Four things prevented them from sleeping . In the first place Peg snored loudly ; in the second place the fitful gleams of firelight kept flickering over the skull for half the night and making gruesome effects on it ; in the third place Peg 's pillows and bedclothes smelled rankly of tobacco smoke ; and in the fourth place they were afraid the rat Peg had spoken of might come out to make their acquaintance . Indeed , they were sure they heard him skirmishing about several times . When we wakened in the morning the storm was over and a young morning was looking through rosy eyelids across a white world . The little clearing around Peg 's cabin was heaped with dazzling drifts , and we boys fell to and shovelled out a road to her well . She gave us breakfast -- stiff oatmeal porridge without milk , and a boiled egg apiece . Cecily could NOT eat her porridge ; she declared she had such a bad cold that she had no appetite ; a cold she certainly had ; the rest of us choked our messes down and after we had done so Peg asked us if we had noticed a soapy taste . `` The soap fell into the porridge while I was making it , '' she said . `` But , '' -- smacking her lips , -- `` I 'm going to make yez an Irish stew for dinner . It 'll be fine . '' An Irish stew concocted by Peg ! No wonder Dan said hastily , `` You are very kind but we 'll have to go right home . '' `` Yez ca n't walk , '' said Peg . `` Oh , yes , we can . The drifts are so hard they 'll carry , and the snow will be pretty well blown off the middle of the fields . It 's only three-quarters of a mile . We boys will go home and get a pung and come back for you girls . '' But the girls would n't listen to this . They must go with us , even Cecily . `` Seems to me yez were n't in such a hurry to leave last night , '' observed Peg sarcastically .
`` Oh , it 's only because they 'll be so anxious XXXXX us at home , and it 's Sunday and we do n't want to miss Sunday School , '' explained Felicity .
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