The detail, which may seem excessive to an older critic, was in every case, until I had learned to put it in at the start, the result of a searching cross-examination. If the bars were not put up again, the cows might get out; and if the oxen did not pass, on their return, all the familiar objects, how did they get back to the barn? It is the young critics that I hope to please, those whose years count no more than six. If they like these farm stories half as well as my own young critic likes them, I shall be satisfied.

William J. Hopkins.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
PAGE
I.[The Oxen Story]13
II.[The Fine-Hominy Story]21
III.[The Apple Story]36
IV.[The Whole Wheat Story]47
V.[The Stump Story]59
VI.[The Horsie Story]64
VII.[The Log Story]71
VIII.[The Uncle Sam Story]80
IX.[The Market Story]84
X.[The Maple-Sugar Story]96
XI.[The Rail Fence Story]110
XII.[The Cow Story]120
XIII.[The Hay Story]135
XIV.[The Fireplace Story]146
XV.[The Baking Story]156
XVI.[The Swimming Story]165
XVII.[The Chicken Story]175
XVIII.[The Shawl Story]184
XIX.[The Buying-Farm Story]198
XX.[The Butter Story]203
XXI.[The Bean-Pole Story]210

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


PAGE
[Little John]Frontispiece
["And to wash their faces and hands"]14
["Ran down the spout to the hogshead"]15
["Uncle John took the bars down"]17
["He put one grain of corn in each hole"]25
["It was time to gather the corn"]27
["On the outside of the building was a great enormous wheel"]31
["Little John got down"]32
["Uncle John gathered all the apples"]38
["The juice ran out below into the keg"]43
["The cider ran into the pitcher"]45
["So they went all around the field"]49
["Put the bag over his shoulder"]50
["They made a great noise"]56
["The places where the fields would be were all covered with trees"]60
["They dug a trench"]62
["He began to climb over the wall"]66
["Ran along the road crying"]69
["They rolled the great log up the little logs on to the sleds"]74
["The end of the log came against the saw"]77
["He tipped Uncle Sam right out"]82
["He just got up and ran around the wall"]83
["The old rooster crowed"]85
["Aunt Deborah came out of the house"]87
["The market-man took some money from his pocket"]92
["Put a bucket under each spout"]100
["Dropped it in the snow"]104
["They cut down enough of these trees"]112
["Put the posts in the holes"]117
["Fixing the fire"]121
["Little John ... opened the gate"]128
["They put it down by the stone wall"]137
["One of the other men began at the next place"]138
["They piled the hay up in the cart"]143
["There was a great enormous fireplace"]147
["Filled it with water at the well"]150
["Those were apple pies"]160
["So she did until all the pies were baked"]162
["They ran along in the water where it wasn't very deep"]167
["There was Aunt Deborah with four pieces of gingerbread"]173
["The old rooster ... crowed very loud"]178
["Each of these hens laid one egg"]180
["Little John found that nest"]181
["They went to the island"]188
["They thought the cloth and the shawls were very beautiful"]195
["All the things had to be dragged in the wagons"]201
["Put it in flat pans"]296
["Aunt Phyllis took hold of the long handle"]207
["He cut down each tree with one whack of the axe"]213
["The bean vines kept on growing"]216

THE SANDMAN: HIS FARM STORIES

[I.]