Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/248

242 and would have jumped down, had not Milo held them back.

Kuderna came and related what damage the water had done below. In Zlici it had carried away two houses, in one of which there was an old woman, who, not heeding the warning of the messenger, delayed till it was too late. Bridges and trees were carried away, in short everything that lay in the way of the flood. At the mill, they lived in the upper rooms.

Christina came to Proshek's to see if it was possible to bring them something warm to eat; but she saw that it was not to be thought of, and when Milo boldly started to cross over, she herself begged him to remain where he was.

The danger lasted two days; the third day the water began to subside. How the children wondered when they returned to the house. The garden was flooded, the orchard was covered with debris, deep gullies were washed out in many places, and the willows and alders were half buried in mud. The foot bridge was carried away, deep caves were worn out under the pens, and the dogs' kennels were nowhere to be seen. Adelka and the boys went to look behind the house. They had some trees there which they had brought from the woods, and which Grandmother had planted for them,—birches for the girls, and firs for the boys. They stood there unharmed. Under the pear tree they had made a little cottage, and around it a garden with a fence and a small ditch, in which were mills that turned when a rain had filled it with water. There was also an oven there in which Adelka baked her mud buns and kolaches.