All this time John had kept his skates carefully hidden.
One day the ice froze clear and smooth. John brought his skates down to the river bank.
Many of the Indians followed to see what he was going to do.
They crowded around him on the ice.
John thought he would play a trick on them.
He strapped the skates upon the feet of an Indian boy.
The boy tried to stand up, but his feet slipped out from under him, and down he bumped upon the ice.
They thought it was a great joke.
Each of them in turn tried on the skates.