"Now," said father, "the carpenters have finished their work. We must draw our sled to the blacksmith's shop."
"What for?" asked Peter.
"For the iron runners, my boy. They will make your sled slip easily. The blacksmith has been making them. He says that he will fit them on to-morrow."
So the three took the sled to the blacksmith. On the way Polly rode a little. Then Peter rode a little. Father was the horse.
Once he played that he was running away. He tumbled Polly off into the soft snow. The children thought this great fun.
At the blacksmith's shop they saw the runners. These did not quite fit the wooden runners. Polly felt sorry about this.
But the blacksmith said, "Never you mind, Polly. I can heat them at the forge. That will make them soft. Then I can bend them as I wish.
"You ought to know about this. Haven't you seen me shoe horses? Haven't you seen me make the shoes fit?"
"Yes," said Polly. "But, you see, I forgot about that."