There was
Bessie, Uncle William's horse, who took them for picnic rides and to
church. There was Peter, the barn cat, who kept the mice away from the
vegetables and grain that was stored in the barn.
"They are all so kind to us, and they ought to have a Christmas,
Billy," Betty said.
"We will go right out in the woods and cut them a Christmas tree,"
Billy said.
They found a little spruce tree that was so small they could cut it
easily, and they dragged it to the barn on their sled. Uncle William
gave them a green wooden pail that they filled with sand to hold the
animals' Christmas tree, and they stood it in the middle of the barn
floor. It was such fun trimming it!
Betty picked bright red berries in the woods and fastened them with
pins to the ends of the branches, and Billy made some little scarlet
wreaths to hang on them. He strung cranberries on some fine wire and
fastened it in a circle to make these wreaths. Then they cut
snowflakes from white paper and fastened them to the twigs, just as if
they had fallen there from the sky.
But hanging the animals' Christmas presents on their tree was the most
fun of all.
Betty cut some little Christmas stockings from tarlatan, seamed them
with red worsted, and filled them with yellow corn for the hens.
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