perhaps
+they slept soundly and did not dream at all.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Peter and Polly in Winter, by Rose Lucia
+
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