I think Alice is genuinely being grateful to Petey for taking her sledding earlier, and for being smart enough to take her to the “baby hill.” She offers to bring him the hot coco sincerely intending to deliver it – but after she has told him her tale of adventure dancing on the manhole cover for all those little snowmen she conned Beni & Dill into helping her build. This was the most significant part of the day for her, and she wants to share it with her big brother. But by the time the tale has been told (by a 4 year old, not known for their command of the language), the hot coco has gone cold. So rather than give him a cold mug of hot coco when he’s feeling yucky, she drinks it in spite of the fact that there were no marshmallows, which is a sacrifice on her part even though it is probably how Petey likes his. At least in her mind. Now what she has to do is go back to mom, hopefully near the kitchen, and ask for another mug of hot coco that she will bring up to Petey. With marshmallows.
I think Alice is genuinely being grateful to Petey for taking her sledding earlier, and for being smart enough to take her to the “baby hill.” She offers to bring him the hot coco sincerely intending to deliver it – but after she has told him her tale of adventure dancing on the manhole cover for all those little snowmen she conned Beni & Dill into helping her build. This was the most significant part of the day for her, and she wants to share it with her big brother. But by the time the tale has been told (by a 4 year old, not known for their command of the language), the hot coco has gone cold. So rather than give him a cold mug of hot coco when he’s feeling yucky, she drinks it in spite of the fact that there were no marshmallows, which is a sacrifice on her part even though it is probably how Petey likes his. At least in her mind. Now what she has to do is go back to mom, hopefully near the kitchen, and ask for another mug of hot coco that she will bring up to Petey. With marshmallows.