articlesforchristians

THE DOG ON THE ICE CAKE

One morning father called, ” Wake up, P0U7! Wake up!”

“I am awake, father,” said Polly. “Why?”

” The ice on the river is breaking. After breakfast we will go down and watch it.”

” Oh, goody, goody ! ” cried Polly.

Peter said, “Then we can’t skate anymore.”

“We have not skated for a long time, Peter. I am glad that the ice is breaking. It cannot be spring with ice on the river. And I must have it spring soon.”

After breakfast, father said, “Now we will go and stand on the bridge. The water is taking the ice down the river. We will watch the cakes.”

” What a noise the water makes, father,” said Polly. ” See, there is a big cake of ice coming over the dam. And there is another and another.”

^^ Yes,” said father. ” They are coming fast now. The ice above the dam is all broken into cakes. Those will soon be gone. Then the ice from up the river will come.”

” The water is high,” said Polly. ” Last spring it was just like this. I remember it.”

“Watch,” said father. “Can you see anything besides the ice ? “

“Look, look!” cried Peter. “On that big cake ! I can see a barrel. And there is a box.”

“I see some logs. They are floating in the water,” said PoUv.

“There is part of an old sleigh,” said Peter.

“Now let’s walk up the river above the dam, children,” said father. “The water was over the road in one place. It brought big cakes of ice nearly to the road.”

” Is that up by the cowslip field? ” asked Polly.

” Yes,” said father. ” And your cowslip field is full of ice cakes. They are floating around in the water that was left by the river/’

Just then some one shouted, ” There’s a dog ! There’s a dog ! He’s on an ice cake ! “

Peter and Polly looked. Yes, there was a small black puppy. He was on a large cake of ice. He was floating down the river toward the dam.

“That will never do,” cried Mr. Howe. ” He must not go over the dam.”

Mr. Howe ran to the bank of the river. He called to the dog. He whistled to him.

The dog heard. He ran all around the edge of the ice cake. He looked at the water. He almost jumped in. Then he turned back.

“Come, come, old fellow,” called Mr. Howe. ” Come here, sir, come here.”

Again the dog ran aroimd the ice cake. He wished to jump into the water. But he did not dare.

” father, get him,” cried Polly. ” He’ll be killed, if he goes over the dam.”

Just then the ice cake came nearer the shore. It moved very slowly for a minute.

“Now, old fellow, come here,” called Mr. Howe. And he snapped his fingers and whistled again.

Then the dog made up his mind to jump. Down he went into the cold water. In a minute more he was near the bank. Mr. Howe stepped into the river to pull him out.

“Lucky dog,” he said. “You almost went over the dam. Here, children, take him home quickly. You must let him dry by the kitchen stove. Keep it hot.

” Tomorrow he may come with me to the store. Someone will see him who knows where he belongs.”

Peter and Polly in Spring