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The Stag
"There is one hen that goes up into the hay," said Farmer Brown. "I think she lays her eggs there. But I cannot find them."
"Let us go up into the hay to look for them," said Polly.
So the children hunted. The barn was not very cold. Still it was not so nice as in the summer time.
At last Polly nearly tumbled over something. It was the brown hen. She flew away with a loud cackle. Then Polly saw four eggs lying in the hay.
"I've found them, I've found them!" she shouted. She gave Peter two and took two herself. Then they went down to show Mr. Brown.
"You have sharp eyes," he said.
"I used to think I could see better if I had spectacles," said Polly. "I used to think that I should have four eyes then."
"I am going to feed the horses now," said Mr. Brown. "You may come."
While Mr. Brown did this, Peter and Polly looked carefully at each horse. They were hunting for one that they knew.
It was the old brown mare. They had ridden horseback on her last summer. That was when they went with John to hunt for the turtle's eggs.
"There she is, I think," said Polly.
"Are you looking for John's mare? Yes, that is the one," said Farmer Brown. "You will not need her to ride any more. I hear you have a pony of your own."
Then the children told him about their pony. They told him about the Christmas tree.
"Ho, ho!" laughed Farmer Brown. "Who ever heard of a pony on a Christmas tree?"
"But think of a pony in a letter box," said Polly. And Farmer Brown laughed still more.
How warm the cow stable was! Polly said, "How can it be so warm? There is no stove."
"The cows themselves make it warm," said Mr. Brown. "See, here is one just the color of a deer. Isn't she pretty?"
"I guess the deer would be glad, if they had such a nice, warm house," said Polly.
"Yes, the winter is hard for them. It is cold, and food is not easy to find. There are two that sometimes come to our barnyard. I give them grain and hay and salt."
"I wish I could see a deer to-day," said Polly. "Let us go to the barnyard and look."
"We will feed the sheep now, Polly. You can watch for one while I am doing that."
When the sheep were fed, it was dinner time. After dinner Mrs. Brown let the children play on the piazza.
All at once Peter said, "See the pretty cow coming down from the woods. Whose is she? Perhaps she is lost."
"Where, Peter?" asked Polly.
"Coming across the field. Now it is right there near the fence."
"Oh, oh!" cried Polly. "That isn't a cow. I think it is a deer. See its horns."
She called to Mr. Brown. Just as he came out of the house, the deer reached the fence. He walked quite close to it. Then he jumped over it.
"A pretty jump," said Mr. Brown. "The fence is more than four feet high. That is a fine stag. A stag is a father deer, you know."
The stag walked across the road. He jumped another high fence. Then he went off up the railroad track.
"Oh," said Polly, "I wish I could jump like that. He didn't run at all."
"It was a pretty sight," said Mr. Brown. "I am sorry the old fellow did not stop for dinner. I am afraid he will have nothing better than bark and twigs, now."
"It wasn't a cow, was it?" asked Peter.
"Cows can't jump like that, Peter. Though perhaps one did. I have heard of a cow that jumped over the moon. Have you?"
"Yes, I have. But I know she didn't really. Oh, here is father. We will tell him about my pretty cow."
Polly's Bird Party
"Do you remember something, father?" asked Polly.
"What is it, chick?"
"Something you told me not to forget, father."
"Let me think. What was it? Yes, I remember now. We were to put out some food for the birds. Is that it?"
"That is it. So, let us do it now."
"Very well," said father. "We will. But mother must help. She must give us bones."
"Bones!" said Polly. "Birds don't eat bones. But dogs do. If we put out bones, Wag-wag will get them."
"Wag-wag will not get these," said father. "I shall tie them up in the trees. Wag-wag has not learned to climb trees."
"I saw him trying one day," said Polly. "He was after a chipmunk. The chipmunk ran up a tree. Wag-wag put his fore paws on the trunk. He stood up on his hind feet. He tried hard to get up that trunk. He barked and barked."
"What did the chipmunk do?" asked father.