st Wind, began to blow till every one shivered, and
coughs and colds and fog and mud made the world a dismal place. Sunny
begged them to stop and give her a chance now and then, but they would
not; and everybody said what a dreadful month November was that year.

Fortunately it was soon time for North Wind and his favorite sister Snow
to come back from Iceland; and the moment the older brother's loud voice
was heard, Rain and East ran and hid, for they were rather afraid of
him.

"Ha, what a mess those rascals have made! Never mind, we'll soon have it
all nice and tidy for Christmas," said North, as he dried up the mud,
blew away the fog, and got the world ready for Snow to cover with her
beautiful down quilt. In a day or two it looked like a fairy world, and
Sunshine peeped out to do her part, making the ice on the trees glitter
like diamonds, the snowy drifts shine like silver, and fill the blue sky
full of light.

Then every one rejoiced, bells jingled merrily, children coasted and
snow-balled; Christmas trees began to grow, and all faces to glow as
they never do at any other time.

"The holydays shall be pleasant if I can only keep those bad boys in a
good humor," said Sunny; and to make sure of them she fed Rain and East
Wind on plum-cake with poppy-seeds in it, so they slept like dormice
till the New Year was born.

Snow had her frolics, and no one minded, because she was so pretty; and
North was so amiable just then that the white storms only made fine
sleighing, and the fresh air kept cheeks rosy, eyes sparkling, lips
laughing, and hearts happy as they should be at that blessed season.

Sunshine was so pleased that she came out to see the fun, and smiled so
warmly that a January thaw set in.

"Dear me, I forgot that I must not be too generous at this season, or it
makes trouble; for, though people enjoy my pleasant days, they leave off
their furs and get cold. I'll go back to my spinning and only smile
through the window; then no harm will be done."

Thunder and Lightning had been in Italy all this time, and they too got
into mischief. Their mother had shut the twins up in a volcano to keep
them out of the way till summer, when they were useful. Down there they
found playmates to suit them, and had fine times rumbling and boiling,
and sending out hot lava and showers of ashes to scare the people who
lived near by. Growing tired of this, they at last planned to get up an
earthquake and escape. So they ki