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Seligor's Castle, fun for all the children of the world.
Elfin Magic


seligorscastle.zoomshare.com

Seligor's Castle Presents.

An Elf began to singThe Elf Singing

An Elf sat on a twig,  he was not very big,

He sang a little song,  he did not think it wrong;

But he was on a Wizard's ground, who hated all sweet sound.

Elf, Elf,

Take care of yourself,

He's coming behind you,

To seize and to bind you and stifle your song.


The Wizard! the Wizard!Pocca flew into a rage

He changes his shape

In crawling along.

An ugly old ape, a poisonous lizard,

a spotted spider, a wormy glider,

The Wizard! the Wizard!

He's up on the bough;

He'll bite through your gizzard.

He's close to you now!


Tiny Elf!The Elf went on with his song,

It grew more clear and strong,

     It lifted him into the air,

     He floated singing away,

     With rainbows in his hair;

While the Wizard-worm from his creep

Made a sudden leap,A Mole!

Fell down into a hole,

And, ere his magic word he could say,

Was eaten by a Mole

            

From the pen of the Wonderful William Allingham. xxx

SELIGOR'S CASTLE

dottido@hotmail.co.uk

Melting Ice

 


But First.......   Created on December 18th, 2010 using FlipShare. This is my first attempt at making a video of any sort and It is sort of not bad. There are so many birds and squirrels. Most can be identified if viewed on full screen, including bull finches and the greater spotted woodpecker who gets chased from the fat balls  by a squirrel and goes to the peanuts further along. This garden in outside my bedroom window, and all through the year it is full of creatures including foxes, frogs, newts, weasels, owls, buzzards, pheasants etc. I think the count was 48 different species of birds at the last count. ( 50 now on JULY 2012 )

THE LITTLE ELF

I met a little Elf-man once,

Down where the lilies blow.

I asked him why he was so small,

And why he didn't grow.

Little Elf

He slightly frowned, and with his eye

He looked me through and through.

"I'm quite as big for me," said he,

"As you are big for you."

From the pen of John Kendrick Bangs


THE PEACOCKIt was then I saw the Peacocks

Our peacock loves the country,
But every night, I'm told,
He journeys to the City
To flash his tail of gold.

he spreads there after twilight
His fan of greens and blues,
And sets the streets a-shimmer
with iridescent hues.

In Strand, in Piccadilly,lovely table
His golden eyes are seen,
In Foorest Hill, in Hampstead,
And all the miles between.

But always after cock-crow
The country calls him hence,
And daybreak finds him roosting
Upon our garden fence.

Words by Elizabeth Fleming

SELIGOR'S CASTLE


Melting Ice
This is a story of a young Elfin Princess who was very lonely. Would she ever meet a young Prince and get married? Why not read on and find out.


Misti's cat and dragonfly nymphsELVES AND ICICLES

          In the land of Gily-keha not many miles away, there lived an Elfin Woodland Princess. Her name was Misti and her home was the Silvan Palace; high in the Silver mountains where she lived with her parents King Silvan and Queen Sereni.The Princess was a happy young elf but also a very lonely one for she didn’t have any brothers or sisters to play with.
It wasn’t so bad when she was young for she would spend hours playing with all the creatures that lived in and around the palace, but as she had grown older she found herself wishing for a friend;  someone to share her secrets with and just have fun with I guess.What made it worse was this winter had been long and cold,  it felt like it would never end, already the snow had been falling for more weeks than normal.
Misti sighed,
"When would the cold blanket lift and make way for the spring flowers,  in a few months I'll be thirteen, what then?" she reached down and stroked her pet cat Petals
"I should be getting engaged soon, where on earth are Mummy and Daddy going to find me a husband, Petals?"
The cat purred softly under her warm hand and began to wash her face.
"He would have to be a prince; and of course come from a good Elfin family and where was he to come from? 
Misti didn't really know any other elfin families in the mountains. 
She did meet the village elves when the summer was upon them and she had been going to school, but none of these were princes.
"Maybe I shall never marry Petals, you and I will just have each other forever" Misti smiled at the cat and kissed it's little pink nose.   Yes it was beginning to look like she was doomed to live alone forever.
Misti walked over to the bedroom window and sat down on the ledge, she was immediately aware that there was something  different in the woods. Was she imagining it or were there huge icicles hanging from the branches of some of the trees, they were glistening in the pale sunlight that had just appeared from behind the clouds.
She jumped off the ledge without another thought, ran out of the room, down the bannisters and in a flash she was all ready to go out into the snow.
She grabbed her mitts and scarf off the hat stand and was out the front door, through the gates and running down towards the woods.


Misti stood for a while gazing at the huge icicles hanging from the branches, how could she have missed  seeing them before.
"They definitely weren't here yesterday, that's for certain." Misti mumbled. 
Two little  rabbits ran over to where she stood expecting some tit bits of food,
"oh dear I'm so sorry little ones I didn't stop to get you anything to eat, I'll bring something down for you later but right now I must have a closer look at these strange icicles."
As Misti got closer she noticed that some of the bigger icicles had started to melt in the warmth of the suns rays, little pools of silvery water were collecting on the frozen ground.
She picked up a fallen branch off the tree and gentle tapped out a tune on the frozen shards, but insteadwhite rabbit of a tinkling noise all that sounded was a hollow clunk like an old can.
She threw the stick down and walked over to what seemed to be the biggest of the icicles, underneath it the pool was becoming rather big and somehow it looked very deep.
She took her mitts off and stooping down so she could get a better look she began to run her fingers through the ice cold water, her fingers felt to touch the ice below but there was  nothing, just what looked like a cold, unending darkness.
 Misti stared at her reflection in the water, but as she looked the image began too change and instead of herself there in the water, looking right back at her was the face of a young Elfin boy.
"This is not possible!" Misti exclaimed, blinking her eyes before looking back into the pool.
"Ok, it is possible, but what on Silvan are you doing in there.?"  
The Elf was maybe a bit older than Misti but he had the same golden hair and blue eyes, he didn't look too unlike Misti.
Without giving it another thought Misti took off her cape and knelt down on the snow besides the pool.
What happened next really did scare her. The elf in the pool opened his mouth and began talk to her.
"Hello my name is Gely I'm so glad you dropped by, I was beginning toMisti had forgotten to bring some food. get rather lonely in here, not to say fed up!” 
Misti didn't say a word , she just knelt there looking at the young elf,  she even turned, then looked over her shoulder to see if he was behind her, but of course he wasn’t.
Staring back into the water again Misti half smiled. "Right, ok this may seem like a very daft question, and I do not go around talking to elves locked in pools every day, but what are you doing in there, you must be freezing?
"I’m not quite sure why I'm in here and I usually wear my trunks when I go swimming and what's really strange is no, I am not freezing, not yet anyway.” Gely smiled at her again, "one minute I was walking through the woods and the next  it was all dark and I seemed to be paralised. I remember watching the rabbits playing amongst the trees, everything was green and beautiful then I noticed the big birds down by the pond and as I walked over to them, everywhere turned to winter again.
I was so surprised that I didn't see the leader of the birds walking up behind me. I felt a sudden pain in my side, turned round and he was stood there staring at me.
Then everywhere went dark." That's all I remember really." Gely guestured and Misti then realised that not only was the reflection of his face in the water but his whole body.  Gely smiled,
"I had hoped by now that I would have reached the Silver Palace, the home of my Aunt Serini, and be out in the gardens I've heard so much about from my mother." 
He shrugged his shoulders.  "It is nice to hear so much about your family but can you not reach the bottom and push yourself up a bit so I can pull you out? Misti's stared into the pool.
It looked so very deep and yet it couldn't be because Misti knew there were no deep holes around here.
Misti wasn't sure what to do or say. Gely made it easier by speaking himself. "I dont seem to be able to actually touch anything and I don't even know how long I've been in here.
By the way my name is Gely, sorry I can't shake your hand." he grinned and Misti lost her frown for a second.  "What day is it today?"
Misti answered."It's Saturday and it's the seventh of March." 
"You what, the seventh of March, you must be joking, it was only the second February when I left home.  I should of been here in five days, goodness surely I haven't been stuck in here for almost a month?
Gely stared past Misti at the icicles that hung all around. "I really don’t remember all these or anything else until I saw you looking down at me from up there."
Misti scratched her forhead and sighed. "Well, you are trapped there all right, and it would seem for at least a month, are you sure you didn't meet anyone else?” she scratched her forehead again.
“I mean you must have upset someone or something you don't end up trapped inside an icicle for no reason now do you?
Misti laughed and splashed the water with her hand, as she did so the sHe was goneun went behind a small cloud the image of Gely began to fade.
"Oh my goodness," shouted Misti, "what is happening to you? Oh don't go, please don't go, there is so  much I want to ask you?" She stood up then knelt down again.
"Where have you come from, what do you want with my mother or father and how do we get you out of there, oh please, please don’t leave me Gely, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
But it was to late, the image had vanished and the pool was starting to freeze over again and he was gone.
Misti began to cry, her warm teardrops falling onto the wet ice melted small spots and in one she could just see the corner of Gely's mouth, he was still  smiling.
And then he was gone once more.
Misti stood for a while wondering if he would come back, but the sky had gone dark once more and it was starting to snow again.
She jumped up, grabbing her cape and gloves and began to run back to the palace, she must get help and very soon before Gel vanished forever under the ice.        
Misti started to run back to the palace, here she was running to get help to rescue a cousin, for he must be her cousin if her mum was his aunt. So how come she didn't know about him?
Why had he been kept a secret.
An aunt and an uncle that she had never heard of before?
She was hurting inside, her heart pounding. Would she be able to get to her mother and father, even more desperately would they be able to get back to Gel in time? Only time would tell.

         Melting Ice      
             

With the Snow, comes Death;

She ran inside the gates and began to make it towards the front door when she caught site of her parents outside by the winter  conservertory in the snow garden. 
They too were just sitting there looking very worried indeed.
She ran up the steps and joined them on the wall, quite out of breath. 
Her father was holding something in his hand. "Mum, Dad I have something to tell you that can't wait a moment." Misti said grabbing hold of her father's arm. "Careful child," He said gently, "Look!"
He held out his hand towards her. There in the palm of her father's hand sat a snow Sprite, usually by this time of the year the snow had gone and the young sprites were safely back in there caves in the Silvanher white gown would turn to gold. mountain hibernating and getting their strenth back for the next winter.
Her white gown would have changed to gold as she and her sisters took out the winter and bought in the Spring.
They would be replaced with the Spring Sprites, who would arrive and usher the spring in.
 King Silvan placed the tiny sprite on a little cushion made from the velvet off the antlers of the forest deer. 
He sighed deeply “Its no good, they just don’t seem to have any strength left, they are growing weaker as each mornings wakes, if only we knew what it was that was making them so unable to leave, where is all this snow coming from?"
Misti stood by her mother's side as the king gently covered the creature with a piece of warm fur.
 “Daddy are they dying because the snow is still here and it's March?” she said impatiently. “Yes, my dear I do believe they are, for some reason they have lost the will to live.
“Then will you listen to me please, I think we know the reason why." Misti could take no more she burst into tears and blurted out all of what had happen in the  woods."
Misti sniffed. "Daddy, Mummy I need you to come with me, now, quick if we dont go now he will die, I know he will. 
The princess followed by her mum and dad went down the steps.
"But what I don't understand is how come I have got an Aunt and cousin that I didn't even know about?
Queen Sereni  sat down in the library, her eyes growing wider and wider as Misti related more of her story.
"But we must hurry Mummy, he's been trapped there for at least a month, and he is your nephew so come on." Impatiently Misti jumped to her feet.
Queen Sereni reached for her heavy boots and began to put them on. "You are certain of all this Misti?" the Queen whispered.
“If he is your Aunt Gildan’s son, he, all of us are in terrible danger.But she would never have sent him here, not in the winter time." 
She looked at the king, "Is it at all possible that she could have forgotten the curse, Silvan? Surely not, she answered herself. King Silvan sat down on his chair; his face was ashen and his hands began to shake.
"Now I don't understand any of this and it is all very  intriguing but we really do have to get over there and help him, curses you'll be talking about wizards and witches next, but I'll start with do I or don't I have a cousin called Gely? And could we talk about it on the way to the woods.” Misti just couldn’t help it, she began to cry again, everything seemed to be going to slow. 
Soon it would be dark and then there would be nothing they could do.
She felt her mothers arms encircle her waist.
 “Come, come little one, don’t cry, wipe away your tears and let's go and get your cousin out of the ice. I will tell you all there is to know as we get some warmer clothes on, it has turned very cold again and it's no good us going over there and freezing to death before we've found him again."

             The three of them got up and put there warm coats and hats on, they left the palace and walked quickly out of the gates and towards the woods.       
"Right were to start, at the beginning I think. It happened many years ago when my sister, your Aunt Gildan and I were very young.
It was time for myself and your father to be married and the palace was becoming very crowded with guests from all over the realms. One of them a young wizard called Pocca, to this day no one is certain where he came from but there he was on the Silver Mountain in the palace.
Within days he had he met and fallen in love with Gildan, but she was already in love with  Godron, the crowned prince of the  Golden Mountains. Your aunt did explain to pocca that  she was in love with Godron but he wouldnt listen to her, and so on the night of my wedding to your mum, Gildan and Godron left for the Golden Mountains.”
The King started to walk quicker , as the snow began to fall heavier. "Sereni, I will have to go faster dear, this snow is going to cover any trace of the pool." He began to run towards thePocca flew into a rage woods.
Queen Sereni continued to tell Misti the story.
"Well when Pocca found out that Gildan had gone, he flew into a furious rage, and it was while he was in this rage that he placed a curse on the Silver Mountains, that should Gildan or any of her family ever cross over into our border,"
 Queen Sereni stopped to remove some snow off her face, she bent down and kissed Misti on her forhead. "Go on mummy what
“Well this is the strange thing, darling, three weeks after Pocca left to go back to the mountains, there was a huge avalanche and everyone thought he had died and his curse had died with him. Yet saying that no one has been brave enough to venture over the border in the winter time.”  She shook her head.
“Obviously we were wrong, we decided never to let either you or Gely meet till after his thirteeenth birthday.” Misti just stood there open mouthed, "and it is my birthday in a couple of weeks and mummy, mummy Gely said when he came into the woods it was spring and had been for over a month.
Could that be when the curse came about, and if it is then we really must hurry for winter will stay forever,  Oh Mummy if that happens then we will surely be doomed for we will all freeze to death, we must try and talk to Gely, find out what happened in the woods,  oh come on mum we must tell dad, we have to find a way to make spring come and fast, the longer happened to this wizard, is he still on the mountain?” Misti asked. the curse is on us, the harder it will be to break it.”                        


  Melting Ice
Peacocks and Sprites             Three icicles hung from the branch, would they be in time to save Gel. .

       The icicles were still hanging there like glass stalactites frozen solid to the branches again by the cold air. Furls of ice had built up around the trees and looked like waves of ice, very beautiful but also frightening.  Misti pointed to the icicle that held the Gely prisoner and King Silvan wrapped the hot fur around it.
Immediatly it began to thaw, a pool began to form on the ground and it wasn't long before Prince Gely's image appeared before them.

Misti put her old cape onto the snow and knelt on it staring into the pool as it grew bigger.
 “Just a little more Daddy and I’ll be able to see all of him."
Everyone held their breath, as the image of the Prince grew stronger. “Whatever you say Misti, say it fast, we can’t take the chance of the icicle melting to much in case the prince melts away with it.”
King Silvan said quietly as though they were trying to keep his image a secret.
Queen Sereni sat down by her daughter’s side. "Hello Aunt Sereni, my goodness you look as pretty as your picture.” Prince Gely winked at his aunt.  The queen sat there in utter amazement.
 Misti put her finger to her lips. “Gel listen, I want you to think very hard as to what you were doing in the last few minutes before you were caught in the icicle. It is very important, we don’t know how much time we have left before we could all be destroyed.
So don't say anything unless it's to answer a question,  please Gel?" A tear fell from Misti's eye and splashed into the pool. For a moment the image vanished, Misti let out a short scream.
“Oh don’t go, not again,” she shouted but it was all right; as the ripples ceased Gely was still there, smiling back at her. “I wont even try to guess what is going on but I do realise that the sooner we find out what happened to me the better, so here goes.” Gely closed his eyes.
“Right I had been walking through the woods for about thirty minutes, it was a beautiful spring day, several white rabbits dashed across my path and I watched as they ran into their burrows.
They seemed a little frightened.


Tall peacock            It was then I saw the Peacocks,  the white one seemed a lot stronger than the others. He started pushing the other birds out of the way so that he could get to me, he was really beautiful with a beautiful white plume on his head whereas all the others had purple ones." “Are you sure it was a peacock? I wonder if it could have been Pocca in disguise, remember he is a wizard. Maybe he wasn’t killed in the avalanche?
What if he managed to escape and has been living in our woods all this time in the form of a peacock?”It was then I saw the Peacocks
The Queen put her hands to her mouth to smother a cry. “That means he is probably still here, right now watching us, oh Silvan what are we going to do?”
 “What happened next Gely?” King Silvan asked , all the time he was watching the icicle. 
"I was watching the peacocks in front of me I forgot to watch my back, and as I told Misti, he came up behind me. I felt a sharp pain in my side and then  blackness.
I woke up today and there was your beautiful daughter smiling down at me.” he smiled at Misti.
ImageSilvan took his cloak off the icicle and put it round his shoulders. “I have to leave you for a while, there.” he said putting the cloak around his own shoulders.
“You two stay here with the Prince, try not to let the water freeze over, I must find this white peacock as soon as possible, I feel he is around here  somewhere.” The King turned and walked towards the woods, there was a sharp cry and he stood there looking at the big Oak tree.
The White PeacockThere, underneath its snow-laden  branches was the White Peacock himself.
“I suppose you’re feeling very proud of yourself Pocca.”  He shouted at the Wizard.
The peacock walked slowly towards the King, he looked so grand, yet so very, very evil. 
“It's obvious you didn’t die in the avalanche after all then Pocca?" Silvan said  glancing over to where his wife and daughter sat on the ground. 
Pocca followed his eyes. “ Oh look who we have here, I see you’ve brought the family out with you, I would have left my wife and child at home in these dangerous times." He said moving closer to the where Silvan was standing.  "I really do think they would have been safer in the Palace." The Wizard said with a sneer in his voice, "I have been waiting for this moment for many years, and I am not letting it pass..
Pocca had been watching them , his hatred building inside him. “Don’t you talk to my father like that?" yelled Misti. “ Why didn’t you die in the avalanche, just go away and leave us alone and set my cousin free right away you bully."
 “Well, well, well little one, you seem to have the same fiery spirit your Aunt Gildan had when she was your age.” He started to walked towards Misti, “maybe I should put out your fire and let you join your cousin in the ice pool?” 
“Don't you come another step closer Poccca, you know quite well why Gildan  couldn't marry you, she didn't love you, she was in love with Godron.
Just stay away from my daughter and my family.” The Queen shouted, moving between the Pocca and Misti.  “Don’t you dare come a step closer or I'll wring your neck yself?”
the wizard stood there, not noticing the sprite arrival“Do you mean like this?” Pocca said with a laugh, and in a flash, he had disappeared only to re-appeared standing besides Misti and the pool.
“ Get away from them?” Sereni shouted again. “Why have you come here, what do  you want from us?” she looked towards her husband who seemed powerless to do anything it was as if he had been frozen to the spot.....

             Nobody had been watching the sky above the palace, quite suddenly the sky began to get dark as  hundreds of the little Snow Sprites had left the snow garden and were flying directly towards the  Wizard.
They hovered just above where he was standing, then the Elder sister of the Sprites waved her hand, this was the signal they were waiting for. 
The Sprites began to wail, it was the most fearful noise that Misti had ever heard. She put her hands over her ears trying to keep out the dreadful sound. The sister sprites seemed to fall to the ground like a giant white cape, but as they did so, they swooped on to one of the melting icicles. So many of the White Sprites were soaring through the air

It broke with a loud crack, and then with an almighty lunge and the last of their strength, they hurled the icicle like a dart towards the gloating Wizard. They moved with such a speed that he didn’t have a chance to move out of the way, with a sickening thud, the icicle buried itself deep into the peacocks chest.

As he fell towards the ground he began to change, instead of the beautiful white peacock there stood a  wizened old elf. He looked up at the sprites with horror in his eyes then fell forward onto the melting snow and ice and lay quite still. 
They stood there watching as the Wizard melted into the snow, nobody moved or said a word, then everything seemed to happen at once. The icicles began to melt rapidly.
The snow was turning into water, which was turning into small streams that began to flow through the woods even the leaves began to open on the trees.
Faint rays of sunshine began to spread from the east. 
“Oh my goodness.” screamed Sereni. “The Spring is coming all at once, we must get the snow sprite’s  back to the Snow Garden quickly or they will melt away and die! Oh hurry, hurry.”

The Elder Sprite smiled at Queen Sereni,  she waved her hand again, and once again the wail began, only this time it sounded joyful not mournful.  
The white cape of snow sprites lifted again and they were flying as fast as they could back to the safety of the Snow Garden. Misti watched as the sprites flew over the glass fence and into the garden.  “I think they are safe now Mummy,” she said smiling. “will they  be alright now Daddy?”  Her father nodded his head, she  sat down heavily on the ground by Gely's pool, her face went completely white.
She then screamed and began to sob loudly.“He’s gone Mummy, he’s not here any more.”  She looked up into her mothers face, they both stared down into the pool, there was no sign of Gely anywhere. 
The icicles had melted, only pools of water lay everywhere.
“Where is he, where is he," she cried, "I don’t even remember which one he was in.” She bent down over the pool she thought Gely had been trapped in, it was empty.  She had only known him for a short time; she had never touched him or felt the warmth of his hands in hers.
The Princess lay there sobbing her heart felt as if it were breaking in two, her tears fell into the pool, which formed little ripples on the surface. 
She was crying so much she didn’t see the image of Gely start to form in the water.
As each teardrop fell a little more of Gely appeared  above the water, till he was there, standing before her, very wet but very alive and smiling.
He reached out and touched her hand.  “Don’t cry, Misti” he whispered, “please don’t cry.” Misti looked up into the sparkling blue eyes of Gely.  “Your here," she sighed,  "I haven’t lost you afterall."
He looked so wonderful standing there, his hands holding hers and she knew in her heart that this would be the Elfin Prince that one day she would marry. 

Image
 Slowly hand in hand they turned away from the wood and made their way back to the palace.
The birds of spring were singing in the trees keeping in tune with the singing of Misti's heart for she knew that they would live happily ever after.




Melting Ice

And if you've enjoyed this story please leave feedback , xxxx's and hug's.

 ©Copyright1998   Diddily Dee Dot    

A STORY FOR YOU ALL FOR CHRISTMAS, ENJOY IT .

I WROTE IT IN 1998 FOR MY DAUGHTER KAYLEIGH'S 13TH BIRTHDAY

SHE IS 26 NOW AND ABLE TO READ IT TO HER THREE CHILDREN


If you have any ideas for a story like this one, do leave a message for me at Image
dottido@hotmail.co.uk

This work is about Jack Frost,
were given me by a young gentleman,
by the name of 
George E Dolan, age 9.

Firstly here is a Haiku of 17 Syllables.

Lord of the Winter
He sits on his Silver Throne
Gone in the Morning.





Barbie and her friends are here to entertain you. Don't forget to were your Barbie gown.

 
Melting Ice




A little poem to read now you have met Misti and Gely, just a little reminder, that when the Winter does arrive, we must all take care to look after the wild life during this harshness of this Season.

Bird Table
When Jack first hangs his icicles upon the leafless trees,
and out of mischief causes all the water pipes to freeze.

When old Dame Carey plucks her chicks up in the clouds, and lo!
The feathers flying down to earth, are changed to flakes of snow;

When everybody's nose and ears are of a scarlet hue,
Robin in Winter and everybody's toes are cold and fingertips are blue.

When everybody gathers round the ever welcome fire,
and everyone want's to stay inside, for that is their desire.

When fields and hedges in the sun are glittering with frost
In fact, to put your finger on it, the winters come at last.

For inside all is snug and warm, but outside all is cold,
and starving birds and creatures small become a little bold.

Please don't forget to scatter crumbs, and peanuts, fruit and bread
For all will need a little help, to keep colds from their head.

Melting Ice

Melting Ice

The Horse That Wore Snow Shoes

Mr. Brown had to go to his camp at Pine Tree Valley, which is in the midst of the mountains in California.

His men were cutting down the giant trees, and piling them in readiness for the Spring freshet, or floods of the river, when the snows melted. Then they would slide them down the mountain sides to the little villages below.

There was a great deal of snow on the mountains, and Mr. Brown knew it would be hard work climbing to the camp, but Lady Gray was strong, and used to it.

Lady Gray was Mr. Brown's pet horse, and carried him everywhere. She was always happy when her master was in the saddle.Pine Valley in Winter

But to-day the snow was very deep and soon Mr. Brown had to get off, throw away the saddle, and lead her. They had to stop very often, and lean against the trees and rocks for support, while they rested and regained their breath.

In places the snow was so deep and soft, that they sank above their knees. Late in the afternoon they reached the camp nearly exhausted, and it was several days before they were able to return.

The snow was still deep and Mr. Brown knew he must go back on snow-shoes, but he was afraid Lady Gray would have to be left behind.

Finally one of the men suggested making her some snow-shoes. They cut four round pieces of board, twelve inches across, and fastened them on with rope. Lady Gray seemed to understand what they were for and tried very hard to walk in them.


strong>                  Lady Gray with her snow shoes on          

She was very awkward at first and could hardly stand up, but by practicing a little every day she was soon able to manage nicely.

Pine Trees in Pine Valley CaliforniaSo Mr. Brown and Lady Gray both returned on snow-shoes,and how every one did laugh when they saw them.But Lady Gray never could have done it if she HAD NOT TRIED. 


Melting Ice



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