Harper's Young People, September 21, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly

Ted and Kitty are the kind of country children who know every bird’s song, how to split kindling and how to make a stone oven from scratch. When a visit to an uncle’s farm turns into a night‑time trek through the dense “Big Woodsy,” the siblings find themselves far from home and the adults assume they’ve simply stayed over. As worry spreads through the farmstead, the two youngsters realize the shortcut they thought would save time has only led them deeper into tangled underbrush.

Undeterred, the pair set up a makeshift camp on a mossy log, trading nervous jokes for practical tasks. They clear a small space, gather nuts and firewood, and begin to build a shelter, their confidence growing with each modest accomplishment. While their parents and neighbors scour the forest, the children’s adventure becomes a lesson in courage, teamwork and the simple joy of turning an unexpected wilderness night into a memorable, self‑reliant experience.