The old clock that hung in the tower of the town hall struck _one_.
It was dark, except for a few twinkling stars like bright eyes in the
night sky. All the town was asleep. It was cold, and white snow lay
over every thing. But as the clock struck one, the baker awoke and
went down to his kitchen to light his ovens. It was time for the fire
to glow and burn for his baking when the clock struck one o'clock.
_Two_ struck the clock in the tower of the town hall.
As the clock struck two the baker put on his white apron and rolled up
his sleeves. He bent over his great mixing bowl and began kneading the
dough and shaping the loaves of bread that were to be baked in the
oven.
It was time at two o'clock for the loaves of bread to go into the oven
to bake in the fire that glowed and burned so early in the morning.
_Three_ struck the clock in the tower of the town hall.
The dairyman poured rich milk into his shining bottles and packed
them into the milkman's wagon. It was still dark, although the stars
were not so bright and the sky was just beginning to be streaked with
pink. It was very cold, but the dairyman knew that it was time at
three o'clock to measure the milk that must go to town for the
children to drink as they ate the bread that the baker had mixed and
baked.
_Four_ struck the clock in the old town hall. Now the sky was light
enough for the milkman's team to start out, driving over the hard,
frosty roads. No other people were out, but the milkman knew that he
must start to town at four o'clock and begin delivering his milk that
the dairyman had measured so early in the morning. The children must
have it to drink as they ate the bread that the baker had mixed at
two, and baked in the fire that had been lighted at one o'clock.
_Five_ struck the clock in the town hall. A wintry wind blew out of
the east. It bit the nose and ears of the baker's boy who started out
with a basket of fresh loaves of bread on his arm for delivering at
the kitchen doors. He ran and whistled to try and keep warm. He did
not stop to think of anything, though, except that five o'clock was
time to deliver a loaf of bread at every house where the milkman had
left a bottle of milk.
_Six_ struck the clock in the town hall.
Jack's mother came downstairs and raised the house curtains to let in
the first sunshine, and then she put on her apron to begin the work of
the day. She spread a clean cloth over the table and laid the knives
and forks and spoons, and set the cups and bowls and plates in their
places. She knew that six o'clock was time to make the house ready for
breakfast. The baker's boy had started at five, and the milkman had
brought the milk at four. The dairyman had measured the milk at three
for the children to drink when they ate the bread that the baker had
mixed at two, and baked in the fire he had lighted at one.
_Seven_ struck the clock in the town hall. The tea kettle on the
kitchen stove sang. The sun shone in brightly, and Jack knew that it
was time to get up. But Jack was sleepy. He pulled the blankets up
over his nose and buried his head in his pillow so that he should not
hear the sound of the clock. It was a holiday, and Jack had decided to
do nothing but sleep and play.
_Ting-a-ling_; what was that? Jack jumped out of bed and into his
clothes when he heard the loud ring at the house door. Then he heard
his mother's voice.
"Good morning, Tom; you are out early, are you not? And here are all
my groceries; the butter, and the sugar, and the fruit, and the eggs!
Now I shall be able to make a cake to-day."
Jack knew who it was that had come through the cold, before he was up
in the morning, with a basket of groceries. It was Tom, the grocer's
boy.
Then Jack heard other sounds as he went downstairs and ate his
breakfast. He heard the sound of the baker kneading his bread, and the
drip of the milk as the dairyman measured it. He heard the rattle of
the milkman's cart and the sound of the baker's boy whistling as he
delivered his loaves in the cold. He saw Tom coming down the street
again with his empty basket on his arm. He was going back to the
grocery store for another load.
Jack put on his hat and coat and ran out.
"Wait, Tom!" he called, "I have a holiday and I'll help you deliver
the groceries this morning."