1.Across the lake there was a wood on the hillside.It was a fine place for a picnic,and the children often rowed over and made tea under the trees.
2.They always took plenty of bread and butter and biscuits with them,and sometimes apiece of Aunt Mary‘s seed-cake.They also took some tea,of course,and a little milk and sugar.
3.All these things were packed in baskets,along with a kettle,a little tea-pot,and some cups.
4.It did not take long to make tea.One of the boys filled the kettle,while the others gathered sticks for the fire.The kettle was hung above the fire as you see it in the picture,and the water was soon boiling.
5.Then the girls made tea;for,of course,they could do that better than the boys.How nice everything was!Why do things always taste so nice at a picnic?
6.After tea was over,the cups were all washed and put away in the baskets.Then the children played at games round the big trunks of the trees.
7.When they were tired of games,they went off into the woods to pick wild flowers and ferns.
8.The boys were ver y proud of two big branches of the rowan-tree,with bunches of bright red berries among the green leaves.They looked quite gay in the bow of the boat,going home.
9.How happy the children’s voices sounded,laughing and singing as they rowed home in the quiet evening!
10.As they looked back they could see the sun just going down behind the hill,and the red glow of their fire against the dark woods.They watched it growing smaller and smaller,till it gave one little flash and went out.