Merle Good - Reuben and the Blizzard

It was the day before the snow came. Reuben was in the barn, trying to decide what to name the five new puppies when his grandfather shuffled in. Dawdi * loved puppies as much as he did.

They all look like their mother, Dawdi said. And it was true. The tiny pups snuggled up against Spotshine, cozy and half asleep, paying as little attention to Reuben as his five sisters did.

* See for pronunciation.

How to pronounce

(Pennsylvania Dutch words which appear in this story)

Ditt (Rhymes with hat) means Dad.

Mamm (Rhymes with Sam ) means Mom.

Dawdi (Rhymes with gaudy) means Grandpa.

Note

There are approximately 150.000 Old Order Amish persons, including children, living in 22 states and one province of North America. Reubens family in this story is typical of the Amish in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania.

The religious beliefs of the Amish teach them to be cautious about many modern innovations such as automobiles, electricity, telephones, television, and higher education. They observe that these modern things often fragment peoples lives and relationships more than they fulfill them. For 300 years. Amish communities have sought a separate way. emphasizing family, honesty, basic values, and faith.

About the Artist

P. Buckley Moss (Pat) first mot the Amish in 1965 when she and her family moved to Waynesboro in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Admiring the family values and work ethic of her new neighbors. Pat began to include the Amish in her paintings.

Many of her paintings and etchings of both the Amish and the Old Order Mennonites are displayed at the P. Buckley Moss Museum in Waynesboro, which is open to the public throughout the year. For more information, write to: The Director. P. Buckley Moss Museum, 2150 Rosser Avenue. Waynesboro. VA 22980.

Moss and Good collaborated on the earlier classic children s book Reuben and the Fire.

About the Author

Merle Good has written numerous books and articles about the Amish, including the beautiful book Who /ire the Amish? In addition to The Peoples Place, he and his wife Phyllis oversee a series of projects in publishing and the arts. They live in Lancaster. Pennsylvania, with their two daughters.

Text copyright 1995, 2016 by Good Books, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Art copyright 1995, 2016 by P. Buckley Moss

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Dawn J. Ranck

Cover illustration and illustrations throughout the book by P. Buckley Moss.

ISBN: 978-1-68099-147-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-150-5

Printed in China

The next day at school, everyone was talking about the snow, as though it were a sure thing. Sam and Ben leaned against the fence during recess, telling Reuben how their dad said it might be a blizzard.

Then the teacher rang the bell, and Reuben and the twins headed back to the schoolroom.

Did you name those pups yet? Sam asked.

Its a secret, Reuben smiled. And they all laughed because they knew that meant Reuben hadnt been able to decide on five new names ending in shine. He always named his animals that way.

Before they went to bed, Reuben and Datt* bundled up In their heavy coats and boots and headed out to the barn to check the animals. The cows were asleep, and so were the calves, all looking peaceful in their warm straw.

Spotshine and her puppies slept too, looking like a family. Datt smiled at Reuben and winked. Do they know their names yet? he asked.

Reuben smiled back through the heavy scarf wrapped around his neck. If they do, its a secret, he said. Datt laughed softly so as not to waken the puppies.

* See for pronunciation.

Reubens younger sister Sadie was up front reciting a poem when Reuben saw the first snowflake. The wind was blowing hard, and he knew the walk home from school would be a cold one.

By the time they had finished the chores, snow covered the ground. Reuben couldnt even tell where the yard stopped and started. The snow piled up like layers of thick white icing across their farm.

Mamm * and Reubens sister Mary had fixed a special supper for Dawdis birthday. Ham loaf and buttered noodles, angel food cake and homemade chocolate ice cream.

Dawdi smiled a lot and told stories about the old days when snow was two feet deep. It doesnt snow like it used to, Dawdi said. We used to hitch our horses to the sleigh every winter.

Reuben could hardly remember ever riding in a sleigh.

* See for pronunciation.

When Reuben came down to the kitchen in the morning, he could barely see the barn, the snow was falling so fast. Datt was out in the howling wind and cold, trying to shovel a path to the cowstable.

Dawdi burst into the kitchen from his end of the house, his eyes big and his voice stronger than usual. This is like the old days, he said to Mamm by the warm cook stove. Excitement spilled from his voice the way it had on the day the puppies were born.

The roads were closed. The neighbors could not even drive their cars. It looks like the electric lines are down, Annie said. I suppose everyones out of electricity.

But it didnt matter to Reubens family, because they didnt use electricity. Sometimes our way has advantages, Mamm smiled.

It snowed all day, the wind whipping white dunes all over the farm and around the buildings. Reuben went to the barn to help with the animals, but he had to take his older sister Annies hand so he wouldnt get lost in the storm.

When they left the house, they couldnt even see the barn, the snow was so thick in the air. But Annie knew her directions, and a few minutes later they walked against the side of the barn. They followed the wall to the door and stepped into the warm, friendly stable.