FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86  
87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>   >|  
coverlet, and nestled close to his mother, so that only his laughing face and fine curly hair could be seen. But at this the two others raised a shout of war, and rushed forward in their turn upon the besieged citadel. "Make a little room for us, mamma, make a little room! By your back, mamma! Near your shoulder, mamma!" Only little Rose remained on the floor, feeling quite vexed and indignant. She had vainly attempted the assault, but had fallen back. "And me, mamma, and me," she pleaded. It was necessary to help her in her endeavors to hoist herself up with her little hands. Then her mother took her in her arms in order that she might have the best place of all. Mathieu had at first felt somewhat anxious at seeing Marianne thus disturbed, but she laughed and told him not to trouble. And then the picture they all presented as they nestled there was so charming, so full of gayety, that he also smiled. "It's very nice, it's so warm," said Ambroise, who was fond of taking his ease. But Denis, the reasonable member of the band, began to explain why it was they had made so much noise "Blaise said that he had seen a spider. And then he felt frightened." This accusation of cowardice vexed his brother, who replied: "It isn't true. I did see a spider, but I threw my pillow at it to kill it." "So did I! so did I!" stammered Rose, again laughing wildly. "I threw my pillow like that--houp! houp!" They all roared and wriggled again, so amusing did it seem to them. The truth was that they had engaged in a pillow fight under pretence of killing a spider, which Blaise alone said that he had seen. This unsupported testimony left the matter rather doubtful. But the whole brood looked so healthful and fresh in the bright sunshine that their father could not resist taking them in his arms, and kissing them here and there, wherever his lips lighted, a final game which sent them into perfect rapture amid a fresh explosion of laughter and shouts. "Oh! what fun! what fun!" "All the same," Marianne exclaimed, as she succeeded in freeing herself somewhat from the embraces of the children, "all the same, you know, I want to get up. I mustn't idle, for it does me no good. And besides, you little ones need to be washed and dressed." They dressed in front of the big blazing fire; and it was nearly ten o'clock when they at last went down into the dining-room, where the earthenware stove was roaring, while the warm breakfast m
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86  
87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

spider

 

pillow

 

taking

 
Blaise
 
Marianne
 

mother

 
laughing
 

dressed

 

nestled

 

unsupported


testimony
 

looked

 

doubtful

 

dining

 

matter

 
engaged
 

roaring

 

roared

 

wriggled

 
breakfast

wildly

 
amusing
 

pretence

 

earthenware

 

killing

 

explosion

 

laughter

 
shouts
 

exclaimed

 

embraces


freeing

 

succeeded

 

rapture

 

father

 

resist

 

blazing

 

sunshine

 

bright

 

children

 

kissing


washed

 

perfect

 

lighted

 

healthful

 

indignant

 

vainly

 
feeling
 

shoulder

 

remained

 

attempted