Latest / The Children's Book of Christmas Stories / Christmas Under The Snow

Transcript

Christmas Under The Snow · The Children's Book of Christmas Stories

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Story number twenty nine of the Children's Book of Christmas Stories.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Alisa mc caslin, July
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: two thousand twelve. Children's Book of Christmas Stories by various artists.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Christmas under the Snow by Alive Thorn Miller. It was
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: just before Christmas and mister Barnes was starting for the
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: nearest village. The family were out at the door to
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: see him start and give him the last charges. Don't
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: forget the Christmas dinner, Papa, said Willie, specially the chickens
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: for the pie. Put in Nora and the waysin's piped up.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Little tot standing tiptoe to give Papa a good bye kiss.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: I hate to have you go, George, said Missus Barnes anxiously.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: It looks to me like a storm. Oh, I guess
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: it won't be much, said mister Barnes lightly. And the
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: youngsters must have their Christmas dinner. You know well, said
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Missus Barnes. Remember this, George, if there's a bad storm,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: don't try to come back. Stay in the village till
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: it is over. We can get along alone for a
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: few days, can't we, Willie, turning to the boy who
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: was giving the last touches to the harness of old
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: tim the horse. Oh yes, Papa, I can take care
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: of mamma, said Willie earnestly, and get up the Christmas
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: dinner out of nothing, asked Papa, smiling. I don't know,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: said Willie, hesitating as he remembered the proposed dinner in
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: which he felt a deep interest. What could you do
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: for the chicken pie, went on Papa with a roguish
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: look in his eye. Or the plum pudding, or the
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Waysin's broke in tot anxiously. Tot has set her heart
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: on the raisin, said Papa, tossing the small maiden up
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: higher than his head and dropping her all laughing on
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: the door step. And Tot shall have them, sure if
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Papa can find them in s now. Goodbye all Willie.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Remember to take care of mamma. And I depend on
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: you to get up a Christmas dinner. If I don't
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: get back now, wife, don't worry, we're his last words.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: As the faithful old horse started down the road. Missus
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: Barnes turned one more glance to the west, where a low,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: heavy bank of clouds was slowly rising, and went into
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: the little house to attend to her morning duties. Willie,
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: she said, when they were all in the snug, little
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: log cabin in which they lived, I'm sure there's going
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: to be a storm, and it may be snow. You
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: had better prepare enough wood for two or three days.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Nora will help bring it in. Me too, said grave
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: little tot. Yes, Tot may help too, said Mamma. This
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: simple little home was a busy place, and soon every
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: one was hard at work. It was late in the
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: afternoon before the pile of wood, which had been steadily
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: growing all day, was high enough to satisfy Willie. For now.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: There was no doubt about the coming storm, and it
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: would probably bring snow. No one could guess how much
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: in that country of heavy storms. I wish the village
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: was not so far off so that Papa could get
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: back to night, said Willie, as he came in with
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: his last load. Missus Barnes glanced out the window. Broad
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: scattering snowflakes were silently falling the advanced guard. She felt
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: them to be of a numerous host, so do I,
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: she replied anxiously, Or that he did not have to
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: come over that dreadful prairie where it is so easy
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: to get lost. But old Tim knows the way even
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: in the dark, said Willie proudly. I believe Tim knows
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: more'n some folks. No doubt he does about the way home,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: said Mamma. And we won't worry about Papa, but have
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: our supper and go to bed. That'll make the time
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: seem short. The meal was soon eaten and cleared away,
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: the fire carefully covered up on the hearth, and the
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: whole little Fami lay quietly in bed. Then the storm,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: which had been making ready all day, came down upon
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: them in earnest. The bleak wind howled around the corners.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: The white flakes by millions and millions came with it
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: and hurled themselves upon that house. In fact, that poor
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: little cabin, alone on the wide prairie, seemed to be
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: the object of their sport. They sifted through the cracks
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: in the walls, around the windows and under the door,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: and made pretty little drifts on the floor. They piled
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: up against it outside, covered the steps, and then the door,
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: and then the windows. And then the roof, and at
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: last buried it completely out of sight under the soft
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: white mass. And all the time the mother and her
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: three children lie snugly covered up in their beds, fast asleep,
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: and knew nothing about it. The night passed away and
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: morning came, but no light broke through the windows of
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: the cabin. Missus Barnes woke at the usual time, but
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: finding it still dark and perfectly quiet outside, she concluded
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: that the storm was over, and with a sigh of relief,
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: turned over to sleep again. About eight o'clock, however, she
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: could sleep no more and became wide awake enough to
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: think the darkness strange. At that moment the clock struck
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: and the truth flashed over her. Being buried under snow
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: is no uncommon thing on the wide prairies, and since
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: they had wood and corn mill and plenty, she would
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: not have been much alarmed if her husband had been home.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: But snow deep enough to bury them must cover up
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: all landmarks, and she knew her husband would not rest
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: till he had found them. To get lost on the
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: trackless prairie was fearfully easy, and to suffer and die
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: almost in sight of home was no unusual thing, and
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: was her one dread in living There a few moments
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: she lie quiet in bed to calm herself and get
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: control of her own anxieties. Before she spoke to the children, Willie,
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: she said, at last, are you awake? Yes, Mamma said Willie.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: I've been awake ever so long, isn't it most morning?
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Willie said the mother quietly. We mustn't be frightened, but
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: I think I'm afraid we're snowed in. Willie bounded to
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: his feet and ran to the door. Don't open it,
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: said Mamma hastily. The snow may fall in light a
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: candle and look out the window. In a moment, the
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: flickering rays of the candle fell upon the window. Willie
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: drew back the curtain. Snow was tightly banked up against
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: it to the top. Why, Mamma, he exclaimed, so we are,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: and how can Papa find us? And what shall we do?
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: We must do the best we can, said Mamma, in
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: a voice which she tried to make steady. And trusts
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: that it isn't very deep, and that Tim and Papa
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: will find us and dig us out. By this time,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: the little girls were awake and inclined to be very
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: much frightened, but Mamma was calm now and Willie was
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: brave and hopeful. They all dressed and Willie started the fire.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: The smoke refused to rise, but puffed out into the room,
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: and Missus Barnes knew that if the chimney were closed,
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: they would probably suffocate if they did not starve or freeze.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: The smoke in a few minutes choked them, and, seeing
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: that something must be done, she put the two girls,
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: well wrapped in blankets, into the shed outside the back door,
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: closed the door to keep out the smoke, and then
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: went with Willie to the low attic, where a scuttle
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: door opened on to the roof. We must try, she said,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: to get it open without letting in too much snow,
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: and see if we can manage to clear the chimney.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: I can reach the chimney from the scuttle with the shovel,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: said Willie, I often have with a stick. After much
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: labor and several small avalanches of snow, the scuttle was
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: opened far enough for Willie to stand on the top
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: round of the short ladder and beat a hole through
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: to the light, which was only a foot above He
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: then shoveled off the top of the chimney, which was
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: ornamented with a big round cushion of snow, and then
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: by beating and shoveling he was able to clear the door,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: which he opened wide, and missus Barne came up on
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: the ladder to look out. Dreary indeed was the scene,
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: nothing but snow as far as the eye could reach,
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: and flakes still falling, though lightly. The storm was evidently
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: almost over, but the sky was gray and overcast. They
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: closed the door, went down, and soon had a fire,
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: hoping that the smoke would guide somebody to them. Breakfast
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: was taken by candlelight, dinner and time in the same way,
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: and supper passed with no sound from the outside world.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Many times Willie and Mamma went to the scuttle door
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: to see if any one was in sight, but not
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: a shadow broke the broad expanse of white over which
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: toward night the sun shone. Of course, there were no
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: signs of the roads, for through so deep snow none
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: could be broken, and until the sun and frost should
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: form a crust on top, there was little hope of
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: their being reached. The second morning broke and Willie hurried
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: up to his post of look out. The first thing
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: no person was in sight, but he found a light
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: crest on the snow, and the first thing he noticed
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: was a few half starved birds trying in vain to
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: pick up something to eat. They looked weak and almost exhausted,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: and a thought struck Willie it was hard to keep
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: up the courage of the little household. Nora had openly
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: lamented that to night was Christmas Eve and no Christmas
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: dinner to be had. Tod had grown very tearful about
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: her waisins, and Missus Barnes, though she tried to keep up,
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: heart had become very pale and silent. Willie, though he
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: felt unbounded faith in Papa and especially in Tim, found
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: it hard to suppress his own complaints when he remembered
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: that Christmas would probably be passed in the same dismal way,
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: with fears for Papa added to their own misery. The
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: wood too was getting low, and Mamma dared not let
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: the fire go out, as that was the only sign
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: of their existence to anybody, And though she did not
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: speak of it, Willie knew too that they had not
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: many candles, and in two days at furthest they would
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: be left in the dark. The thought that struck Willie
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: pleased him greatly, and he was sure it would cheer
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: up the rest. He made his plans and went to
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: work to carry them out. Without saying anything about it.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: He brought out of the corner of the attic and
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: old box trap he had used in the summer to
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: catch birds and small animals, set it carefully on the snow,
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: and scattered crumbs of cornbread to track the birds. In
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: half an hour he went up again and found, to
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: his delight he had caught bigger game, a poor rabbit
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: which had come from no one knows where over the
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: crust of fine food. This gave Willie a new idea.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: They could save their Christmas dinner. After all, rabbits made
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: very nice pies. Poor bunny was quietly laid to rest
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: and the trap set again. This time another rabbit was caught,
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: perhaps the maid of the first. This was the last
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: of the rabbits, but the next catch was a couple
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: of snow birds. These Willie carefully placed in a corner
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: of the attic, using the trap for a cage and
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: giving them plenty of food and water. When the girls
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: were fast asleep with tears on their cheeks for the
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: dreadful Christmas they were going to have. Willie told Mamma
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: about his plans. Mamma was pale and weak with anxiety,
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: and his news first made her laugh and then cry.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: But after a few moments, given to her long pent
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: up tears, she felt much better and entered into his
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: plans heartily. The two captives up in the attic were
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: to be Christmas presents to the girls, and the rabbits
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: were to make the long anticipated pie. As for plum pudding,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: of course that couldn't be thought of. But don't you think, Mamma,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: said Willie eagerly, that you could make some sort of
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: a cake out of meal, and wouldn't hickory nuts be
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: good in it? You know, I have some left up
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: in the attic, and I might crack them softly up there,
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: and don't you think they would be good? He concluded anxiously. Well, perhaps, so,
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: said Mamma, anxious to please him and help him in
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: his generous plans. I can try if I only had
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: some eggs. But seems to me I've heard that snow
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: beaten into cake would make it light and there's snow enough,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: I'm sure, she added, with a faint smile, the first
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Willie had seen for three days. The smile alone, he
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: felt to be a great achievement, and he crept carefully
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: up the ladder, cracked the nuts to the last one,
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: brought them down, and Mamma picked the meats out while
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: he dressed the two rabbits, which had come so opportunely
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: to be their Christmas dinner. Wish you merry Christmas, he
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: called out to Nora and Tot when they waked. See
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: what Santa Claus has brought. Before they had time to
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: remember what a sorry Christmas it was to be, they
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: received their presents, a live bird for each, a bird
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: that was never to be kept in a cage, but
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: fly about the house till summer came, and then to
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: go away if it wished. Pets were scarce on the prairie,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: and the girls were delighted. Nothing Papa could have brought
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: them would have given them so much happiness. They thought
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: no more of the dinner, but hurried to dress themselves
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: and feed the birds, which were quite tame from hunger
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: and weariness. But after a while they saw preparations for
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: dinner too. Mamma made a crust and lined a deep dish,
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: the chicken pie dish, And then she brought a mysterious
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: something out of the cupboard, all cut up so that
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: it looked as if it might be chicken, and put
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: it in the dish with other things. And then she
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: tucked them all under a thick crust and set it
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: down in a tin oven before the fire to bake.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: And that was not all. She got out some more
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: corn meal and made a batter, and put in some
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: sugar and something else which she slipped from a bowl,
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: and which looked in the batter something like raisins. And
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: at the last moment, Willie brought her a cup of snow,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: and she hastily beat it into the cake or pudding,
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: whichever you might call it, while the children laughed at
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: the idea of making a cake out of snow. This
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: went into the same oven, and pretty soon it rose
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: up light and showed a beautiful brown crust, while the
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: pie was steaming through little four coals on top and
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: sending out most delicious odors. The last minute, when the
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: table was set and everything ready to come up, Willie
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: ran up to look out of the scuttle, as he
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: had every hour of daylight since they were buried. In
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: a moment came a wild shout down the ladder. There
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: coming hooray for old Tim. Mamma rushed up and looked
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: out and saw to be sure Old Tim slowly coming
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: along over the crust, drawing after him a wood sledge,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: on which were two men. It's Papa, shouted Willie, waving
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: his arms to attract their attention. Willie came back over
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: the snow in tones of agony. Is that you are
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: all well, all well, shouted Willie, And just going to
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: have our Christmas dinner dinner, echoed Papa, who was now nearer.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: Where is the house? Then? Oh? Down here, said Willie,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: under the snow. But we're all right, only we mustn't
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: let the plum pudding spoil. Looking into the attic, Willie
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: found that Mamma had fainted away, and this news brought
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: to her aid Papa and the other man, who proved
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: to be a good friend who had come to help
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: Tim was tied to the chimney whose thread of smoke
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: had guided them home, and all went down into the
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: dark room. Missus Barnes soon recovered and while Willie dished
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: up the smoking dinner. Stories were trolled on both sides.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Mister Barnes had been trying to get through the snow
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: and to find them all the time, but until the
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: last night had made a stiff crust, he had been
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: unable to do so. Then Missus Barnes told her story,
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: winding up with the account of Willy's Christmas dinner. And
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: if it hadn't been for his keeping up our hearts,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: I don't know what would have become of us, she said.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: At last, Well, my son said, Papa, you did take
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: care of mamma and get up a dinner out of nothing,
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: sure enough. And now we'll eat the dinner, which I
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: am sure is delicious. So it proved to be. Even
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: the cake or pudding which taught christened snow pudding, was
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: voted very nice, and the hickory nuts as good as raisins.
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: When they had finished, mister Barnes brought in his packages,
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: gave Tot and the rest some sure enough waysins, and
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: added his Christmas presents to Willie's. But though all were overjoyed,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: nothing was quite so nice in their eyes as the
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: two live birds. After dinner, the two men and Willie
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: dug out passages from the doors through the snow, which
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: had wasted a good deal, uncovered the windows, and made
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: a slanting way to his shed for old tim Then
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: for two or three days Willie made tunnels and little
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: rooms under the snow, And for two weeks while the
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: snow lasted, Nora and Tot had fine times in the
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: little snow playhouses. And of Christmas under the snow by
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: Olive Thorne Miller