f-doors, and also that my mom was beside me, and also that my
baby sister, Charlotte Ann, was asleep in Mom's bedroom in her baby
bed, and without thinking I yelled real loud, "Hey, Dragonfly, you
crazy goof! Don't DO that!"

Right away I remembered Charlotte Ann was in the other room, on
account of mom told me and also on account of Charlotte Ann woke up
and made the kind of a noise a baby always makes when she wakes up and
doesn't want to.

Just that second, the gate Dragonfly was on was as wide open as it
could go, and Dragonfly who didn't have a very good hold with his
hands--and the gate being icy anyway--slipped off and went sprawling
head over heels into a snowdrift in our yard....

It was a funny sight, but not very funny 'cause I heard my pop's great
big voice calling from our barn, yelling something that sounded like
he sounds when somebody has done something he shouldn't and is
supposed to quit quick, or I'd be sorry.

I made a dive for our back door, swung it open, and with one of my
Mom's good plates still in my hands, and without my hat on, I rushed
out on our back board walk and yelled to Poetry and Dragonfly, and
said, "I'll be there in about an hour! I've got to finish tomorrow's
dishes first! Better go on down the hill and tell the gang I'll be
there in maybe an hour or two," which is what is called sarcasm.

And Poetry yelled, "We'll come and help you!"

But it wasn't a good idea, 'cause the kitchen door was still open and
Mom heard me and also heard Poetry and said to me, "Bill Collins, come
back in here.... The very idea! I can't have those boys coming in
with all that snow. I've just scrubbed the floor!" which is why they
didn't come in, and also why barrel-shaped Poetry and spindle-legged
Dragonfly started building a snow man right in our front yard, while
they waited for me and Mom to finish playing _Alice in Wonderland_.

Pretty soon I was done, though, and grabbed my coat from its hook in
the corner of the kitchen, pulled my hat on my red head, with the
ear-muffs tucked inside, on account of it wasn't a very cold day, but
was warm enough for the snow to pack good and for making snow balls
and snow men and everything. I put on my boots at the door, said
"Good-bye" to Mom and went swishing out through the snow to Poetry and
Dragonfly. I could already hear the rest of the gang yelling down on
Bumblebee hill, so I grabbed my sled rope which was right beside our
back door, and the three of u