Mary Mapes Dodge

“ He acquired a hearty contempt for Jan van Gorp, a Hollander who wrote a book in Latin to prove that Adam and Eve spoke Dutch, and he smiled a knowing smile when his uncle Poot assured him that Dutch "had great likeness mit Zinglish but it vash much petter languish, much petter."
However, the fun of skating glides over all barriers of speech. Through this, Ben soon felt that he knew the boys well, and when Jacob (with a sprinkling of French and English for Ben's benefit) told of a grand project they had planned, his cousin could now and then put in a ja, or a nod, in quite a familiar way. ”

“ Something in Peter's eye made Carl glad to turn to a weaker offender. He wheeled furiously upon Voost.
"What are you shrieking about, you little weasel? You skinny herring you, you little monkey with a long name for a tail!"
Half a dozen bystanders and byskaters set up an applauding shout at this brave witticism; and Carl, feeling that he had fairly vanquished his foes, was restored to partial good humor. He, however, prudently resolved to defer plotting against Hans and Gretel until some time when Peter should not be present. ”

“ It takes you to make plans! Mother'll be as full of it as we are when we tell her we can take her love direct to sister Van Gend. My, but it's cold," he added. "Cold enough to take a fellow's head off his shoulders. We'd better go home."
"What if it is cold, old Tender-skin?" cried Carl, who was busily practicing a step he called the "double edge." "Great skating we should have by this time, if it was as warm as it was last December. ”