But these were merely peeps through the tempest . Nevertheless , the children rejoiced greatly in the snowstorm . They had already made acquaintance with it , by tumbling heels over head into its highest drifts , and flinging snow at one another , as we have just fancied the Berkshire mountains to be doing . And now they had come back to their spacious play-room , which was as big as the great drawing-room , and was lumbered with all sorts of playthings , large and small . The biggest was a rocking-horse , that looked like a real pony ; and there was a whole family of wooden , waxen , plaster , and china dolls , besides rag-babies ; and blocks enough to build Bunker Hill Monument , and nine-pins , and balls , and humming-tops , and battledores , and grace-sticks , and skipping-ropes , and more of such valuable property than I could tell of in a printed page . But the children liked the snow-storm better than them all . It suggested so many brisk enjoyments for to-morrow , and all the remainder of the winter . The sleigh-ride ; the slides down hill into the valley ; the snow-images that were to be shaped out ; the snow-fortresses that were to be built ; and the snow-balling to be carried on ! So the little folks blessed the snow-storm , and were glad to see it come thicker and thicker , and watched hopefully the long drift that was piling itself up in the avenue , and was already higher than any of their heads . `` Why , we shall be blocked up till spring ! '' cried they , with the hugest delight . `` What a pity that the house is too high to be quite covered up ! The little red house , down yonder , will be buried up to its eaves . '' `` You silly children , what do you want of more snow ? '' asked Eustace , who , tired of some novel that he was skimming through , had strolled into the play-room . `` It has done mischief enough already , by spoiling the only skating that I could hope for through the winter . We shall see nothing more of the lake till April ; and this was to have been my first day upon it ! Do n't you pity me , Primrose ? '' `` O , to be sure ! '' answered Primrose , laughing .
`` But , for your comfort , we will listen to another of your old stories , such XXXXX you told us under the porch , and down in the hollow , by Shadow Brook .
So as by in into of that through till with