"I am going to begin to make something to-day," said father. "The stove
is lighted. The workshop is warm. Who will be my helper?"
"I will," said Polly.
"I will," said Peter.
"Very well. You may both help. Come to the shop and guess what we are to
make."
The workshop was in Mr. Howe's barn. In it was a large workbench. Tools
hung on the walls. A box of tools was near the bench.
On the other side of the shop there was a very low workbench. It had two
drawers. In the drawers were tools.
There were two small hammers. There were two small saws. There were two
small screw drivers. There were two pots of glue. There were nails,
tacks, and screws.
The big bench and the big tools were for Mr. Howe. The little bench and
the little tools were for Peter and Polly.
It was not hard to guess what was to be made. Father had laid the pieces
of wood together. Any one could tell what they would make.
"It's a sled like your low one," said Polly. "I think it must be for
Brownie. It is too small for a big horse."
"That is just what it is, Polly. Grandmother wished to give you a
sleigh. But this will be better. If you tip over, you will not fall far.
"I am glad to have you learn to use Brownie in the winter, too. The snow
will make a soft cushion, if you fall off your sled."
The parts of the sled had been made for father. He needed only to put
them together. This did not take very long.
"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."
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."