Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/211

Rh the firs and balsams, the branches of which bent down beneath their loads of snow. Upon the mountain ash, which stood near the house and had still a few bunches of frozen berries, a crow sat, and the poultry in the yard stood quiet, looking with wonder upon this strange sight. The sparrows, however, hopped about merrily, picking up the grain that the chickens had left. The cat, returning from the chase, at each step shook the snow from her paws, and hastened to her favorite place upon the oven. The dogs, wet to their knees chased each other playfully in the snow.

"Snow! snow! That is good! we shall ride down the hill!" shouted the children, welcoming the winter which brought them new pleasures. St. Martin brought them good rolls, and after St. Martin would come the feather bees. They liked the spinning bees much better, for then they had more liberty. When the women got around the long kitchen table, and on it appeared a great heap of feathers, like a snow bank, then Grandmother kept driving Adelka and the boys away. Once, while John was at the table, he fell into the feathers, and the rumpus thus made can easily be imagined. From that time Grandmother did not think it advisable to allow the children to come near the table. Indeed, they did not dare to play near it or blow, or open the door too wide, for in that case they got a scolding at once. The only pleasant things about the feather bees were the puchalka, and the stories about ghosts and robbers, about lights and fiery men. On long, foggy evenings, as the women