on't you?"

It was the same policeman Sunny Boy had met when all the children at
Miss May's school had lost their coats before Thanksgiving (and that
was exciting, you may be sure), and they were really very good friends.

"This is my Grandpa Horton," said Sunny Boy. "He and Grandma are
visiting us. They came before Christmas."

Grandpa Horton and the policeman shook hands and Grandpa asked him if
he thought the ice was safe.

"Oh, it's safe enough, sir," answered the policeman.

"Sunny Boy is so anxious to learn to skate," explained Grandpa Horton,
while Sunny Boy stood up, his new skates on his feet by this time,
"that I promised him his first lesson today."

"He'll be all right if he stays near the edge and you keep an eye on
him," said the policeman. "Sometimes the little fellows get knocked
down, if they go out in the center alone. If you tumble, Sunny Boy,
don't bump your nose, will you? You might sneeze."

Sunny Boy laughed, and, holding tight to Grandpa Horton's hand, he
slowly slid out on the ice.

"I feel--" he gasped, "I feel like a rocking horse!"

And indeed, if you have ever been on double runner skates yourself,
you'll remember that you do feel something as a rocking horse must feel.

Grandpa Horton was very patient and he walked slowly and held fast to
Sunny Boy so that he would not feel frightened. Boys and girls whizzed
by them, laughing and shouting, and Sunny Boy hoped that he would be
able to skate like that some day. Presently he let go of his
grandfather's hand and tried to skate by himself.

"I can do it, just as nice," he was boasting when one foot went out and
the other doubled up and Sunny Boy went down flat!

"Hurt?" asked Grandpa Horton, helping him up. "No one ever learned to
skate without a fall or two, Sunny Boy."

"It didn't hurt me," said Sunny Boy bravely. "At least, not very much.
But the ice is pretty slippery, isn't it, Grandpa? And it is hard,
too."

He took hold of his grandfather's hand again, though, after this
tumble, and they were both having a fine time when they heard some one
shout.

"Why, it's the policeman!" said Grandpa Horton, in surprise. "I didn't
realize how far out we were, Sunny Boy. He's motioning. We must go
in. Hurry, laddie!"

The policeman stood on the shore, shouting and waving his arm. As the
skaters heard him they began to move toward him, and in a minute there
was a pushing, hurrying throng, some skating, some trying to r