The Japanese Twins [19]
kimonos that morning because it was her birthday, so she was all ready to go. Her Mother helped her strap Glory on her back and the two started down the street. There were other mothers and other little girls with dolls on their backs in the street, too. They were all going to one place,- -the Doll Shop! Each little girl had some money to buy a new doll. Such chattering and laughing and talking you never heard! And such gay butterfly little dresses you never saw! nor such happy smiling faces, either. At the Doll Shop there were rows and rows of dolls, and swarms and swarms of little girls looking at them. Take saw a roly-poly baby doll, with a funny tuft of black hair on his head. "This is the one I want, if you please," she said to the shopkeeper. She gave him her money. He gave her the doll. "Glory," she said over her shoulder, "this is your new little brother!" Glory seemed pleased to have a little brother, and Take promised that she should wear him on her back whenever she wanted to. Take bought a little doll for Bot'Chan, too, with her own money. It was a funny little doll without any legs. He was fat, and when any one knocked him over, he sat up again right away. She called him a "Daruma." Bot'Chan seemed to like the Daruma. He put its head in his mouth at once and licked it. Just then Take saw O Kiku San. O Kiku San was Take's best friend, and her home was not far from the little house where the Twins lived. O Kiku San had been to buy a doll, too. She had her new doll on her back. It was a large doll, with a red kimono. She ran to speak to Take. "Won't you come into my house on your way home?" she asked. "May I, Mother?" said Take. Her Mother said, "Yes," so the little girls ran together to O Kiku San's house. Other little girls,came, too, to see O Kiku San's dolls. She had just as many dolls as Take. She had five shelves, too, and she had an Emperor and Empress doll. But she had no little house to play with. "Come home with me and see my new house, all of you," Take said when the little girls had looked at O Kiku San's dolls. So they marched in a gay procession to the little house in the garden. All the other girls' brothers had had a very lonesome day, but Taro had had fun all the afternoon with the little garden. He had made a little well, and a kura to put in the garden He made them out of boxes. The little girls looked at Take's dolls. They thought the doll-house the most beautiful toy they had ever seen, and when they saw the garden, you can't think how happy they were! "We wish our brothers would make gardens like that for us," they said. Taro felt proud and pleased to have them like it so much, but all he said was, "It is very polite of you to praise my poor work!" Then the Mother brought out some sweet rice-cakes. The maids brought out tiny tables and set them around. Take brought a doll teapot and placed it with toy cups on her little table. Then she made real tea, and they had a party! For candy they had sugared beans and peas. They gave some of everything to the dolls. It was nearly time for supper when the little girls bowed to Take and her Mother, said "Sayonara" very politely, and went home. Take sat up just as late as she wanted to that night. It was eight o'clock when she went to bed. She hugged each one of the thirty-five dolls when she said good night to them. "Sayonara, Sayonara," she said to each one; "good-bye for a whole year, you darling dolls!" Then she took her dear old Glory and went happily to bed.
GOING TO SCHOOL GOING TO SCHOOL One morning Taro and Take heard their Father and Mother talking together. They thought the Twins were asleep, but they weren't. The Mother said, "Honored Husband, don't you think it is time Taro and Take went to school?" "Yes, indeed," the Father said; "they have many things to learn, and they should begin at once. Have you spoken to the teacher yet?" "I saw him yesterday," the Mother answered. "He said they might enter to-day. I have everything ready." Taro and Take looked at each other. "Do you suppose we shall like it?" Take whispered. "I don't know," Taro
GOING TO SCHOOL GOING TO SCHOOL One morning Taro and Take heard their Father and Mother talking together. They thought the Twins were asleep, but they weren't. The Mother said, "Honored Husband, don't you think it is time Taro and Take went to school?" "Yes, indeed," the Father said; "they have many things to learn, and they should begin at once. Have you spoken to the teacher yet?" "I saw him yesterday," the Mother answered. "He said they might enter to-day. I have everything ready." Taro and Take looked at each other. "Do you suppose we shall like it?" Take whispered. "I don't know," Taro