tstimewewereoutofthis.”

    "Anddontyoustartfussiher,MrBeaver,"saidhiswife."There.Thatsbetter.

    Theresfiveloadsandthesmallestforthesmallestofus:thatsyou,mydear,"sheadded,lookingatLucy.

    "Oh,dopleaseeon,"saidLucy.

    "Well,Imnearlyreadynow,"answeredMrsBeaveratlast,allowingherhusbandtohelpherinto;hersnow-boots."Isupposethesewingmaestookheavyt?”

    "Yes.Itis,"saidMrBeaver."Agreatdealtooheavy.Andyoudontthinkyoullbeabletouseitwhilewereontherun,Isuppose?”

    "ItabidethethoughtofthatWitchfiddlingwithit,"saidMrsBeaver,"andbreakingitorstealingit,aslikelyasnot.”

    "Oh,please,please,please,dohurry!"saidthethreechildren.AndsoatlasttheyallgotoutsideandMrBeaverlockedthedoor("Itlldelayherabit,"hesaid)aoff,allcarryingtheirloadsovertheirshoulders.

    Thesnowhadstoppedandthemoonhadeoutwhentheybegantheirjourheywentinsinglefile-firstMrBeaver,thenLucy,thehenSusan,andMrsBeaverlastofall.MrBeaverledthemacrossthedamandonthtbankoftheriverandthenalongaveryroughsortofpathamoreesrightdownbytheriver-bank.Thesidesofthevalley,shininginthemoonlight,toweredupfarabovethemoherhand.

    "Bestkeepdownhereasmuchaspossible,"hesaid."Shellhavetokeeptothetop,foryoucouldntbringasledgedownhere.”

    Itwouldhavebeeyenoughsetolookatitthroughawindowfromafortablearmchair;ahingswere,Lujoyeditatfirst.Butastheywentonwalkingandwalking-andwalkingandasthesackshewascarryiheavierand