and asked if he might have
the extra tree. Papa and mamma smiled a little as Johnny explained
his plan but they said he might have the tree, and Johnny went to bed
feeling very happy.

That night his papa fastened the tree into a block of wood so that it
would stand firmly and then set it in the middle of the barn floor. The
next day when Johnny had finished his lessons he went to the kitchen,
and asked Annie, the cook, if she would save the bones and potato
parings and all other leavings from the day's meals and give them to him
the following morning. He also begged her to give him several cupfuls
of salt and cornmeal, which she did, putting them in paper bags for him.
Then she gave him the dishes he asked for--a few chipped ones not good
enough to be used at table--and an old wooden bowl. Annie wanted to
know what Johnny intended to do with all these things, but he only
said: "Wait until to-morrow, then you shall see." He gathered up all
the things which the cook had given him and carried them to the barn,
placing them on a shelf in one corner, where he was sure no one would
touch them and where they would be all ready for him to use the next
morning.

Christmas morning came, and, as soon as he could, Johnny hurried out to
the barn, where stood the Christmas-tree which he was going to trim for
all his pets. The first thing he did was to get a paper bag of oats;
this he tied to one of the branches of the tree, for Brownie the mare.
Then he made up several bundles of hay and tied these on the other side
of the tree, not quite so high up, where White Face, the cow, could
reach them; and on the lowest branches some more hay for Spotty, the
calf.

Next Johnny hurried to the kitchen to get the things Annie had promised
to save for him. She had plenty to give. With his arms and hands full he
went back to the barn. He found three "lovely" bones with plenty of
meat on them; these he tied together to another branch of the tree, for
Rover, his big black dog. Under the tree he placed the big wooden
bowl, and filled it well with potato parings, rice, and meat, left
from yesterday's dinner; this was the "full and tempting trough" for
Piggywig. Near this he placed a bowl of milk for Pussy, on one plate the
salt for the pet lamb, and on another the cornmeal for the dear little
chickens. On the top of the tree he tied a basket of nuts; these were
for his pet squirrel; and I had almost forgotten to tell you of the
bunch of carrots