Edith Francis Foster

Just after Christmas there was a great snow storm. The drifts were higher than the fence. When it cleared off, Jack put on his cap and reefer, mittens and rubber boots, and went out. Jimmy Crow went with him. First, Jack took shovel and broom and made a wide clean path to the gate. This was "working for Mama." Jack likes to work for Papa and Mama.

T hen friends came to play with him, and they had a fine frolic. They rolled big snowballs, and built a snowman. They put an old hat on his head and the shovel over his shoulder. Then Jack rang the bell, and Mama came to the door. "Here is a man with a shovel," he said. "Don't you want him to shovel paths for you?"

I might," laughed Mama, "but somebody has been ahead of him—and here are four hot donuts for that smart somebody." Jack gave the other boys donuts, and they all sat down on the steps to eat them. Jimmy Crow sat on the fence post. He begged till each boy gave him a piece.

T hen they made a pile of snowballs to throw at the snowman. Just as Bob threw one, Jimmy Crow lit on the shoulder of the snowman, and the snowball knocked him off into a deep drift! Jimmy Crow was not hurt, but he was angry. He flew at Bob, and carried off his cap in his beak, and dropped it into that same deep snowdrift. Then Bob had to wade through snow over his boots, to get his cap again. And Jimmy Crow perched on Jack's head, flapped his wings, and laughed "C-a-w, c-a-w, c-a-w!" Edith Francis Foster