By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House 5)

Laura and Lena picketed the cows not far apart in good grass. Every morning and every evening they met to take care of the cows. They led them to drink from the lake, and moved the picket pins to fresh grass, and then they did the milking, and while they milked they sang.

Lena knew many new songs and Laura learned them quickly. Together, while the milk streamed into the bright tin pails, they sang:

“A life on the ocean wave,

A home on the rolling deep,

The pollywogs wag their tails

And the tears roll down their cheeks.”

Sometimes Lena sang softly, and so did Laura.

“Oh, I wouldn’t marry a farmer,

He’s always in the dirt,

I’d rather marry a railroad man

Who wears a striped shirt.”

But Laura liked the waltz songs best. She loved the Broom song, though they had to sing “broom” so many times to make the tune swing.

“Buy a broo-oom, buy a broom, broom!

Buy a broom, broom, buy a broom, broom!

Will you buy of this wandering Bavarian a broom?

To brush off the insects

That come to annoy you,

You’ll find it quite useful

By night and by day.”

The cows stood quiet, chewing their cuds, as though they were listening to the singing until the milking was done.

Then with the pails of warm, sweet-smelling milk, Laura and Lena walked back toward the shanties. In the mornings the men were coming out of the bunkhouse, washing in the basins on the bench by the door and combing their hair. And the sun was rising over Silver Lake.

In the evenings the sky flamed with red and purple and gold, the sun had set, and the teams and men were coming in, dark along the dusty road they had worn on the prairie, and singing. Then quickly Lena hurried to Aunt Docia’s shanty, and Laura to Ma’s, because they must strain the milk before the cream began to rise, and help get supper.

Lena had so much work to do, helping Aunt Docia and Cousin Louisa, that she had no time to play. And Laura, though she did not work so hard, was busy enough. So they hardly ever met except at milking time.

“If Pa hadn’t put our black ponies to work on the grade,” Lena said one evening, “you know what I’d do?”

“No, what?” Laura asked.

“Well, if I could get away, and if we had the ponies to ride, we’d go see the men working,” said Lena. “Don’t you want to?”

“Yes, I want to,” Laura said. She did not have to decide whether or not she would disobey Pa, because they couldn’t do it anyway.

Suddenly one day at dinner Pa set down his teacup, wiped his mustache, and said, “You ask too many questions, Flutterbudget. Put on your bonnet and come up to the store along about two o’clock. I’ll take you out and let you see for yourself.”

“Oh, Pa!” Laura cried out.

“There, Laura, don’t get so excited,” Ma said quietly.