On the Tenth Day of Christmas Anne went outside to see…Ten Lords a Leaping!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas Anne went outside to see…Ten Lords a Leaping!

“Anne!” Came a voice from Anne’s elbow. It was Maggie Pie, the pickpocket and employee of Jasper Trustworthy. “Come outside with us!” The young girl tugged at Anne’s sleeve and handed Anne a cloak and a pair of boots. Knowing better than to ask where the cloak or boots came from, Anne wrapped the fabric around her shoulders and pulled the shoes on her feet.

“What’s outside Maggie?”

“There’s some high born lords out there kicking around a ball on the ice!” Maggie led Anne out of the Dirty Duck Inn and they watched as some of the wealthier inhabitants of Bristol went sliding and leaping about on the icy patches of the streets.

“Want to go sliding?” Maggie asked.

“Why not?” Anne stepped out on the ice and slid a few feet. A memory of the arctic and the icy shores flashed through her mind. “Come on Maggie!”

Maggie slid a bit more cautiously than Anne, but within minutes the two girls were sliding about and throwing snow balls at the lords playing football. Some of the children of Bristol joined in and Anne found herself being tackled by many of the nipperkins from the Dirty Duck Inn.

“Watch my head!” She cried out as she allowed herself to be tugged to the ground. “All right all right, you’ve got me!”

Just then there came some sort of cry from the door of the Duck promising a hot beverage if the little ones would be ushered in. Anne and Maggie had their hands full rallying the anklebiters back into the warmth. It might have only been a quick fifteen minutes of skating, but it was worth the frozen noses and fingers. 

Fin.