“Oh!” said Ben.
[XXI.]
THE LITTLE SNOW-HOUSE.
“Dear me, how we have all run!” exclaimed Polly, sitting down and wiping her hot face.
“And I beat, I beat!” whooped Joel excitedly. “I got to the big gate first of all.”
“That’s because I didn’t hear Ben say ‘three’ in time to begin with you,” said Percy, his face growing unpleasantly red, and wishing he hadn’t run at all.
“Ho, ho!” screamed Van, “that’s a good one; just hear Percy. Well, I stubbed my toe, so I didn’t beat.”
“You’ve won the prize, Joe,” said Jasper, coming up and drawing a long breath. “Well, that was a race, to be sure.”
“You said you’d let the one who beat have a wish, and you’d do it if it was a possible thing,” cried Joel with a crow of delight. “Well, I choose for Polly to tell us a story now;” and he flung himself down on the grassy terrace by her side.