The next day the Master, the Mistress, the Baby, William and us dogs went for a walk together. William carried an and a piece of rope. I thought we were going hunting. The snow was quite deep and the Master and the Mistress wore funny flat things under their shoes which kept them from sinking through the snow. The Master carried the Baby in his arms until we had got to the woods, and she kept saying “Kismas twee! Kismas twee! Booful Kismas twee!” all the way. When we were at the edge of the woods the Master and William walked around and looked at the trees and at last the Master said “This one, William,” and William swung his axe and down came the tree. It was only a small one and I tried to tell them that there were very much larger ones further on, but no one paid any attention to me. When the tree was cut down William tied the rope to it and we went home, William dragging the tree after him over the snow. I thought it was a pretty poor sort of hunt.  
It began to snow again before we were back at the house and William put us to bed early that evening. The next morning the snow had stopped and the sun was shining brightly. William let us out and we all tore up to the back door, very hungry indeed. And when Cook gave us our breakfast what do you suppose it was? What’s the nicest thing you can think of? pie? Why, of course not; dogs don’t care for mince pie. No, nor candy—much. What we had that morning was liver and corn-bread, with lots of ! How was that for a feast? And Cook and Delia and William stood around and saw us eat it and laughed and seemed very gay and happy. And after that William took us into the house.
 
There was the Baby and the Master and the Mistress, and they all cried “Merry Christmas!” as we came tumbling in; only the Baby said “Maykismas!” instead, which was the best she could do. Between the windows in the big room was that tree we had brought home the day before, but you would never have known it for the same tree. I didn’t know whether to bark at it or wag my tail. So I . That tree was all covered with the most wonderful sparkly things! There were glass balls of red and yellow and green and white and blue, and long of shiny stuff that glittered in the sunlight, and strings of pop-corn—only I’d never seen any pop-corn just like it before, because it was pink!—and all sorts of little toys and coloured paper bags and, at the very tip-top of the tree, a little white angel with wings like a dragon-fly! And the tree were many things wrapped in paper and tied with red ribbons.
 
“Just see Freya!” laughed the Mistress. Would you believe it, that dog had helped herself to one of the packages and had taken it under the table and was tearing the paper off it! I was terribly ashamed of her, I can tell you! But the Master and the Mistress didn’t seem to mind it. They only laughed. And the Master looked at what Freya had taken and said: “Smart dog! It had her name on it!” And the Baby clapped her hands and every one seemed to think that Freya had really done something very clever!
 
The Master reached under the tree then and picked up one of the packages and looked at it and said: “Now then, Young Fritz, here’s a present for you. Sit ............