The Bobbsey Twins Keeping House by Laura Lee Hope : Snowed In

None

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter thirteen of The Bobbsey Twins Keeping House. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Read by Martha Heaton. The Bobbsey Twins Keeping House by

(00:21):
Laura Lee Hope. Snowed in, Nan Bobbsey was glad her
brother Bert was at home helping her keep house. Without Burt,
she felt that she never could look after things, see
to Flossie and Freddy, and nurse the sick missus prye.
And when Nan heard her small brother and sister squealing

(00:43):
this way, which always meant mischief of some sort or other,
she was more than glad that she also heard Bert's
voice calling to the small twins. Nan got to the
foot of the stairs in time to see Bert running
out of a side door after Flossie and Freddy, who
bareheaded and with no wraps on, had run out into

(01:03):
the storm. Oh you mustn't do that, exclaimed Nan. Bring
them in, Bert, That's what I'm trying to do, he answered,
but he could not help laughing. So jolly and full
of fun were Flossy and Freddy, though they were also
full of mischief. Now I have you, cried Bert, as
he caught Flossy before she had time to get very

(01:24):
far away from the bottom of the steps. But you
haven't got me, shouted Freddie, making a dash through the
piles of snow on the ground and also through the
cloud of swirling flakes falling from the sky. You haven't
got me, but I will get you, shouted Bert. Here Nan,
he called to his older sister. You hold this little

(01:46):
tike while I chase after this Freddie. Boy Nan, with
a sigh and yet a little laugh, held Flossi, who,
truth to tell, was herself laughing and giggling so hard
at the trick she and Freddy had played on Bert
that she could not have run much farther, no matter
how much she wanted to. Freddie had counted on Bert
having to drag Flossie along with him on the second

(02:09):
part of the chase, but when Bert turned Flossie over
to Nan, that left him free to run, and he
caught his small brother before the latter had taken more
than a half a dozen steps. Prisoner number two cried Bert,
picking Freddy up in his arms and carrying him back
to the house, lock him up, Nan, I shall have
to if they aren't better, said Nan with a shake

(02:31):
of her head, as she put Flossie down in the hall,
while Bert did the same with Freddy. No you don't,
suddenly cried Bert. As he locked the door out of
which the mischievous ones had darted, He saw Freddy making
a sly attempt to open it again. What happened, asked Nan.
I was coming down to get the flat iron for

(02:52):
Aunt Sally, and I heard the children scream. They were
only yelling for fun, and because they played a trick
on me left Bert. They wanted to go out and
get some snow, but I wouldn't let them. Of course,
not agreed Nan the idea. But we got out anyhow,
didn't we, Flossy laughed Freddie. Yes we did, she giggled.

(03:13):
I went to the front door to see if the
man had left the milk, explained Bert, for he leaves
it on the front steps when it storms too much
to come around to the back. And when I opened
the door, these two prisoners, he laughingly shook his finger
at them, wanted to go out and get some snow
to bring in the house. I said they couldn't, and

(03:33):
I only had time to get the door shut to
keep them in. Then I went to the side door,
leaving them trying to unlock the front door, which they
couldn't do because I took the key out and with
another laugh, Bert held up the key. But all of
a sudden they crawled past me while I was looking
on the side porch for the milk, and that's how
they got out. I had to run after them. I

(03:55):
was wondering what happened, said Nan, Did you bring the
milk in? Bert? No, I didn't, Nan, there isn't any milk.
Oh didn't the milkman come? Guess he didn't. Bert answered,
it isn't the first time he's missed us in a storm. Well,
I think we have enough left for to day, said Nan.
I'm pretty sure there's a bottle in the pantry. But

(04:17):
if he doesn't leave any tomorrow, Bert, you'll have to
go after some. But I guess the storm will stop
by then. I don't know, said Bert, while again he
shook his finger at Flossie and Freddy, who were laughing
together in a corner plotting more tricks. It is likely
it looks as if it's going to snow for a week,
nan oh I hope it doesn't do that, she cried.

(04:40):
Mother and father would never get home and we'll never
have any word from them. I guess there'd be some
way out, answered Bert, but I don't believe there'll be
any mail delivered to day. I could go down to
the post office after it, though. No, I don't want
you out in the storm, objected Nan. I don't want
to be left here all alone with me price sick.

(05:01):
Maybe you couldn't get back. I'll stay with you, promised
her brother good naturedly. But is Aunt Sally very sick? Well?
She has lots of pain in her back, explained Nan.
That's why I'm going to take her the hot flat iron.
Then I must wash the dishes and see about getting lunch.
Could we play picnic and make believe take our lunch

(05:22):
to the woods to eat, asked FLOSSI, oh, that would
be lots of fun, cried Freddie we could make believe
up in the attic was woods. Let's do that. I'll
see about it, answered Nan. Now you look after them
for a little while, Bert, and I'll take this iron
to Aunt Sally. And don't you two little tykes dare
run out in the snow again. We won't, promised Flossi.

(05:47):
Nan found the old lady moving restlessly about in bed
with the pain of the lumbago in her back. Do
you think I ought to get the doctor for you,
asked the girl. Oh no, Dearie, I'll be all right
in a day or so, Anne answered missus prye. This
hot iron will help a lot. Then if I had
some of my liniment to rub on my back, i'd
feel better. Shall I get Bert to go to the

(06:10):
drug store after the liniment, asked Nan. You won't need
to do that, Dearie, answered missus Prye. I have some
of the stuff and a bottle in my valise. If
you'll hand it to me, I'll rub it on my
back and then I'll go to sleep. Awhile, I didn't
sleep much last night, but I fell asleep toward morning,
and I slept so hard I didn't wake up in
time to call you to go to school. Well, there

(06:33):
isn't any school, so that didn't matter, said Nan. She
found the bottle of queer smelling liniment in the old
lady's valise and gave it to her. Then Nan said, well,
I'll go down now and wash the dishes. What's that,
exclaimed missus Prye. You say Bert is going out and
try to catch some fishes. Land sakes, child, he never

(06:54):
can catch any fishes in this snowstorm. Don't let him go. Besides,
I don't like fear anyhow. I didn't say anything about fishes,
replied Nan in louder tones. I said I was going
to wash the dishes. Oh, dishes, murmured missus Prye. Well,
my hearing isn't what it once was, but I surely

(07:16):
thought you said fishes. Holding back her merriment, Nan went downstairs.
Flossie and Freddy were so filled with joy over their
plan of going up in the attic and playing they
were on a picnic in the woods that they had
become very good and quiet, indeed making no trouble for Birt,
who had picked up the dishes ready for washing. I'll

(07:37):
dry them for you, he told Nan, And he added,
we might as well give Flossy and Freddy some crackers
and cookies and let them play up in the attic
where they won't bother. Aunt Sally, they've got to do
something to keep out of trouble, and they can't go
out in the storm. Yes, we'll do that decided Nan. Accordingly,
She put some odds and ends of cookies, cakes and

(07:58):
crackers in two boxes and gave them to the smaller twins.
Then Flossi got one of her dolls, and Freddy took
a little iron fire engine, one of his favorite toys,
and the small twins went up to the attic. Nan
went up with them and remained a little while to
be sure it was warm enough for them. I'll keep
up a good fire, Bert had promised, and he was

(08:20):
as good as his word, for the attic was as
warm as toast. Bert knew how to put coal on
the furnace, and though he could not toss on quite
as big shovelfuls as could Sam, who always looked after
the heater, Bert did very well. With the small twins
thus out of the way for a while, and missus
Prye feeling better because of the hot flat iron and

(08:42):
a liniment, Nan and Bert had a chance to do
some of the housework. How do you like keeping house,
Nan asked Bert, as he dried the cups and saucers. Well,
it's fun, but it's a little bit lonesome, she answered.
I feel that way too, said Bert. If Dinah and
Sam were here, it wouldn't be so lonesome. But with

(09:03):
them gone and Daddy and mother away, it isn't so nice.
But we've got to stick it out. Nan, of course
we have, she said. I wonder what I had better
cook for lunch. Bacon, quickly answered Bert o Ho laughed
his sister. You'd have bacon three times a day. I guess, well,
it's what fellows always have in camp, and this is

(09:24):
like camp, Bert explained. It is a little agreed, Nan.
My how the snow keeps up and the wind too,
added Bert, as a sudden gust howled around the corner
of the house, sending the hard snowflakes rattling against the windows.
With Bert to help her, Nan tidied the rooms and

(09:44):
set the house to rights. Then she looked in the
pantry and saw that they had enough food for another day.
She caught sight of a package of prepared flour, out
of which she had often seen Dinah make grittle cakes.
We'll have grittle cakes the maple syrup for lunch, decided Nan. Hooray,
cried Bert. That's better than bacon. But can you make

(10:07):
grittle cakes? Nan, of course, she answered, let me turn
them for you. Begged, Bert, I'll see, was all Nan
would promise. It was shortly before noon that Nan went
to the side door to look out and see if
by any chance the belated milkman had been along. But
the door would not open, though Nan tugged at it. Then,

(10:30):
looking from a side window, she saw that a big
drift of snow had piled up on the steps against
the door, to which, as well as to the door jams,
the snow had frozen. Oh, Bert, we're snowed in, cried Nan.
We're snowed in. Bert. Bert came running from the kitchen
at the sound of his sister's voice. At the same time,

(10:54):
up in the attic sounded loud shouts from Flossie and Freddy.
Oh what else has happened? Wailed poor Nan. End of
Chapter thirteen, read by Martha Heaton, September twenty twenty three.