Rollo at Play; Or, Safe Amusements

by Jacob Abbott

  CLEARING UP.

  They went out upon the steps to look at the sky. A few drops of rainwere still falling, but the clouds appeared to be breaking in severalplaces, and the tract of golden sky in the west was rising andextending. The air was calm, and the golden rays of the sun shone uponthe fields and trees, and upon the glittering drops that hung from theleaves and branches. Rollo and Lucy both said it was beautiful.

  They went in and urged their father to go with them down to the brook tosee the freshet, but he said they must wait till after tea. "It is toowet to go now," said he.

  "But, father," said Rollo, "I do not think it will be any better aftertea. The ground cannot dry in half an hour."

  "No," said his father; "but the water will run off of the paths a greatdeal, so that we can get along much better."

  "Well, but then it will run off from the brook a great deal too, and thefreshet will not be so high."

  "It is a little different with the brook," his father replied, "for thatis very long, and the water comes a great way, from among the hills.Now, while we are taking tea, the water will be running into the brookback among the hills, faster than it will run away here, so that it willgrow higher and higher for some hours."

  Rollo had no more to say, but he was impatient to go. He and Lucy wentout and stood on the steps again. The clouds were breaking up and flyingaway in all directions, and large patches of clear blue sky appearedeverywhere, giving promise of a beautiful evening.

  "Hark!" said Rollo; "what is that?"

  Lucy listened. It was a sort of roaring sound down in the woods. Rolloat first thought it was a bear growling.

  "Do you think it is a bear?" said he to Lucy, with a look of someconcern.

  "A bear!--no," said Lucy, laughing. "That is not the way a bear growls.It is the freshet."

  "The freshet!" said Rollo.

  "Yes; it is the water roaring along the brook."

  Rollo listened, and he immediately perceived that it was the sound ofwater, and he jumped and capered with delight, at thinking how fine asight it must be.

  At the tea-table Rollo's father explained the plan he had formed fortheir going. He said it was rather a difficult thing to go and see afreshet without getting wet--especially for a girl. He and Rollo, hesaid, could put on their good thick boots, but Lucy had none suitablefor such a walk, as it would probably be very wet and muddy in someplaces.

  "What shall we do then?" said Rollo.

  "I believe I shall let Jonas go down and draw Lucy in his wagon," saidhis father. "How should you like that, Lucy?"

  Lucy said she should like it very well, and after tea they went out tothe garden-yard door, where they found Jonas with his wagon all ready.This wagon was one which Jonas had made to draw Rollo upon. It was plainand simple, but strong and convenient, and perfectly safe. They helpedLucy into it, and she sat down on the little seat. Rollo, with his hootson, took hold behind to push, and Jonas drew. Rollo's father walkedbehind, and thus they set off to view the freshet.

  They moved along carefully through the yard, and then turned by the gateand went into the field. The path led them by the garden fence for somedistance, and they went along very pleasantly for a time, until atlength they came to a large pool of water covering the whole path. Therewere high banks on each side, so that the wagon could not turn out.

  "What shall we do now?" said Rollo.

  "I can go right through it," said Jonas; "it is not deep."

  "And we can go along on the bank, by the side," said Rollo.

  "Very well." said his father, "if you are not afraid, Lucy."

  Lucy did feel a little afraid at first, but she knew that if her unclewas willing that she should go, there could not be any danger; so shemade no objection. Besides, she knew that, as Jonas was to walk alongbefore her, she could see how deep it was, and there could not be anydeep places without his finding it out before the wagon went into them.

  Jonas was barefoot, and did not mind wetting his feet; so he waded in,drawing the wagon after him. It was about up to his ankles all the way.Lucy looked over the side of the wagon, and felt a little fear as shesaw the wheels half under water; but they went safely through.

  Presently they began to descend a path which led them into the woods.They heard the roaring of the water, which grew louder and louder asthey drew nigh, and then Rollo suddenly stopped and said,

  "Why, father, it is raining here in the woods now."

  Lucy listened, and they heard the drops of rain falling upon the groundall around them; and yet, looking up, they saw that the sky was almostperfectly clear. Presently they thought that this was only the dropsfalling off from the leaves of the trees.

  Rollo said he meant to see if it was so, and he ran out of the path, andtook hold of a slender tree with a large top of branches and leaves,and, looking up to see if any drops would come down, he gave it a goodshake; and, true enough, down came a perfect shower of drops all intohis face and eyes. At first he was astonished at such an unexpectedshower-bath, but he concluded, on the whole, to laugh, and not cry aboutit; and he came back wiping his face, and looking comically enough. Allthe party laughed a little at his mishap, and then went on.

  In a few minutes more, they came in sight of the foaming brook. Thewater was very high; in some places, the banks were overflowed, and thecurrent swept along furiously, dashing against the rocks, and whirlinground the projecting points.

  The children stopped, and gazed upon the scene a little while, and thenRollo said he was going to sail his boats, which he had brought in hispocket.

  Just then Jonas saw a plank which was lying partly on the bank andpartly in the water, a little up the stream. It had been placed acrossthe brook some distance above, for a bridge; but the freshet had broughtit away, and it had drifted down to where it then was.

  Jonas said he would find a place for Lucy to stand upon with it. So hewent and pushed off this plank, and let it float down to where thechildren were standing; and then he drew it up upon the shore, and laidit along, so that Lucy could stand upon it safely, and launch thepea-pod boats.

  These boats were soon all borne away rapidly down the stream, out ofsight; and then they threw in sticks and chips, and watched them as theysailed away, and whirled around in the eddies, or swept down the rapids.Thus they amused themselves a long time, and then slowly returned home.

  BLUEBERRYING.

  "The bower on the mountain."]

  BLUEBERRYING.

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