"It looks just as the Christmas-trees used to," said Dame Penny.

[ILLUSTRATION: "I'LL PUT THIS RIGHT IN YOUR FACE AND--MELT YOU!"]

"Oh! I can't believe it," cried Dame Louisa, her heart beating wildly.

But when they came opposite the yard, they saw that it was true. Dame
Louisa's Christmas-trees stood there all twinkling with lights, and
covered with trailing garlands of pop-corn, oranges, apples,
and candy-bags; their yellow branches had turned green and the
Christmas-trees were in full glory.

"Oh! what is that shining so out in Dame Penny's yard?" cried the
children, who were entirely thawed, and only needed to get home to
their parents and have some warm breakfast, and Christmas-presents, to
be quite themselves. "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" cried Dame Penny, and Dame
Louisa and the children chimed in, calling, "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!"

It was indeed the silver hen, and following her were twelve little
silver chickens. She had stolen a nest in Dame Louisa's barn and
nobody had known it until she appeared on Christmas morning with her
brood of silver chickens.

"Every scholar shall have one of the silver chickens for a Christmas
present," said Dame Penny.

"And each shall have one of my Christmas-trees," said Dame Louisa.

Then all the scholars cried out with delight, the Christmas-bells in