The ground was still too wet after dinner to hoe weeds. The flowers Ardath had picked the evening before were still fresh so there was no need to pick another bouquet. The children were wondering what they would do until story time, when Grandfather offered to take them for a walk.

"Where will we walk?" Arthur asked.

"Not too far for a tired boy." Grandfather gently chided. He knew Arthur was wishing he had taken his "rest and listen" time.

"We'll go this way." Grandfather pointed toward the woods back of the house. They followed a path that led to a footbridge built over a little stream of water. Grandfather, Ardath and Arthur stood on the bridge and watched the water flow under it.

"There must have been a good bit of rain early this morning." Grandfather said. "The water is flowing faster than it usually does and is deeper than it has been since you came to visit with us." He told the children.

A turtle came swimming down stream along with a flow of water. It seemed almost to be floating, the effort was so graceful and easy.

"That turtle doesn't look like we did this forenoon when we played ‘Turtle', does it Arthur?' Grandfather's eyes crinkled at the outside corners, as he smiled.

"The turtle down there in the water, is flat." Arthur noticed as he leaned far over the bridge railing. "He doesn't have a high back like we did." Arthur said as he hunched his back high.

"That is a good observation, Arthur." Grandfather was pleased. "It is a water turtle. We played we were land turtles with arched backs.

Upstream there was a big splash. The children looked, but were to late to see a small, brown furry animal dive into the water. Grandfather saw it.

"That was a muskrat going for his evening swim." Grandfather informed the children. The muskrat must have gone upstream, because they watched and he did not swim under the bridge. There were two more big splashes.

"That must be the family of the first muskrat, going for a swim, too. Grandfather surmised.

"Why don't we see where the muskrats went? Arthur urged as he crossed the bridge.

Grandfather and Ardath crossed the bridge, too and went down the steps on the side of the woods. They followed the stream for a little way. There was a minty fragrance in the air.

Grandfather pointed to a patch of herbs growing on the bank of the stream. "How would you like to take some of this balsam-mint back to the kitchen for breakfast tea?" Grandfather asked as he began breaking off long, silvery green stems with velvety soft leaves.

"If we pick enough of it, Mary can dry some in a slow oven so it can be served all winter." Grandfather suggested and the children began at once to pick the stems. They picked until their arms were full and they could hold no more. Grandfather's arms were full, too.

"We will take our cargo back to the house, now." Grandfather said pretending the herb stems were very heavy. Actually they were light and airy though their bulk was big.

Going back over the footbridge, the children wanted to watch the water, again.

"The water is in a hurry." Ardath said.

"Did you ever wade in a flowing meadow stream?" Grandfather asked the children. He suspected they had never had that pleasure.

Both children said they had never waded in fresh water and asked if they could do it "now".

"Not, tonight." Grandfather smiled. "But if it is warm and sunny as we expect it to be, tomorrow, you may bring towels and come down here to wade, when your morning chores are finished."

Grandfather and the children went back to the house and took their balsam-mint cargo to the kitchen. Mary put it in the refrigerator.

"It is too late to work on it, tonight." Mary decided. "It can wait until, tomorrow."

Grandfather went to his Study, while Mary helped the children with their bath. When they were ready to go to the Study for the "good-nigh hour", Ardath remembered the blue silk pajamas and went to her room to get them.

"Here Arthur, you carry your pair and I'll carry mine. We will ask Grandfather when we should wear them." Ardath handed Arthur his blue pajamas.

Arthur carried them away from his side. Ardath liked the softness of the silk and the blue color. She held her blue silk pajamas close to her.
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