No sooner said than done. The two children felt themselves floating along--it was more like floating than running--with Brownie between them; up the lake, and down the lake, and across the lake, not at all interfering with the sliders--indeed, it was a great deal better than sliding. Rosy and breathless, their toes so nice and warm, and their hands feeling like mince-pies just taken out of the oven--the little ones came to a standstill. The elder ones stopped their sliding, and looked toward Brownie with entreating eyes. He swung himself up to a willow bough, and then turned head over heels on to the ice. "Halloo! you don't mean to say you big ones want a race too! Well, come along--if the two eldest will give a slide to the little ones." He watched them take a tiny sister between them, and slide her up one slide and down another, screaming with delight. Then he took the two middle children in either hand. "One, two, three, and away!" Off they started--scudding along as light as feathers and as fast as steam-engines, over the smooth, black ice, so clear that they could see the bits of stick and water-grasses frozen in it, and even the little fishes swimming far down below--if they had only looked long enough. When all had had their fair turns, they began to be frightfully hungry. [Illustration: The two little children felt themselves floating along--with Brownie between them--Page 64] "Catch a fish for dinner, and I'll lend you a hook," said Brownie. At which they all laughed, and then looked rather grave. Pulling a cold, raw live fish from under the ice and eating it was not a pleasant idea of dinner. "Well, what would you like to have? Let the little one choose." She said, after thinking a minute, that she should like a currant-cake. "And I'd give all you a bit of it--a very large bit--I would indeed!" added she, almost with the tears in her eyes--she was so very hungry. "Do it, then!" said the Brownie, in his little squeaking voice. Immediately the stone that the little girl was sitting on--a round, hard stone, and so cold!--turned into a nice hot cake--so hot that she jumped up directly. As soon as she saw what it was, she clapped her hands for joy. "Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful cake! only we haven't got a knife to cut it." The boys felt in all their pockets, but somehow their knives never were there when they were wanted. "Look! you've got one in your hand!" said Brownie to the little one; and that minute a bit of stick she held turned into a bread-knife--silver, with an ivory handle--big enough and sharp enough, without being too sharp. For the youngest girl was not allowed to use sharp knives, though she liked cutting things excessively, especially cakes. "That will do. Sit you down and carve the dinner. Fair shares and don't let any body eat too much. Now begin, ma'am," said the Brownie, quite politely, as if she had been ever so old.