"Here's some more wood, grandfather," said Mabel solemnly, dumping an armful
down at his side; "I should think you were eighty to hear you talk," and then
Mabel had her punishment by being chased down the path and plumped down rather
hard in the veriest tangle of brambles and briars. It chanced, however, that
her corduroy skirt furnished all the protection needed from the sharp little
thorns, so that, like "Brer Rabbit," she called out exultingly, " 'Born and
bred in a briar-patch, Brer Rudolph, born and bred in a briar-patch,'" and
could have sat there quite comfortably, no one`knows how long, but that she
heard the maple sugar go tumbling into the kettle. And then she heard Tattine
say, "A cup of water to two pounds, isn't it?" Then she heard the water go
splash on top of the maple sugar. Now she could stand it no longer, and,
clearing the briars at one bound, was almost back at the camp with another.

By this time the fire was blazing away finely, and the sugar, with the help of
an occasional stirring from the long-handled spoon in Rudolph's hand, soon
dissolved. Dissolving sometimes seems to be almost a day's journey from
boiling, and the children were rather impatient for that stage to be reached.
At last, however, Rudolph announced excitedly, "It boils, it boils! and now I
mustn't leave it for a minute. More wood, Mabel! don't be so slow, and,
Tattine, hurry Philip up with that ice," but Philip was seen at that moment
bringing a large piece of ice in a wheelbarrow, so Tattine was saved that
journey, and devoted the time instead to spreading out one of the pieces of
wrapping-paper, to keep the ice from the ground, because of the dead leaves
and "things" that were likely to cling to it.

"Now break off a good-sized piece, Tattine," Rudolph directed, "and put it on
a piece of paper near the fire," but Tattine knew that was the next thing to
do, so what was the use of Rudolph's telling her? It happens quite frequently
that people who are giving directions give too many by far.