172 



the snow higher than a man's head ; in other places 

 it swept the ground almost bare. 



One of the places where the ground was almost 

 clear was over at the sheepcote, a sort of loosely- 

 built shed, where the sheep could take shelter in 

 cold or stormy weather. 



There they were huddled now. Their thick 

 wool kept them warm ; but with them were a num- 

 ber of little, new born lambs, so small and tender 

 that they would die in the cold unless some help.came 

 to them soon. One of them seemed dead already. 



" Baa-a-a ! " cried the mother sheep, but the 

 lamb did not stir, nor try to rise from the ground 

 where it lay. 



Help was near, however. Very soon after day- 

 light, two men came to the sheepcote. One was 

 Mr. Brown, who owned the farm where the sheep- 

 cote was ; the other was a farm servant. 



" Only just in time, William," said Mr. Brown. 

 " Some of these would have been dead in a little 

 while." 



They put the lambs in two great sacks which 

 they had with them, and carried them away. The 

 mother sheep bleated after them. 



The helpless lambs were carried across the 



