BAB HIT TRACKS 139 



the purplish gray arch of bare maple branches, and 

 where it seemed to touch the sky, the sun Avas saunter- 

 ing out from a purple and gold gateway. 



" Good morning ! Are you all washed and dressed ? '' 

 called Dodo, kissing her hands to the sun in particular 

 and then stretching out her arms to the beautiful world 

 in general. 



" Which reminds me, speaking of washing," said her 

 father, kissing her and setting her down inside the door, 

 " that I do not believe you have been on speaking terms 

 with your own particular cake of soap this morning." 

 Dodo laughed and went upstairs " to," as she said, 

 *' unbuild her clothes and begin all over again." 



'' Let's run," said Tom to Jerry, as they turned out of 

 the gate; "I feel so very fly that I should like to fly. 

 Why don't you laugh ? That's a joke," he continued, 

 jogging Jerry with his shoulder and nearly upsetting 

 liim. 



" Better not try it," said Jerry, settling his gait again, 

 "or we may be put to haul logs, or in the threshing- 

 machine, instead of dragging a sleigh, by and by, and 

 hearing House People tell funny stories." 



" Look at the tracks all over the snow everywhere, 

 I didn't see any yesterday," said Nat, as they drove 

 down the turnpike ; " some big and some little and 

 some tiny. What do they all belong to, daddy ? " 



'' Rabbits chiefly, — they are almost all pad-footed 

 prints. I see one trail that belongs to a Skunk ; and 

 another, those sharp clean jumps by the stone fence, 

 tells of a Mink ; the smallest, like a bird track, prob- 

 ably belongs to a INIeadow Mouse. You did not see 

 them yesterday because the little beasts seldom come 



