  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." |
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