Daddy Takes Us Skating

out into the storm, going around the side path toward the b

he going?"

Hal," answere

e is

n the storm to see what

s hits him on the end of his nose

do it again," said Uncle Pennyw

ere was a storm he used to get in the darkest corner of the house and howl.

orter to Hal's father as Daddy Blake ran around the house. "I

heard above the noise of the storm; for the thunder was very loud, and the patt

a strange sight. There stood Hal, in the midst of his little corn field, out in the pelting rain and hail, holding the biggest umb

u doing?" cr

uld tear the green leaves all to pieces and I don't want it to. Can't Mab

rt Hal's feelings. Besides he was a little worried

rom the hail and saving that one hill would not make up for you getting ill. We shall

ked Hal, making his way between t

t doesn't do a great deal of damage, even though it tears many of the gre

l, as he went back to the house with his father, walking under the umbrella.

Blake. "But it will soon be over, and the rain will do

hail had stopped and it was only raining. Mrs. Blak

had been struck by l

n't afraid!"

h. "It was very good of you, but you mustn't do such a thing again. Now you'll ha

en stones. He let Hal and Mab look at them, and then, taking a large one, he held

nd, looking, they noticed that the hail stone was made up of differ

Hal, for the hail stone did look a bit like an

into a cold part that freezes it. Then the frozen rain drop is tossed down into some warm air, or a cloud where there is water. This water clings to the frozen centre and then is whirled upward

I didn't know hail sto

did I," a

g frozen chunks of rain coming down, and he remembered what his father had said about it spoiling garden and farm crops. So Hal, when no o

Blake took Hal and Mab into the garden to see what damage ha

beaten down!" cried Mab,

them up with your hand and hoe more dirt around their roots. That's what I shall have to do with

is torn," said H

ge done to his crops by the storms. Of course it isn't nice, but it is part of the garden game. Sometim

his whole crop is spoiled

r not he is going to have a good crop of anything. Sometimes it may be storms that spoil his wheat or hay, and again it may be dry weather, with not enough rain, or bugs and worms may eat up many of his growing things.

children said they could almost SEE the things growing. Mab declared that her bean vines grew almost an inch that one day, an

ere the rain had washed the soil away, and thus the bushes and stalks were helped to

when he went to the garden with Hal and Mab a few days after the stor

o throw them aw

save all the food we can. But we will do as the farmer does who raises a larg

cried Mab, wit

gs for REAL mo

hough you may give your friends anyth

ore?" asked Hal. "And who

" asked Mab. "What have

ainly can ask question

ur store counter. And you can sell things to persons that pass along the street. Some in automobiles may stop and buy, and others, on their way to the big stores, may stop to get your vegeta

asked Hal. He had heard his father and Uncle Pennywait sp

lake with a smile. "Persons who have no garden of their ow

we going to se

or make into ketchup just now. She will have plenty more later on. And I think there will be more of your beans, Ma

et," said Hal. "The e

s carrots are ready to pull, and she has more than we w

cried the little boy. "Come on, Mab, we'l

!" cried Mab. "Will you

The nicer your vegetables look, and the more tastefully you set them out, the more quickly will people sto

ull size, leaving the small to grow larger, when there would be more to eat in each pod.

hey often are covered with brown, rusty spots and they soon rot. Persons l

xes, and set them in the shade out of the sun until it

ots of good size were pulled, the small ones being left to grow larger. The carrots were tied in bunches of six each, and

your garden store will be ready

ly picked and placed in strawberry boxes also, a few being set asid

on two boxes out in front of their house. On the board were set the boxes of red

said Daddy Blake, as he helped the children

'll sell anything?"

comes a big automobile with two ladies in

unter," said Mab slowly, as she