The Silver Skates - Webster Everyreaders Author:Mary Mapes Dodge Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: IV. HANS AND GEETEL FIND A FRIEND. At noon our young friends poured forth from the school- house, intent upon having an hour's practising upon the canal. ... more » They had skated but a few moments when Carl Schummel said mockingly to Hilda,— " There's a pretty pair just coming upon the ice ! The little rag-pickers ! Their skates must have been a present from the king direct." " They are patient creatures," said Hilda, gently. " It must have been hard to learn to skate upon such queer affairs. They are very poor peasants, you see. The boy has probably made the skates himself." Carl was somewhat abashed. " Patient they may be, but as for skating, they start off pretty well only to finish with a jerk. They could move well to your new staccato piece, I think." Hilda laughed pleasantly and left him. After joining a small detachment of the racers, and sailing past every one of them, she halted beside Gretel, who, with eager eyes, had been watching the sport. " What is your name, little girl ? " " Gtretel, my lady," answered the child, somewhat awedby Hilda's rank, though they were nearly of the same age, "and my brother is called Hans." "Hans is a stout fellow," said Hilda, cheerily, "and seems to have a warm stove somewhere within him ; but you look cold. You should wear more clothing, little one." Gretel, who had nothing else to wear, tried to laugh, as she answered,— " I am not so very little. I am past twelve years old." " Oh, I beg your pardon. You see I am nearly fourteen, and so large of my age that other girls seem small to me; but that is nothing. Perhaps you will shoot up far above me yet; not unless you dress more warmly, though— shivering girls never grow." Hans flushed as he saw tears rising in Gretel's eyes. " My sister has not compla...« less