"Do you feel as if you were thawing?" Dame Louisa asked the children
after they had left the Snow Man behind.
"Yes, ma'am," said they.
Dame Louisa drove as fast as she could, with thankful tears running
down her cheeks. "I've been a wicked, cross old woman," said she again
and again, "and that is what blasted my Christmas-trees."
It was the dawn of Christmas-day when they came in sight of Dame
Louisa's house.
"Oh! what is that twinkling out in the yard?" cried the children.
They could all see little fairy-like lights twinkling out in Dame
Louisa's yard.
"It looks just as the Christmas-trees used to," said Dame Penny.
[ILLUSTRATION: "I'LL PUT THIS RIGHT IN YOUR FACE AND--MELT YOU!"]
"Oh! I can't believe it," cried Dame Louisa, her heart beating wildly.
But when they came opposite the yard, they saw that it was true. Dame
Louisa's Christmas-trees stood there all twinkling with lights, and
covered with trailing garlands of pop-corn, oranges, apples,
and candy-bags; their yellow branches had turned green and the
Christmas-trees were in full glory.
"Oh! what is that shining so out in Dame Penny's yard?" cried the
children, who were entirely thawed, and only needed to get home to
their parents and have some warm breakfast, and Christmas-presents, to
be quite themselves. "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" cried Dame Penny, and Dame
Louisa and the children chimed in, calling, "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!"
It was indeed the silver hen, and following her were twelve little
silver chickens.
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