creatures eating at the twins' table. Chippies and snowbirds came as
well as the sparrows.

"I only wish we had built one before," said Aunt Polly, watching the
hungry little crowd eat. "I've thrown out bread crumbs every morning,
but half the time they were buried in the snow. We can keep this swept
off and always filled with food."

Dot spent the rest of the morning watching the birds, and how she did
laugh at those who picked at the fat hanging on the strings. They flew
at it so fiercely it seemed as though they thought it was alive and
they must kill it.

"What's that out in the yard?" asked Bobby the first thing when he came
home from school at noon.

"That's our bird table," Twaddles informed him. "Aunt Polly thought of
it and Dot and I fixed it. Sam nailed it up for us. You ought to see
the birds eat the stuff."

"Let me put some food out to-morrow morning?" asked Meg. "Doesn't Aunt
Polly think of the loveliest things!"

Dot didn't want to leave the window to eat her own lunch, but the sight
of the rice pudding decided her, especially as Mother Blossom said she
didn't think her table should be slighted when the birds showed such
appreciation of the one set for them.

"They have such good manners," said Mother Blossom pointedly.

"I wonder if Bobby and Meg couldn't go over to Mrs. Anson's right from
school, Mrs. Blossom?" asked Norah, a few minutes before it was time
for the children to put on their boots again. "We haven't an egg in
the house, and Sam is going to be gone with the car all the afternoon."

"But, Norah, I hate to have them go so far in this kind of weather,"
objected Mother Blossom. "Don't you think it feels like more snow?"

"Oh, no, Mother!" Bobby's voice was eager. "They were sweeping off the
pond this noon, weren't they, Meg? They never sweep it till it's
stopped snowing for good, so there'll be skating. Meg and I can skate
up the pond to the creek and up that as far as Mrs. Anson's house.
Then we'll come home by the road, so we won't break any eggs. My,
Mother, that will be such fun!"

Meg's eyes danced with pleasure.

"It won't snow, Mother," she said positively. "It doesn't feel that
way a bit, really it doesn't. And we do need eggs."

Mother Blossom laughed.

"Very well, then," she agreed. "But you must carry my muff and Bobby
shall have the little hand-warmer stove."

CHAPTER XIV

LOST IN THE STORM

Of course the twins were wild to go, too; but