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“What’s that for?” said Almanzo

“Don’t point, Alood manners” She spoke loudly, above the noise of the loom

“Who is it for?” asked Al this time

“Royal It’s his Academy suit,” said Mother

Royal was going to the Acade the cloth for his new suit

So everything was snug and comfortable in the house, and Alhnuts froain with his sled

Too soon the shadows slanted down the eastward slopes, and he had to put his sled away and help water the stock, for it was chore-time

The as quite a long way from the barns A little house stood over the puh the wall and into the big watering-trough outside The troughs were coated with ice, and the pump handle was so cold that it burned like fire if you touched it with a bare finger

Boys sometimes dared other boys to lick a pump handle in cold weather Alue would freeze to the iron, and you must either starve to death or pull away and leave part of your tongue there

Almanzo stood in the icy puht while Father led the horses to the trough outside First Father led out the tea their mothers Then he led out the older colts, one at a time They were not yet well broken, and they pranced and jumped and jerked at the halter-rope, because of the cold But Father hung on and did not let theet away

All the tiushed from the pu noses into it and drank it up quickly

Then Father took the puh full, and he went to the barns and turned out all the cattle

Cattle did not have to be led to water They cah and drank while Almanzo pumped, then they hurried back to the warm barns, and each went to its own place Each cow turned into her own stall and put her head between her own stanchions They never made a mistake

Whether this was because they had more sense than horses, or because they had so little sense that they did everything by habit, Father did not know

Now Alan to clean the stalls, while Father measured oats and peas into the feed-boxes Royal caether as usual Almanzo’s birthday was over