house of her husband, who was clearing
away the snow from the top of it, she perceived a mass of snow breaking
down towards the east, upon which she went back into the stable, shut
the door, and told her sister of it. In less than three minutes they
heard the roof break over their heads, and also a part of the ceiling.
The sister advised to get into the rack and manger, which they did. The
ass was tied to the manger, but got loose by kicking and struggling, and
threw down the little vessel, which they found, and afterwards used to
hold the melted snow, which served them for drink.

"Very fortunately the manger was under the main prop of the stable, and
so resisted the weight of the snow. Their first care was to know what
they had to eat. The sister said she had fifteen chestnuts in her
pockets; the children said they had breakfasted, and should want no more
that day. They remembered there were thirty-six or forty cakes in a
place near the stable, and endeavoured to get at them, but were not able
for the snow. They called often for help, but were heard by none. The
sister gave the chestnuts to the wife, and ate two herself, and they
drank some snow-water. The ass was restless, and the goats kept bleating
for some days, after which they heard no more of them. Two of the goats,
however, being left alive and near the manger, they felt them, and found
that one of them was big, and would kid, as they recollected, about the
middle of April; the other gave milk, wherewith they preserved their
lives. During all this time they saw not one ray of light, yet for about
twenty days they had some notice of night and day from the crowing of
the fowls, till they died.

"The second day, being very hungry, they ate all the chestnuts, and
drank what milk the goat yielded, being very near two quarts a-day at
first, but it soon decreased. The third day they attempted again, but in
vain, to get at the cakes; so resolved to take all possible care to feed
the goats; for just above the manger was a hay-loft, where, through a
hole, the sister pulled down hay into the rack, and gave it to the goats
as long as she could reach it, and then, when it was beyond her reach,
the goats climbed upon her shoulders and reached it themselves.

"On the sixth day the boy sickened, and six days after desired his
mother, who all this time had held him in her lap, to lay him at his
length in the manger. She did so, and taking him by the hand felt it was
very co