toward the door.  It was locked fast on the outside.  The Snow Man’s wife had slipped an icicle through the latch.  Then they were in despair.  It seemed as if they must freeze to death before morning.  But it occurred to some of the older ones that they had heard their parents say that snow was really warm, and people had been kept warm and alive by burrowing under snow-drifts.  And as there were enough snow-flake beds to use for coverlids also, they crept under them, having first shut the north windows, and were soon quite comfortable.

In the meantime there was a great panic in the village; the children’s parents were nearly wild.  They came running to Dame Penny, but she was calling “Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!” out in the moonlight, and knew nothing about them.  Then they called outside Dame Louisa’s window, but she pretended to be asleep, although she was really awake, and in a terrible panic.

She did not tell the parents how the children had gone to the White Woods, because she knew that they could not extricate them from the difficulty as well as she could herself.  She knew all about the Snow Man and his wife, and how very anxious they were to have company.

So just as soon as the parents were gone and she heard their voices in the distance, she dressed herself, harnessed her old white horse into the great box-sleigh, got out all the tubs and pails that she had in the house, and went over to Dame Penny, who was still standing out in her front yard calling the silver hen and the children by turns.

“Come, Dame Penny,” said Dame Louisa, “I want you to go with me to the White Woods and rescue the children.  Bring out all the tubs and pails you have in the house, and we will pump them full of water.”

[Illustration:  TO THE RESCUE.]

“The pails—­full of water—­what for?” gasped Dame Penny.

“To thaw them out,” replied Dame Louisa; “they will very likely be wholly or partly frozen, and I have always heard that cold water was the only remedy to use.”

Dame Penny said no more.  She brought out all her tubs and pails, and they pumped them and Dame Louisa’s full of water, and packed them into the sleigh—­there were twelve of them.  Then they climbed into the seat, slapped the reins over the back of the old white horse, and started off for the White Woods.

On the way Dame Louisa wept, and confessed what she had done to Dame Penny.  “I have been a cross, selfish old woman,” said she, “and I think that is the reason why my Christmas-trees were blasted.  I don’t believe your silver hen touched them.”

She and Dame Penny called “Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!” and the names of the children, all the way.  Dame Louisa drove straight to the Snow Man’s house.

“They are more likely to be there than anywhere else, the Snow Man and his wife are so crazy to have company,” said she.