King!"

"I wish the Frost King had planned it so we could get our milk this
morning," said Mrs. Owen; "he didn't tell me he was planning the
blizzard, and now I haven't a bit of milk in the house."

"The Frost King says the water is all right for drinking," said Peggy.
"He says it is so cold it doesn't have to be put on ice."

The children had a merry time eating their breakfast, although even
Peggy's fertile imagination could think of no way by which the Frost
King could make oatmeal taste well without milk.

Suddenly Mrs. Owen had a bright idea. "We can have maple syrup on our
oatmeal," she said.

This was, indeed, a treat, and so were the eggs the Rhode Island family
had laid, and there was delicious toast and butter, and oranges, as an
especial birthday treat.

"I am afraid old Michael won't be able to come and shovel us out, on
account of his rheumatism," said Mrs. Owen.

Peggy and Alice put on their raincoats and rubber boots and stocking
caps, and they took their snow-shovels and tried to make a path to the
hen-house. Diana watched them, with her face close to the kitchen
window. Peggy stopped to wave to Diana, and lost her footing, tumbling
down into the snow. She got up, shaking herself and laughing heartily.
Diana watched the children as their eyes grew brighter and their cheeks
redder and redder with their exercise. The snow powdered them over with
flakes from head to foot. It was impossible to make a good path, for the
wind kept blowing the snow back, but they made enough headway so they
could get out to Hotel Hennery. They came back to the house for food for
its hungry inhabitants. There were others to be fed--blue jays,
chickadees, sparrows, and crows; and then a flock of pheasants. And
there was Lady Janet. She could not understand why there was no milk in
her saucer and looked at them with beseeching eyes.

As the long morning passed, and Peggy and Mrs. Owen were busy in the
kitchen, making the large biscuits and cookies, and the small ones, even
Alice had begun to get tired of playing with dolls.

"Can't we come out in the kitchen and help you?" she asked.

"No, I don't need your help."

"Can't Peggy come in and play games with us?"

"No, Peggy is helping me."

"I am very busy," said Peggy. "You can play games by yourselves."

Then Alice realized how flat every game seemed without Peggy. It was all
right so long as they were playing dolls, but one could not play dolls
all day. The geog