Johnnie Green was the first one to plough his way out to the barn that
morning. He burst into the barn and stamped the snow off his feet. And
Twinkleheels stamped, too, because he wanted something to eat.

Johnnie fed Twinkleheels and Ebenezer and the bays. He was shaking some
hay; in front of the Muley Cow (who belonged to him) when his father
arrived.

"The worst storm of the winter!" Farmer Green observed. "We'll have work
enough after this, breaking the roads out."

"I'll help," Johnnie said. "I'll take Twinkleheels and work hard."

"I suppose," said his father, "we ought to get the road to the
schoolhouse cleared first."

"Oh, no!" cried Johnnie. "Let's leave that till the last."

"If we left it for you and Twinkleheels to clear, you wouldn't get back
to school before spring," Farmer Green declared.

Twinkleheels had been listening eagerly to all this.

"Now, I wonder what Farmer Green means by that," he muttered. "I hope he
doesn't think I can't get through the drifts as well as anybody. I can
certainly make my way through the snow better than those clumsy old
oxen, Bright and Broad."