Christmas Holidays at Merryvale

CHAPTER I

TOAD'S WISH

"Hurrah!" shouted "Reddy." "School is out and no more lessons for two weeks!" and he threw his cap into the air.

"Let's go home by the way of the village, so we can look into Daddy Williams' toy shop," suggested his friend Thomas Brown, better known as "Toad," who ran up to join him.

"All right," agreed Reddy, "and I'll show you what I want for Christmas," and they started down the street.


"Looks as though it might snow by night," said Toad, "don't you wish there would be a big one? Then we could get all the boys together and have a battle."

"It's the best fun I know of, next to swimming in the creek," was the answer.

"Here we are," he cried a few minutes later and both boys stopped in front of a small shop window that looked very gay with a wonderful display of Christmas toys.

"See those skates hanging up by that sled. That's the kind I want," pointed out Reddy. "You screw them right into the heels of your shoes and you bet they can't ever come off."

"They're fine," agreed Toad, "but look at that engine and train. It goes


 right through the tunnel and up over the bridge. I wonder how fast it can run.”………………………….