“Oh, hurray!” cried Russ.  “I love buckwheat cakes!”

And you should have seen the breakfast the six little Bunkers ate!  No, on second thought, perhaps it is just as well you didn’t see it, for it might have made you hungry.  But I’ll tell you this much:  It was a very good one.

“Now we’ll go out and have some fun!” cried Russ, as they left the table.  “Shall we make a snow man first, or a fort?”

“A man!” cried Mun Bun.

“A fort!” called Laddie.

“Wait just a minute, all of you,” said Mother Bunker.  “I don’t want any of you to go out just yet.”

“Oh!”

“Oh, dear!”

“Oh, Mother!”

“Why?”

Thus, one after another, cried some of the six little Bunkers.  They were all much disappointed.

“Oh, I’m going to let you go out and play in the snow all you like,” said Mother Bunker quickly, “only I want you to wait until I can unpack your rubber boots and leggings.  Then you won’t get wet.  So just wait an hour or two.  That won’t hurt you.”

“And while you are waiting you can play up in the attic,” said Grandma Ford with a smile.  “I think you will like it there.  Our attic is very large and there are a number of old-fashioned things in it with which you may play.  The Ripleys left a lot of things behind.  There are old trunks, and they are filled with old clothes that you can dress up in.  There is a spinning wheel and candle-moulds, there are strings of old sleigh bells.  And there are some things that I used to have when I was a girl.  I moved them here from our old home.  Don’t you think you would like to play up there?”

“Oh, of course we would!” cried Rose.  “We can take up our dolls!”

“And have a play-party!” added Violet.

“And dress up and play go visiting,” added Margy.

“I’m going to make something!” cried Russ, with a jolly whistle.

“I’ll think up some new riddles!” declared Laddie.

“What are you going to do, Mun Bun?” asked his grandmother, for the little chap had said nothing as yet, just listening to the others.

“I—­I’m not going to fall out of bed!” he answered, and then he wondered why all the others laughed.

“Well, trot up to the attic,” said Grandma Ford, “and have all the fun you want.  Don’t be afraid of playing with things, for I don’t believe you can hurt them.  Then your mother and I will be getting out your rubber boots, and you may play in the snow this afternoon.”

With whoops and shouts of delight the six little Bunkers trooped up to the attic.  As Grandma Ford had said, it was a large one.  It was over about half the house of Great Hedge Estate, and the house Grandpa Ford had bought from Mr. Ripley was a big one.

There were many rooms on the first floor, more on the second and some on the third.  Then came the attic, highest of all, and in this attic were stored the things thought to be of no use any more.