XXI 



HORNS, PRONGS, AND ANTLERS 



HRISTMAS was a perfect win- 

 ter's day, with no wind and 

 no thawing ; a day for sleigh, 

 sled, or snow-shoes. Snow- 

 shoeing being the very new- 

 est amusement, Olive, Nat, 

 and Dodo practised walking 

 for so long that at night their 

 feet were quite tired and swol- 

 len with their efforts to keep up and the cutting of the 

 thongs ; so they were glad to hobble to their places by 

 the camplire as soon as supper was over. As to the 

 Brownies, the novelty and excitement of seeing so 

 many people quite overcame them, and they stumbled 

 from the supper table to bed. 



" What pictures will you choose ? "' said Dodo to Nez ; 

 "because you promised to tell us a story to-night." 



" A picture of a Moose ! A good, big Moose on the 

 rampage will about do for my storj-," answered Nez. 



" Here is one rnnning very hard, ^\ith steam blowing 

 out of his nose," said Hap ; " but please, Nez, before 

 you begin the story, won't you tell us about the dif- 

 ferent kinds of antlers that the Deer wear, and why, 



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