It was nearly dark when he finally reached home, for he had to wait a long time before the boys left the Old Mill Pond.

"Duckey Daddles, where have you been?" asked Mamma Duck.

"Come over here!" cried his father, laying down the Duckville "Evening Quack." "What has kept you out so late?"

Duckey Daddles told the truth, and when he had finished, Daddy Duck said, "Duckey Daddles, I won't punish you because you've told the truth. But next time look out! I shan't ask any questions."

[THE COASTING PARTY]

The hill was fine for coasting,
The snow was well packed down,
And Sammy Black and Margie White,
And little Billy Brown,
And also pretty Winnie Green
And graceful Gertie Gray—
Now, please, my little readers,
Don't imagine what I say
Means really that these boys and girls
Were painted all this way;
If so, such colored children
Would be a bit too gay!
Their fathers' names were Mr. Black,
Or Mr. White, or Mr. Brown;
And, funny, too, it was Greenville
The name they called the town.
Well, just as I was saying,
The coasting was immense,
And after school the boys and girls
Were ready to commence.
The sleds were in a big, long row,
All tied together, too,
As Sammy Black lay down to steer
The merry-making crew.
He didn't seem to mind the wind
That o'er the snowdrifts blew,
That made his cheeks so bright and red,
His stubby nose so blue!
"Come on, you fellers; hurry up!
Quick, girls, get on your sled!
And push against the other ones,
I'm fixed to go ahead!"
The last sled little Billy Brown
Then pushed with all his might,
And down the hill the train of sleds
Began its snowy flight.
Such yells and cries! and "Hold on tight!
Don't drag your feet! Keep still!
Don't lean so far upon the right,
Or else we'll have a spill!"
Each face was beaming with delight,
Each voice was loud and shrill,
The train was going all its might
And nearly down the hill.
Just as they reached the bottom,
The front sled gave a swing,
And plump into a big snowdrift
They went like anything!
The Blacks were mixed up with the Whites,
The Browns on top of Green,
A sort of coast kaleidoscope,
With sleds stuck in between.
And when they all were sorted out,
No easy thing to do,
They found that almost every boy
And girl was black and blue!