back yard.
We'll make one big enough for us all four to live in."

"And we can stay there even if the snow covers the top," added Janet.

"Wouldn't we freeze?" asked Lola.

"No. Mother read us a story about a man who was caught out in a big
snowstorm, and he dug down under the snow and let it cover him all up,
except a place to breathe, and he was warm."

"Well, we'll build a snow house, but I guess there won't be enough snow
to cover it," cried Tom.

"I like lots of snow," put in Teddy.

All that day it snowed, even when the Curlytops and the other children
ran laughing and shouting out of school. Tom and Lola went with Jan and
Ted to the Martins' back yard and there they began to build a snow
house.

CHAPTER V

NICKNACK SEES HIMSELF

The snow was just right for making snow houses, or for rolling big balls
that grow in size the more you push them along. For the snow was
wet--that is, the flakes stuck together. Sometimes, when the weather is
cold, the snow is dry and almost like sand. Then is not a good time to
try to make snow houses, snow men or big snowballs.

"But it's just right now!" cried Teddy, as he ran into the back yard
with his sister and the other girl and boy. "We'll make a fine snow
house!"

"First we'll make some big snowballs," said Tom Taylor.

"I thought we were going to make a snow house!" exclaimed Ted.

"So we are," agreed Tom. "But the way to start is to make big snowballs.
Roll them as big as you can and they'll make the sides of the house.
We'll pile a lot of snowballs together and fill in the cracks between.
That's the way to start."

[Illustration: "FIRST WE'LL MAKE SOME BIG SNOWBALLS," SAID TOM TAYLOR.
_Page 52_]

Ted and the others saw that this was a good way, and so they began.
First they each made a little snowball. But as they rolled them along
around the big yard the balls gathered the snow up from the ground,
packing it around the little ball that had first been started, until
Ted's was so big that he could hardly move it.

"It's big enough now!" called Tom. "Put it over here, where we're going
to start the snow house, and I'll roll my big ball next to yours, Ted."

This was done. Then Jan's snowball, and that of Lola were put in a row
and the four walls of the snow house were started. There was plenty of
the snow to be had and the children worked fast. Before dusk they had
the four walls of the house made, with a doorway and windows cut, but
there was n