"Yes," he answered, "my very, very own. And I can use them quite easily—they're so light. Mr. Tom Turpin gave them to me. Wasn't it kind of him? I turned up that ground—look!"
"I think you've done enough for this morning," remarked William Brown. "You'd better clean off your spade, and put your tools away."
Billy obeyed. His arms and shoulders were aching, but he had no intention of admitting that. Accompanied by May he left the garden, and put his tools in the out-house where he had been told to keep them. He intended returning at once to his grandfather, but May took him by the hand and led him into the orchard, saying that she wanted to speak to Jenny and he must come with her. When Jenny saw the children she began to bray and walk towards them.
"She's saying 'Good morning,'" declared May. "Oh, dear, dear Jenny!"
Dropping Billy's hand she ran to the donkey, clasped her around the neck, and talked to her in a whisper so low that the little boy could not hear a word. Then Scout came up, and he, too, had to be noticed. He looked at May with a wealth of love in his brown eyes, and kept close to her side when, having said all she wanted to say to Jenny, she beckoned Billy to follow her across the orchard. In a sheltered corner she paused, and pointed at the ground.
"This is where the snowdrops are, underneath the grass," she said gravely. Then suddenly, to Billy's astonishment, she dropped on her knees, bent her head low, and cried softly: "Little snowdrops, little snowdrops, are you still asleep?" She listened a minute, then rose, a finger on her lips.
"Still asleep!" she murmured, "still asleep!"
"Asleep?" Billy echoed wonderingly. "Snowdrops don't go asleep, May!" He smiled at the idea.
"Oh, yes, they do!" she corrected. "Didn't you know? Mr. Singleton told me. I was, oh, so sorry when they died! Then Mr. Singleton told me they'd gone deep, deep into the ground, and would sleep, sleep, sleep till the spring came again, and God would say: 'Little snowdrops, awake!' It's so sunny and warm to-day, I thought p'r'aps the spring had come."
"Why, it's November, May!" exclaimed Billy, full of amazement. "It won't be spring for months and months."