"I will go to the garden-house for my stilts," said Tara, "then I can walk about in the snow on my heron-legs as the white herons walk in the mud of the rice-fields."
Stilts are made of bamboo sticks, and are called "heron-legs," after the long-legged snowy herons that strut about in the wet fields. Wooden clogs will lift their wearers out of the mud of the streets in bad weather; but the boys are always glad of an excuse to get out their stilts. They walk on them so much that they become expert in their use and can run and even play games on them.
Umé looked rather sadly at the new white world outside.
"The snow has come too soon," she said.
"Why?" asked Tara.
"Because I have no time for play," answered Umé. "There are gifts to finish, and I must also help the honorable mother to make all clean and sweet for the New Year."
"Let the gifts honorably wait until the hour of the horse," said Tara, "so that you may play with us this morning in the garden."
But Umé went dutifully to her sewing. She was making a bundle handkerchief for Tei out of a piece of bright colored crêpe with her family crest embroidered on it.
After that was finished she made a lucky-bag to hang on the New Year's arch at the house door.
The lucky-bag was made of a square of Japanese paper. Into it Umé put several things which are known to bring good luck--a few chestnuts, a bit of dried fish, and a dried plum. She tied them up in the paper with a red and white paper string, and put the bag away until the arch should be ready.