"Would you say that, grandfather?" asked Maroosia.

"You are a stupid little pigeon," said old Peter, and he went on.

Well, these two were very unhappy. All the other huts had babies in
them--yes, and little ones playing about in the road outside, and
having to be shouted at when any one came driving by. But there were
no babies in their hut, and the old woman never had to go to the door
to see where her little one had strayed to, because she had no little
one.

And these two, the old man and the old woman, used to stand whole
hours, just peeping through their window to watch the children playing
outside. They had dogs and a cat, and cocks and hens, but none of
these made up for having no children. These two would just stand and
watch the children of the other huts. The dogs would bark, but they
took no notice; and the cat would curl up against them, but they never
felt her; and as for the cocks and hens, well, they were fed, but that
was all. The old people did not care for them, and spent all their
time in watching the Vanyas and Maroosias who belonged to the other
huts.

In the winter the children in their little sheepskin coats....

"Like ours?" said Vanya and Maroosia together.

"Like yours," said old Peter.

In their little sheepskin coats, he went on, played in the crisp snow.
They pelted each other with snowballs, and shouted and laughed, and