The next afternoon the sled came home. The blacksmith's boy drew it. The iron runners were on. They fitted well.
"Now," said father, "we have another job to begin to-morrow. We must paint the sled. What color shall it be?"
The children talked about it a long time.
At last Polly said, "Peter likes red and I like red. May we paint it red, father?"
"Red is a good color," said father. "We will paint it red. See that your brushes are soft. You must help on the work, you know."
The next day the painting began. Each child had a part to do all alone. Of course, Peter got paint on his hands. And there were large, red spots on his clothes. But they were old, and no one cared.
The first coat of paint dried quickly in the warm room. Then another was put on, and the work was done.
Peter and Polly went to the workshop many times a day to look at the sled. They touched the paint with their fingers. Surely it must be dry.
At last father said, "The paint is hard now. The sled is ready for use. We will harness Brownie to it to-morrow."