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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/3496.txt b/3496.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4c0973c --- /dev/null +++ b/3496.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3203 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext The Japanese Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins +#1 in our series by Lucy Fitch Perkins + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.05/20/01*END* +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + + + + + +Produced for Project Gutenberg by Lynn Hill +hill_lynn@hotmail.com + +This PG project is dedicated to retired teacher Betty Sheridan, +who read this little book to her elementary students while they +were studying Japan. She generously loaned the book to be +produced for PG. + + + + + +The Japanese Twins + +by Lucy Fitch Perkins + + + + +To the Dutch Twins and their friends + + + + +Also by Lucy Fitch Perkins + + +Geographical Series + +THE DUTCH TWINS PRIMER. Grade I. + +THE ESKIMO TWINS. Grade II. + +THE DUTCH TWINS. Grade III. + +THE JAPANESE TWINS. Grade IV. + +THE SWISS TWINS. Grade IV. + +THE FILIPINO TWINS. Grade V. + +THE IRISH TWINS. Grade V. + +THE ITALIAN TWINS. Grade V. + +THE MEXICAN TWINS. Grade V. + +THE SCOTCH TWINS. Grade VI. + +THE BELGIAN TWINS. Grade VII. + +THE FRENCH TWINS. Grade VII. + +Historical Series + +THE CAVE TWINS. Grade IV. + +THE SPARTAN TWINS. Grade V. + +THE COLONIAL TWINS OF VIRGINIA. Grade VI. + +THE AMERICAN TWINS OF 1812. Grade VI. + +THE PIONEER TWINS. Grade VI. + +THE AMERICAN TWINS OF THE REVOLUTION. Grade VII. + +THE PURITAN TWINS. Grade VII. + +Each volume is illustrated by the author + +HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY + +COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS + +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + +The Riverside Press + +CAMBRIDGE. MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +INTRODUCTION--THE JAPANESE TWINS AND BOT'CHAN. + +I. THE DAY THE BABY CAME + +II. MORNING IN THE LITTLE HOUSE + +III. HOW THEY WENT TO THE TEMPLE. + +IV. A RAINY DAY + +V. TAKE'S BIRTHDAY. + +VI. GOING TO SCHOOL + +VII. TARO'S BIRTHDAY. + + + + +THE JAPANESE TWINS + +THE JAPANESE TWINS AND BOT'CHAN + + +Away, away, ever so far away, near the western shores of the +Ocean of Peace, lie the Happy Islands, the Paradise of Children. + +Some people call this ocean the "Pacific" and they call the +Happy Islands "Japan," but the meaning is just the same. Those +are only their grown-up names, that you find them by on the map, +in the geography. + +They are truly Happy Islands, for the sun shines there so +brightly that all the people go about with pleasant, smiling +faces, and the children play out of doors the whole year through +without ever quarreling. And they are never, never spanked! Of +course, the reason for that is that they are so good they never, +never need it! Or maybe their fathers and mothers do not believe +in spanking. + +I have even been told--though I don't know whether to think it's +true or not--that Japanese parents believe more in sugar-plums +than in punishments to make children good! + +Anyway, the children there are very good indeed. + +In a little town near a large city on one of the Happy Islands, there +is a garden. In the garden stands a house, and in that House there +live Taro, who is a boy, and Take (Pronounce Tah'-kay), who is a girl. + +They are twins. They are Japanese Twins and they are just five +years old, both of them. + +Of course, Taro and Take do not live alone in the house in the +garden. Their Father and Mother live there too, and their +Grandmother, who is very old, and the Baby, who is very young. + +Taro and Take cannot remember when Grandmother and Father and +Mother happened, because they were all there when the Twins +came; and the Twins could not possibly imagine the world without +Father and Mother and Grandmother. + +But with the Baby it was different. One day there wasn't any +Baby at all, and the next day after that, there he was, looking +very new but quite at home already in the little house in the +garden, where Taro and Take lived. + +"Taro" means eldest son, and the Baby might have been called +"Jiro," because "Jiro" means "second," and he was the second +boy in the family; but from the day he came they called him just +"Bot'Chan." That is what they call boy babies in Japan. + +"Take" means "bamboo," and the Twins' Father and Mother named +their little daughter "Take" because they hoped she would grow +up to be tall and slender and strong and graceful like the +bamboo tree. + +Now, can you think of anything nicer in this world than being +Twins, and living with a Mother and Father and Grandmother and a +Baby Brother, in a dear little house, in a dear little garden, +in a dear little, queer little town in the middle of the Happy +Islands that lie in the Ocean of Peace? + +Taro and Take thought it was the nicest thing that could +possibly have happened; though, as they hadn't ever lived +anywhere else, or been anybody but themselves for a single +minute, I don't see how they could be quite so sure about it. + +This book is all about Taro and Take and the Baby, and what a +nice time they had living. And if you want to know some of the +things that happened on the very first day that the Twins and +Bot'Chan ever saw each other you can turn over to the next page +and read about the day the Baby came. That tells all about it, +just exactly as it was. + + + + +THE DAY THE BABY CAME + +THE DAY THE BABY CAME + + +Taro and Take were standing right beside their Father early one +morning when the nurse came into the room with a bundle in her +arms. + +It was a queer-looking, knobby kind of a bundle, and there was +something in it that squirmed! + +The nurse looked so happy and smiling that the twins knew at +once there must be something very nice in the bundle, but what +it was they could not guess. Taro thought, "Maybe it's a puppy." +He had wanted a puppy for a long time. And Take thought, +"Perhaps it's a kitten! But it looks pretty large for a kitten, +and it doesn't mew. Kittens always mew." And they both thought, +"Anyway, it's alive." + +The nurse carried the bundle across the room. She knelt down on +the floor before the Twins' Father and laid it at his feet. + +The Twins' Father looked very much surprised, and as for Taro +and Take, they felt just exactly the way you feel when you look +at your stocking on Christmas morning. + +They dropped down on their knees beside the bundle, one on each +side of their Father. They wanted dreadfully to open it. They +wanted so dreadfully to open it that they had to hold their +hands hard to keep from touching it, but they never even laid a +finger on it, because the nurse had given it to their Father! + +Taro just said aloud: "Is it a puppy?" + +At the very same moment Take said: "Is it a kitten?" + +And then their Father said: "I haven't opened the bundle yet, so +how can I tell? We must ask the nurse. What is it, Natsu?" + +And Natsu, the nurse, put her two hands together on the matting +in front of her, bobbed her head down nearly to the floor, and +said: "It is a little son, Master. Will you accept him?" + +Then the Father sat right down on the floor, too, between Taro +and Take. He took the little squirming bundle in his arms, and +turned back the covers--and there was a beautiful baby boy, with +long, narrow eyes and a lock of hair that stood straight up on +the top of his head! + +"Oh! oh! Is he truly ours--a real live baby, for us to keep?" +cried Take. + +"Would you like to keep him?" her Father asked. + +Take clapped her hands for joy. "Oh, yes, yes!" she said. "For +then I can have a little brother of my own to carry on my back, +just the way O Kiku San carries hers! I've never had a thing but +borrowed babies before! And O Kiku San is not polite about +lending hers at all! Please, please let me hold him!" + +She held up her arms, and the Father laid the little baby in +them very, very gently. + +Taro was so surprised to see a baby in the bundle that he had +not said a word. He just sat still and looked astonished. + +"Well, Taro, how is it with you?" said his Father. "Would you +like to keep the Baby, too?" + +"I'd even rather have him than a puppy!" said Taro very +solemnly. And that was a great deal for Taro to say, for he had +wanted a puppy for ever so many weeks. + +"So would I rather have him than a puppy," the Father said; +"ever so much rather." + +Just then the Baby puckered up his nose, and opened his little +bit of a mouth--and a great big squeal came out of it! You would +never have believed that such a big squeal could possibly come +out of such a little mouth. And he squirmed more than ever. + +Then Natsu, the nurse, said, "There, there, little one! Come to +your old Natsu, and she will carry you to Mother again." + +"Let me carry him," Take begged. + +"No, let me," said Taro. + +But Natsu said, "No, no, I will carry him myself. But you may +come with me, if you want to, and see your Mother." + +So Taro and Take and their Father all tiptoed quietly into the +Mother's room, and sat down on the floor beside her bed. + +They sat on the floor because everybody sits on the floor in +Japan. The bed was on the floor, too. + +It was made of many thick quilts, and the pillow a little block +of wood! We should think it very uncomfortable, but the Twins' +Mother did not think so. She lay with the wooden pillow under +her head in such a way that her hair was not mussed by it-- +instead, it looked just as neat as if she were going to a party. +And it was just as nice as a party, because they all had such a +happy time together watching the new baby. + +Bot'Chan acted just like all the other babies in the world. +First he got his fist into his mouth by accident, and sucked it. +Then he got it out again without meaning to, and punched himself +in the nose with it--such a funny little nose, no bigger than a +small button! Then he opened his mouth wide and yawned. + +"See how sleepy the little mouse is," said the Mother. "Run out +and play now, my children, and let him rest." + +Taro and Take left the room softly and went out on the porch. +They sat down on the top step to talk over the wonderful thing +that had happened. + +It was springtime and the flowers in the garden were just +pushing their leaves through the ground. The sun was shining, +and a little new yellow butterfly, that had only just crept out +of its snug cocoon that very day, was dancing about in the +sunshine. + +"I suppose we were new once, too, weren't we?" said Take, +watching the butterfly. + +"I suppose we were," Taro answered. "We grew right up out of the +root of a tree. Natsu told me so." + +"I wonder which tree it was," Take said. + +"It must have been one of the trees in our own garden, of +course," Taro answered; "or else we shouldn't be here." + +"Wouldn't it have been a terrible accident if we had happened to +grow in some other garden?" said Take. She looked quite scared +just at the very thought of such a thing. + +"Maybe if we had we shouldn't have been ourselves at all," Taro +answered. He looked a little scared, too. + +"Who should we have been, then?" asked Take. + +"I don't know, I'm sure," Taro said. "I can't think. But, +anyway, we're lucky that it didn't happen. We're here--and we're +ourselves!" + +"Let's go into the garden this minute and see if we can find +Bot'Chan's tree," said Take. "He's so new that maybe we can find +the very spot where he grew." + +"The fairies would surely hide the place so we couldn't find +it," said Taro; "but we can try. Let's go softly; then maybe +they won't hear us." + +They tiptoed out into the garden. How I wish you could see their +garden! There are all sorts of wonderful places in it! It isn't +very large, but it has in it a little bit of a toy mountain, and +a tiny lake with little weeny goldfish in it, and a little +stream of water, like a baby river, that runs into the lake. +And, best of all, there is a curved bridge, painted red, just +big enough for the Twins to walk over, if they are very careful +and don't bounce! The Twins' Grandfather made this garden for +their Father to play in when he was a little boy, so they all +love it dearly. + +There are iris plants and lilies beside the tiny lake, and a +funny little pine tree--a very little pine tree, just a few feet +high--grows out of some rocks on the side of the mountain. + +The Twins crossed the tiny red bridge and crept up the stepping-stones +on the mountain-side until they reached the little pine tree. + +"Do you s'pose it could be the pine tree?" Take whispered. + +"Maybe; it's so small--just the right size for Bot'Chan," Taro +whispered back. + +The Twins looked carefully all around the pine tree, but its +trunk was gnarled and old. It is hard to believe that so little +a tree could be so old, but the Japanese know how to keep a tree +small, like a toy tree, even if it has been growing for a +hundred years. + +This tree wasn't a hundred years old, because their Grandfather +had set it out when the Twins' Father was a little boy, and the +Twins' Father wasn't anywhere near a hundred years old. + +"I don't believe a darling little pink baby could ever grow +here," said Take, when she had looked all around the pine tree. +"Let's look at the plum tree." + +They ran to the plum tree that stood at the other end of the +garden. They looked all about it. + +On the south side of the plum tree, in the sunshine, there was a +long branch near the ground; and on the branch--what do you +think?--there was a whole row of tiny pink buds, almost ready to +burst into bloom! + +"Oh, Taro, Taro, look here!" Take cried. "Here's the Baby's very +own branch; I'm sure of it, for there aren't any other buds on +the whole tree that are as near out as these!" + +"Let's cut off this spray and carry it into the house to put in +the vase," said Taro. + +"Oh, yes, and I'll show Mother how beautifully I can arrange it-- + just the way I was taught to do it," Take answered. "Nothing +could be nicer for a baby's flower than a dear little branch +like this with pink buds on it!" + +"I'll break it for you," said Taro. "I'm strong." He broke the +branch carefully, just where Take told him to. He took great +pains not to tear the bark or hurt the tree. + +Then they carried it into the house. In one corner of the room +there was a little alcove. There is one in every Japanese house. +It is called the "honorable recess," and it is where their most +beautiful things are placed. There is always a picture--or +perhaps two or three of them--hanging like long banners on the +wall at the back of the "honorable recess." These banner +pictures are called kakemono. There is also a small table with a +vase on it standing near. In this vase there are always flowers, +or a beautiful branch with green leaves. In Japan the little +girls are taught to arrange flowers just as carefully as they +are taught to read, so that the "honorable recess" may be kept +beautiful to look at. + +Take filled the vase with water. She fitted a little forked +stick into the top of the vase, and stuck the plum branch +through the crotch of the forked stick, so it wouldn't fall +over. She twisted it this way and that until it looked just +right. Then she called Taro to see it. + +On the wall of the recess was the picture of a black crow +perched on the branch of a pine tree, in a rainstorm. His +shoulders were all hunched up to shed the rain, and he didn't +look happy at all. He looked funny and miserable. + +The Twins looked at the honorable recess a long time. Their +Father came and looked too. Then Taro said, "I don't think that +crow in the rainstorm looks right hanging up beside the plum +branch. The crow looks so sorry, and we are all so glad." + +"I think just the same," said Take. + +"So do I," said their Father. "How would you like to go out to +the Kura and see if we can find a real happy picture to hang up +there?" + +Taro and Take jumped up and down and clapped their hands for +joy, they were so glad to go out to the "Kura." + +The "Kura" is a little fireproof house in the garden. You can +see the corner of the roof sticking out from behind the mountain +in the picture. In it Taro and Take and their Father and Mother +and Grandmother keep all their greatest treasures. That is why +Taro and Take were so glad to go there. + +Nearly everybody in Japan has just such a safe little house in +the garden. Maybe you can guess the reason why. It isn't only +because of fires. It's because of earthquakes too. + +Every once in a while--almost every day, in fact--the earth +trembles and shakes in the Happy Islands. The houses are built +mostly of wood and paper, and if the earthquakes tumble them +over, they sometimes catch fire, but if the nicest things are +safe in the Kura, it doesn't matter so much, if the house is +burned up, you see. + +There are always plenty of fires for boys to see in Japan. + +Taro had seen ever so many, before he was five years old, and +the Twins had both felt ever so many earthquakes. They were so +used to them that they didn't mind them any more than you mind a +thundershower. + +All of Taro's kites were kept in the Kura. The big dragon kite +had a box all to itself; Take's thirty-five dolls were there, +too;--but, dear me,--here I am telling you about kites and +dolls, when I should be telling you about the picture of the +crow, and what they did with it! + +First the Twins' Father took it down off the wall and rolled it +up. Then he took it in his hand, and he and Taro and Take all +went out into the garden. + +When they reached the Kura, the Father unlocked the door, and +all three stepped inside. + +It was not very light, but the air was sweet and spicy. On the +shelves about the room were many beautiful boxes of all sizes +and shapes. + +The Father reached up to a high shelf and took down three boxes, +that looked just alike on the outside. He opened the first and +took out a roll neatly wrapped and tied with a silk string. It +was this picture of a Japanese lady who has run out quickly to +take her washing off the line because of a shower of rain. + +He held it up high so the Twins could see it. + +"Ho, ho," laughed Taro. "The lady has lost her clog, she is in +such a hurry!" + +"She's just as wet as the crow," Take said, "and I don't believe +she feels a bit happier!" + +"She'll be wetter still before she gets her washing in, won't +she?" the Father said. "The clouds seem to have burst just over +her head! And, dear me,--how the wind is blowing her about! No, +she won't do beside the plum branch." + +He opened another box and unrolled the next picture. Here it is. + +Taro and Take looked at it a long time. + +Then Take said, "What a beautiful dress the lady has on! I'd +like to dress just like that when I grow up!" + +"But she is walking out in the snow with an umbrella over her +head," said Taro. "It isn't winter now." + +Then the Father unrolled the third. + +"How do you like this one?" he asked. + +It was a picture of a bird with a grasshopper in her bill, +flying to a nest with three little birds in it. The little birds +had their mouths wide open. + +"Oh, that's the very one!" cried Take. "It's just like Mother, +taking care of Taro and the Baby and me! Let's take that one." + +So they left that one out and carefully rolled up the others and +put them back in place. They put the crow away too. + +The Twins were just turning round to go out the door when their +Father reached down one more package from a high shelf. "Wait a +minute," he said; "I have some thing else to show you." + +The package was long and thin, and the covering was a piece of +silk with the family crest embroidered on it in colored silks. + +This was the crest. + +Taro and Take knew it at once, for it was embroidered or stamped +upon the sleeves of their kimonos. It was the sign of their +family. + +The Father took off this cover. Under it was a covering of +brocaded silk. + +It seemed a long time to the Twins before it was all unwrapped, +they were so eager to see what was in the package. + +At last their Father held up a beautiful sword with both his +hands. + +It was a long sword, with a handle of carved ivory, and a sheath +with curious designs on it. + +The Father bowed to the sword. + +"You bow to the sword also, my son," he said to Taro. "It is +wonderfully made. It commands respect." + +Taro bowed to the sword. + +Then his Father drew the long blade from the sheath. He turned +the edge carefully toward himself, and away from the Twins. "I +want you to see this sword, Taro," he said, "for some time it +will be yours, because you are my oldest son." + +"Whose was it?" asked Taro. + +"It was your Grandfather's sword," his Father answered, "and you +are old enough now to know what it means. I want you to remember +what I say to you as long as you live. + +"Your Grandfather was a gentleman, a Samurai of Japan. This was +the sword he always wore. Many years ago there was trouble in +Japan, and to help the Emperor, all the great dukes in the +kingdom gave up their dukedoms. The Samurai also gave up their +honorable positions in the service of these dukes, and became +common citizens. + +"Then your Grandfather put away his sword. Years after, when he +was old, he gave it to me. But I do not wear it either, although +I too am of the Samurai, and the sword is their badge of honor. +It is much better to keep it safely here, and think sometimes of +what it means, than to wear it only for display. You can show +that you are a son of the Samurai, by acting as a gentleman +should act. You do not need the sword for that. A Samurai should +never do a mean thing. He should keep his life clean and +shining, like the sword. And he must always do what is best for +Japan, whether it is best for him or not." + +This was a long speech. The Twins listened with all their ears,-- +four of them,--but they did not quite understand it all. They +understood that their Father loved the sword, and that some time +it was to be Taro's, and that he must be a brave, good boy or he +would not be worthy of it; and that was a good deal, after all. + +"May I touch it?" Taro asked. + +"You may take it in your own hands," said his Father. And he +gave it to Taro almost as tenderly as he had given Bot'Chan to +Take that morning. + +He showed him the polite way to hold it, with the edge toward +himself. + +Then while Taro held the sword, his Father said: "I want to tell +you a poem that our Emperor's father wrote while he was Emperor, +and by and by when you are bigger I want you to learn it by +heart. Then, when you are a man, and look at the sword, you will +remember it. This is the poem: + + + "There is no second way whereby to show + + The love of Fatherland, Whether one stand, + + A soldier under arms, against the foe, + + Or stay at home a peaceful citizen, + + The way of loyalty is still the same." + + +The Father's voice was very solemn as he said this verse. + +The Twins were quite still as he wrapped the sword in its silken +coverings and put it back again on the high shelf. + +This was a long time for Take to be quiet, but she was thinking. +When their Father had locked the Kura and they were on their way +to the house with the picture of the birds, she said to him, +"Father, am I not a child of the Samurai, too?" + +"Yes, my daughter," her Father answered, "but you are a girl. It +is not your fault, little one," he added kindly. "We cannot all +be boys, of course. But to the keeping of the Sons is given the +honor of the Family. It is a great trust." + +"Don't I do anything at all for the honor of my Family?" asked +Take. + +"When you are grown up you will marry and live with your +husband's family and serve them in every way you can," her +Father answered. "You will belong to them, you see. Now, you +must just be a good girl and mind your Father and Grandmother, +and Mother, and your brothers." + +"I'm just as old as Taro," said little Take, "and I think I know +just as much. Why can't he mind me some of the time? I think it +would be fair to take turns!" + +"But Taro is a boy," said her Father. "That makes all the +difference in the world. Japanese girls must always mind their +brothers!" + +"Must I mind Bot'Chan, too?" asked Take. + +"Yes, Bot'Chan, too." + +"Won't anybody ever mind me at all?" asked Take. + +"When you get to be a mother-in-law, then you can have your +turn," said her Father, smiling. "Your son's wife will obey +you." + +"Will my son obey me, too?" asked Take. + +"No, you must obey him if he is the head of the house," her +Father explained. + +"It's a very long time to wait," sighed Take, "and nothing but a +daughter-in-law to mind me at last." + +Her under lip puckered a little and she frowned--a little frown-- +right in the middle of her forehead. + +"Tut, tut," said her Father. "Girls and women should always be +gentle and smiling. You must never frown." + +He looked quite shocked at the very idea of such a thing. + +Take tried to look pleasant, and a funny thing is that when you +make yourself look pleasant, you begin to feel so, too. Take +felt pleasant almost right away. + +They went into the house and hung the picture of the mother bird +in the place of the crow, beside the spray of plum. When it was +all done, this is the way the honorable recess looked. + +Take looked at it for a while, and then she said, "I don't +believe I shall feel sorry about minding Bot'Chan after all, +because I love him so much." + +"That's the way a little Japanese girl should feel," said her +Father. "Now, come in and let us take a look at him." + +They found Bot'Chan awake. Take knelt down on the mat in front +of him, to see him better. + +"Put your head down on the matting, Take," her Father said, and +Take bowed her head to the floor. + +Then the Father took the Baby in his arms and placed his tiny +foot on Take's neck. + +"That means that you must always do what he wants you to," he +said. + +"I will," said little Take. The Mother smiled at Take as she +knelt on the floor with the Baby's foot on her neck. + +Then she turned her face the other way on her little wooden +pillow and sighed--just a very gentle little sigh, that nobody +heard at all. + + + + +MORNING IN THE LITTLE HOUSE + +MORNING IN THE LITTLE HOUSE + + +One morning when Bot'Chan was just one month old, his big +brother Taro woke up very early. The birds woke him. They were +singing in the garden. "See, see, see," they sang. "Morning is +here! Morning is here!" Taro heard them in his sleep. He turned +over. Then he stretched his arms and legs and sat up in bed, +rubbing his eyes. + +The candle in the tall paper lamp beside his bed had burned +almost out, but it was light enough so he could see that Take, +in her bed across the room, was still asleep, with her head on +her little cushion. + +Taro called very softly, "Take, Take, wake up!" But Take slept +so soundly she did not hear him. + +Father and Mother and the Baby were all asleep in the next room. +He did not want to wake them, because it was still so early in +the morning. So he crept softly along the floor to Take's bed, +and whispered in her ear, "Wake up, wake up!" But she didn't +wake up. Then Taro took a jay's feather which he had found in +the garden the day before, and tickled Take's nose! + +First she rubbed her nose. Then she sneezed. Then she opened her +eyes and looked at Taro. + +"Sh-sh," whispered Taro. + +"But I haven't said a single word!" Take whispered back. + +"You sneezed, though," said Taro. "That's just as bad. It will +wake up our honorable parents just the same." + +"Well, you shouldn't tickle my poor little nose, then," said +Take. + +"Your honorable nose was tickled so that you would wake up and +hear the birds sing," said Taro. "It is much nicer than sleeping! +Besides, do you remember what is going to happen to-day? We are +going to take Bot'Chan to the Temple!" + +A temple is something like a church, only they do not do the +same things in temples that we do in our churches. + +The Twins loved to go to the Temple, because they had a very +good time when they went there. They liked it as much as you +like Thanksgiving Day and the Fourth of July. + +When Take remembered that they were going to take Bot'Chan to +the Temple, she clapped her little brown hands. "Oh, I'm so +glad!" she said. Then she popped out from under the covers of +her bed and stood up on the soft straw matting. + +She was no sooner out of bed than from far away came the +"Cling-cling-clang" of a great gong. And then, "Tum-tum-t-y-y-rum" +rolled a great drum. + +"Hark!" said Taro. "There go the Temple bells, and the priests +are beating the sunrise drums! It's not so very early, after +all." + +"Now, you'll hear Grannie's stick rapping for the maids to get +up," Take answered. "The Temple bells always wake her." + +And at that very minute, "Rat-tat-tat" sounded Grannie's stick +on the woodwork of the room where the maids slept. + +In the little house in the garden where the Twins lived, there +are no thick walls. There are only pretty wooden screens covered +with fine white paper. These screens slide back and forth in +grooves, and when they are all shoved back at once the whole +house is turned into one big, bright room. This is why the Twins +had to be so careful not to make any noise. Even a tiny noise +can be heard all through a house that has only paper walls, you +see. + +But every one is supposed to get up at sunrise in the little +house in the garden, anyway. + +The maids were stirring as soon as Grannie called them. They +rolled back the shutters around the porch and made so much noise +in doing it that Father and Mother woke up too. + +Then the Twins didn't keep so quiet any more. "I'll beat you +dressing," Take said to Taro. + +She ran to the bathroom to wash her face and hands, and Taro ran +to wash his in a little brass basin on the porch. + +"Be sure you wash behind your ears, Taro," Take called to him. +"And it's no fair unless you brush your teeth hard!" + +Taro didn't say anything. His toothbrush was in his mouth, and +there wasn't room for words too. So he just scrubbed away as +hard as he could. Then he ran back to his room and dressed so +quickly that he was all done and out in the garden before Take +began to put on her little kimono! You see, all Taro's clothes +opened in front, and there wasn't a single button to do up; so +he could do it all himself--all but the sash which tied round +his waist and held everything together. Take always tied this +for him. + +When Take came out into the garden she had her sash in her hand. +Taro had his in his hand. + +"I beat!" Taro called to her. + +"You haven't got your sash on yet," Take called back. + +"You haven't either," said Taro. + +"We both of us didn't beat then," said Take. "Come here and I'll +tie yours for you." + +Taro backed up to Take, and she tied his sash in a twinkling. + +Then she held up her sash. "Now, you tie mine for me, Taro," she +said. + +"Wait until Mother can help you," said Taro. "Boys shouldn't do +girls' work." + +"Oh, please, Taro," said Take. "I tied yours for you. I don't +see why you can't tie mine for me!" + +"Well, you know what Father said," Taro answered. "He said you +are a girl and must mind me. You get Mother to do it." + +"He said you should be kind and noble, too," said Take. "It +would be kind and noble of you to tie my sash, because I'm just +suffering to have it tied." She looked at him sidewise. "Please +do," she said. + +Taro thought it over. Then he said, "Well, come behind the +lantern, and just this once I'll do it. But don't you tell, and +don't you ask me to again." + +"Cross my heart, Taro," Take promised. "I won't tell. You are a +good, kind boy." + +Taro tied the sash the best he could, but it looked very queer. +It looked so queer that when, after a while, their Mother saw it +she said, "Come here, my child; your sash is tied upside down! +But I know it is hard to reach behind you. I must teach you how +to make a nice big bow all by yourself." And Take never told her +that Taro did it. No one ever knew it until this minute! + +When they were all dressed, the Twins ran out into the garden. + +There had been a shower in the night, and the leaves were all +shiny, they had been washed so clean by the rain. The dew +sparkled on the green iris leaves beside the tiny river, and the +sunshine made the fish look like lumps of living gold in the +blue waters of the little lake. The birds were singing in the +wistaria vine that grew over the porch, and two doves were +cooing on the old stone lantern that stood by the little lake. +They were Taro's pet doves. + +Taro held out his fingers. "I haven't forgotten to bring you +something," he called. + +The doves flew down and lit upon his shoulders. Taro took a few +rice kernels from the sleeve of his kimono--which he used as a +pocket--and fed the birds from his hand. They were so tame they +even picked some from his lips. + +"I will feed the fish too," Take said. And she ran to the +kitchen where the maids were preparing breakfast. She came back +with some white rice wafers in her fingers. First she threw some +tiny bits of the wafer into the water. The fish saw them and +came to the surface. Then Take reached down and held the wafer +in her fingers. The little fish came all about her hand and +nibbled the wafer without fear. One of them even nibbled her +finger! + +Take laughed. "Mind your manners," she said to the little fish. +"It's not polite to try to eat me up when I'm feeding you! I'm +not your breakfast, anyway!" + +Just then they heard the tinkling sound of a little gong. + +"Ting--ting--ting!" sang Take to the sound of the gong. +"Breakfast is ready." And she danced up the gravel walk to the +house, her hair bobbing up and down, and her sash flying in the +wind, so that she looked like a big blue butterfly. + +Taro came too, and they sat down on mats in the kitchen, to eat +their breakfast. + +Their Mother was already serving their Father's breakfast to him +in the next room. By and by she and Grandmother would have their +breakfast with the servants. + +This is a picture of the Twins eating their breakfast. + +They each had a tiny table of red lacquered wood. On each table +were two bowls. In one bowl was soup, and in the other rice. + +Taro took up his soup-bowl with both hands. He was in a hurry. + +"Oh, Taro!" Take said. "What would Mother say! You must be more +polite. You know that isn't the way to hold your bowl." + +Taro set his bowl down again, and took it up carefully with one +hand, just as you see him in the picture. + +Take began to eat her rice. She had two little sticks in her +right hand. She used these sticks instead of a fork or spoon. + +But Take was in a hurry too. She spilled a little rice on the +front of her kimono. + +Taro saw it. "You're just as impolite as I am," he said. "It's +just as bad to spill as it is to hold your bowl wrong." + +"Oh, dear me! Then we're both impolite," said Take. "What would +Mother say!" + +"She'd be ashamed of us," said Taro. + +"Let's see if we can't remember every single one of our manners +after this," said Take. + +Just as they were finishing their rice there came the sound of +steps--Clumpity--clumpity-clump! + +"Who's coming?" said Taro. + +"I think it's the hairdresser," Take answered. + +She ran out to see. An old woman was on the porch. She had just +slipped off her clogs. + +In Japan no one thinks of such a thing as wearing street shoes +in the house. It would bring in dirt and soil the pretty white +mats. That was why she took them off. + +Take bowed to the old woman. "Oha-yo?" she said politely. + +"Oha-yo?" said the old woman to Take. + +The Twins' Mother heard them. She came to the door. She bowed to +the old woman, and the old woman bowed to her. + +"Come in," said the Mother. "I hope you will make my hair look +very nice to-day, because we are going to the Temple." + +The old woman smiled. "I will make it shine like satin," she +said. + +The Mother got out her little mirror and sat down on the floor. +The hairdresser stood behind her and began to take down the +Mother's long black hair. + +Bot'Chan had been awake a long time. Taro was playing with him +on the floor. + +The Mother called Take. "Daughter," she said, "a little nap +would make our baby wide awake and happy when we start for the +Temple. Would you like to put him to sleep?" + +Take loved to put Bot'Chan to sleep better than anything else in +the world. She took him in her arms and hugged him close. Then +she swayed back and forth, and sang this little song: + + + "How big and beautiful Sir Baby Boy is growing. + + "When he becomes a good boy, too, then I will make our + garden larger, and build a little treasure house for + him. + + "Next to the treasure-house I will plant pine trees. + Next to the pine trees I will plant bamboo. Next to the + bamboo I will plant plum trees. + + "To the branches of the plum trees shall be hung little + bells! When those little bells ring, O Sir Baby Boy, how + happy you will be!" + + (Adapted from translation by Sir Edwin Arnold.) + + +She sang over and over, and softer and softer, about the little +bells; and by the time the hairdresser had finished the Mother's +hair and gone away, Bot'Chan was fast asleep. + +Then Natsu put him down on some soft mats, and combed Take's +hair. + +Take stood still, like a brave little girl, though there were +three snarls in it, and Natsu pulled dreadfully! + +When every one was ready to go, they looked very splendid +indeed. They all wore kimonos of the finest silk, with the +family crest embroidered on the back and left sleeve. And +Bot'Chan had new clothes that Grannie and Mother had made +especially for him to wear on his first visit to the Temple. + +When everybody else was dressed and ready, Natsu waked Bot'Chan +and put his new clothes on him. + +"Now, we can start," said the Mother. + +She took Bot'Chan in her arms. Natsu slid open the door, and +they all stepped out on the porch. + + + + +HOW THEY WENT TO THE TEMPLE + +HOW THEY WENT TO THE TEMPLE + + +THE Twins were just stepping into their clogs when the front +gate opened, and what do you think they saw! In came trotting +three brown men, each one pulling a little carriage behind him! +They came right up to the porch. Take was just standing on one +foot, ready to slip her other one into the strap of her clog, +when they came in. She was so surprised she fell right over +backward! She picked herself up again quickly, and hopped along, +with one shoe on and one shoe off: + +"Are we going to ride?" she gasped. + +Her Father laughed. "Yes, little pop-eyes," he said; "we are +going to ride to the Temple, and you and Taro shall ride in one +rickshaw all by yourselves." + +The name of these little carriages drawn by men instead of +horses is "jinrickshas," but he called them "rickshaws" for +short. + +The Twins were so happy they could hardly keep still. They +looked at all three rickshaws and all three men, and then they +said to their Father: + +"May we ride in this one?" + +It had red wheels. + +"Yes, you may ride in that one," he said. + +Then he got into the one with green wheels, and rode away. + +Mother and Grannie and the Baby got into the next one, and their +rickshaw man trotted away after Father. + +"Keep close behind us," the Mother called back to the Twins. + +They got into the rickshaw with the red wheels, and away they +flew. + +The Twins had never been in a rickshaw alone before in all their +lives. They sat up very straight, and held on tight because it +bounced a good deal, and the rickshaw man could run very fast. + +"I feel as grand as a princess," Take whispered to Taro. "How do +you feel?" + +"I feel like a son of the Samurai," Taro whispered back. That +was the proudest feeling he could think of. + +There were so very many interesting things to see that the Twins +didn't talk much for a while. You see, it's hard work to use +your mouth and your eyes and your ears all at once. So the Twins +just used their eyes. + +It was still quite early in the morning when they reached the +city streets. Here they saw men with baskets hung from poles +going from house to house. Some were selling vegetables, some +had fish, and others were selling flowers, or brooms. + +They saw little girls with baby brothers on their backs, +skipping rope or bouncing balls. The baby's head wobbled +dreadfully when his little sister skipped, but he didn't cry +about it. He just let it wobble! + +The Twins rode by fruit-shops, and clothing-shops with gay +kimonos flapping in the breeze; by little shops where people +were making paper lanterns, by tea-shops and silk-shops, by +houses and gardens in strange places they had never seen before. + +They saw an old priest going from door to door, holding out his +bowl for money. + +In one street carpenters were putting up a new house, and once +they caught a glimpse of the very bridge that leads to the +Emperor's palace. + +By and by they reached the gate of the Temple grounds. All the +rickshaws stopped here, and everybody got out. + +The Mother put Bot'Chan on her back, and they all started in a +procession for the Temple. First walked the Father, looking very +proud. Then came the Twins, looking quite proud, too. Then came +Mother and Grannie and Bot'Chan and they looked proudest of all! + +When they got inside the gate, the Twins thought they were in +fairyland. You would have thought so, too, if you could have +been there with them. + +They saw so many wonderful things that day that if I were to +tell you about every one of them it would fill up this whole +book! + +First of all, they came into a broad roadway with beautiful +great cedar trees on each side. Under these trees were little +booths. Great paper lanterns and banners of all colors hung in +front of the booths; and when they waved gayly in the wind, the +place looked like a giant flower-garden in full bloom. + +Near the Temple entrance was a great stone trough full of clear +water. There was a long-handled wooden dipper floating on it. + +"Come here," said the Father. + +The Twins, Grandmother, and Mother, with Baby on her back, all +came at once and stood in a row beside the trough. They put out +their hands. The Father took the dipper and poured water on +their hands. + +When their hands were quite clean, they rinsed their mouths, +too. Then they entered the Temple vestibule. + +There were more little booths in the Temple vestibule, and there +were so many people, big and little, crowding about that the +Father took the Twins' hands so they wouldn't get lost. + +First he led them to a place where they bought some cooked peas +on a little plate, and some rice. He gave the peas to Taro and +some of the rice to Take. + +The Twins wondered what in the world their Father wanted with +peas and rice. They soon found out. In the very next place was a +little stall, and in the little stall was a tiny, tiny white +horse--no bigger than a big dog! Even its eyes were white. + +"Oh, Father," the Twins said, both together, "whose little horse +is it?" + +"It's Kwannon's little horse," the Father said. "Taro, you may +give him the peas." + +Taro held out the plate. The little white pony put his nose in +the plate and ate them all up! He sniffed up Taro's sleeve as if +he wanted more. + +Take patted his back. "Who is Kwannon?" she asked. + +"Kwannon is a beautiful goddess who loves little children," said +the Father. + +"Does she live here?" asked Taro. + +"This is her Temple, where people come to worship," the Father +answered. "We are going to pray to her to-day to take good care +of Bot'Chan always." + +"Did you ask her to take care of us, too?" asked Take. + +"Yes; we brought you both here when you were a month old, just +as we are bringing Bot'Chan now," the Father replied. + +"Does she take care of all little children?" Take said. + +"She loves them all, and takes care of all who ask for her +protection." + +"My!" said Take. "She must have her hands full with such a large +family!" + +Her Father laughed, "But, you see, she has a great many hands," +he said. "If she had only two, like us, it would be hard for her +to take care of so many." + +"I never saw her take care of me," said Taro. + +"We do not see the gods," their Father answered. "But we must +worship and obey them just the same." + +"I think Kwannon must love little children," said Take, "because +she wants them to have such good times in her Temple." + +They said good-bye to the little horse, and walked through an +opening into a courtyard beyond. The moment they stepped into +the courtyard a flock of white pigeons flew down and settled all +about them. + +"Take may feed the pigeons," the Father said. "They are +Kwannon's pigeons." + +Take threw her rice on the ground. The pigeons picked it all up. +So many people fed them that they were almost too fat to fly! + +At another booth their Father bought some little rings of +perfumed incense. He put them in his sleeve. His sleeves could +hold more things than all a boy's pockets put together! + +When they reached the great door of the Temple itself, the +Father said: "Now, we must take off our shoes." So they all +slipped their toes out of their clogs, and went into the Temple +just as the bell in the courtyard rang out with a great--boom-- +BOOM--BOOM! that made the air shiver and shake all about them. + +The Temple was one big, shadowy room, with tall red columns all +about. + +"It's just like a great forest full of trees, isn't it?" Taro +whispered to Take, as they went in. + +"It almost scares me," Take whispered back; "it's so big." + +Directly in front of the entrance there was another bell. A long +red streamer hung from its clapper, and under it was a great box +with bars over the top. On the box there perched a great white +rooster! + +The Father pulled the red streamer and rang the bell. Then he +threw a piece of money into the box. It fell with a great noise. + +"Cock-a-doodle-doo," crowed the rooster! He seemed very much +pleased about the money, though it was meant for the priests and +not for him. "The rooster is saying thank you," cried Take. +"Hush," said her Mother. + +Then the Father drew from his sleeve a little rosary of beads. +He placed it over his hands, and bowed his head in prayer while +Grannie and Mother and Baby and the Twins stood near him and +kept very still. When he had finished, a priest came up. + +The Father bowed to the priest. "Will you show us the way to the +shrine of Kwannon?" he asked. + +Away off at the farther end of the Temple, the Twins could see a +great altar. Banners and lanterns hung about it, and people were +kneeling on the floor before it, praying. Before the altar was +an open brazier with incense burning in it. + +"Come this way," said the priest. He led them to the altar. + +The Father took Bot'Chan from his Mother, and held him in his +arms. The priest said a prayer to Kwannon, and blessed the Baby. +Then the Father threw incense rings on the little fire that +burned in the brazier before the altar. Wreaths of smoke began +to curl about their heads. The air was filled with the sweet +odor of it. Some of it went up Bot'Chan's nose. It smarted. +Bot'Chan didn't like it. He had behaved beautifully up to that +time, and I am sure if the incense hadn't gone up his nose he +would have kept on behaving beautifully. But it did, and +Bot'Chan sneezed just as the priest finished the prayer. + +Then he gave a great scream. Then another, and another. Three of +them! + +The priest smiled. But the Father didn't smile. He gave Bot'Chan +back to his mother just as quickly as he could. + +He said, "The honorable worshippers will be disturbed. We must +go out at once." + +They hurried back to the entrance and found their clogs, and the +moment they were outdoors again, in the sweet, fresh air, +Bot'Chan cuddled down on his Mother's back and went to sleep +without another sound. + +Near the Temple they found an orchard of cherry trees in full +bloom. People were sitting under the cherry trees, looking at +the blossoms. Some of them were writing little verses, which +they hung on the branches of the trees. They did this because +they loved the blossoms so much. Children were playing all +about. Near by was a pretty little tea-house. + +Grannie saw it first. "I am thirsty," she said. + +"So am I," said Take. + +"So am I," said Taro. + +"We're all thirsty," the Father said. + +Outside the tea-house, under the trees there were wooden +benches. They sat down on these, and soon little maids from the +tea-house brought them trays with tea and sweet rice-cakes. + +They sat on the benches and sipped their tea, and watched the +people moving about, and looked up at the cherry blossoms +against the blue sky, and were very happy, indeed. + +The Mother had carried Bot'Chan all the way on her back, so +maybe she was a little tired. Anyway, she said to the Father:-- + +"If you and the Twins want to go farther, let Grannie and me +stay here and rest. You can come back for us." + +"Would you like to see the animals?" the Father asked the Twins. + +Taro and Take jumped right up, and took their Father's hands, +one on each side, and then they all walked away together under +the blossoming trees to another part of the park. + +In this part of the park there were cages, and in the cages were +lions, and tigers, and monkeys, and zebras, and elephants, and +all kinds of animals! There were birds, too, with red and blue +plumage and beautiful golden tails. There were parrots and +cockatoos and pheasants. Wild ducks were swimming in the ponds; +and two swans sailed, like lovely white ships, to the place +where the Twins stood, and opened their bills to be fed. + +In the Father's sleeve was something for each one. Taro and Take +took turns. Take fed the swans, and Taro fed the great fish that +swam up beside them and looked at them with round eyes. When +they saw the food the fish leaped in the water and fought each +other to get it, and when they ate it they made curious noises +like pigs. + +"I don't think they have very good manners," said Take. + +By and by they came to a queer little street. This little street +must have been made on purpose for little boys and girls to have +fun in, for there were all sorts of astonishing things there. +There were jugglers doing strange tricks with tops and swords. +There were acrobats, and candy-sellers and toy-sellers going +about with baskets hung from long poles over their shoulders. It +was almost like a circus. + +The street was full of people, and every one was gay. The Twins +and their Father had gone only a little way up the street when +an old woman met them. She had a pole on her shoulder, and from +it swung a little fire of coals in a brazier. She had a little +pot of batter and a little jar of sweet sauce, a ladle, a +griddle, and a cake-turner! + +"Would you like to make some cakes?" she said to Take. + +Take clasped her hands. "Oh, Father, may I?" she said. + +The Father gave the old woman some money out of his sleeve. She +set the brazier on the ground. + +Then Take tucked her sleeves back, put the griddle on the coals, +poured out some batter, and cooked a little cake on one side +until it was brown. Then she turned it over with the cake-turner, +and browned it on the other side. Then she put it on a plate and +put the sauce on it. + +My, my! but it was fun! + +The first cake she made she gave to her Father. + +He ate it all up. Then he said, "Honorable daughter, the cake is +the very best I ever had of the kind. I am sure your honorable +brother would like one too." + +The Japanese are so very polite that they often call each other +"honorable" in that way. They even call things that they use +"honorable," too! + +So Take said very politely, "Honorable Brother, would you like +one of my poor cakes?" + +It would be impolite in Japan to call anything good that you had +made yourself. It would seem like praising your own work. That +was why Take called them "my poor cakes." + +"I should like a cake very much," Taro said. + +Take poured out the batter. She watched it carefully, to be sure +it did not burn. When it was just brown enough she gave it to +Taro. + +Taro ate it all up. Then he said to Take, "Honorable Sister, I +should like to eat six." + +The Father laughed. "If you stay here to eat six cakes, we shall +not see the dolls' garden," he said. "Take must have one cake +for herself, and then we will go on." + +Take baked a cake for herself and ate it She called it a "poor" +cake aloud, but inside she thought it was the very best cake +that any one ever made! + +When she had finished, she and Taro and the Father bowed +politely to the old woman. + +"Sayonara," they said. That means "good-bye." + +The old woman bowed. "Sayonara," she called to them. + +The Twins and their Father walked on. They soon found the dolls' +garden. In it were many tiny pine trees like theirs at home. +There were little plum trees, and bamboos, and a tiny tea-house +in it. There was a pond with a little bridge, too. + +"Oh!" cried Take, "if it only had little bells on the plum +trees, this would be the very garden I sang about to Bot'Chan; +wouldn't it?" + +She stooped down and peeped under the little trees. + +"Let's play we are giants!" she said to Taro. + +"Giants roar," said Taro. + +"You roar," said Take. "It wouldn't be polite for a lady giant +to roar!" + +"Giants are different. They don't have to be polite," Taro +explained. + +"Well, you can roar," said Take, "but I shall play I'm a polite +lady giant taking a walk in my garden! My head is in the clouds, +and every step I take is a mile long!" + +She picked up her kimono. She turned her little nose up to the +sky, and took a very long step. + +Taro came roaring after her. + +But just that minute Take's clog turned on her foot, and the +first thing she knew she was flat on her stomach on the bridge! +She forgot that lady giants didn't roar. + +Taro was roaring already. + +Their Father was ahead of them. He jumped right up in the air +when he heard the noise. He wasn't used to such sounds from the +Twins. He turned back. + +"What is the matter?" he said. + +He picked Take up and set her on her feet. + +"We're giants," sobbed Take. + +"Her head was in the clouds," said Taro. + +"It is well even for giants to keep an eye on the earth when +they are out walking," the Father said. "Are you hurt?" + +"Yes, I'm hurt," Take said; "but I don't think I'm broken +anywhere." + +"Giants don't break easily at all," her Father answered. "I +think you'll be all right if we go to your castle!" + +"My castle!" cried Take. "Where is it?" + +"Right over there through the trees." He pointed to it. + +The Twins looked. They saw a high tower. + +"Would you like to climb to the top with me?" their Father said. + +"Oh, yes," Taro cried. "We aren't tired." + +"Or broken," Take added. + +So they went into the tower and climbed, and climbed, and +climbed. It seemed as if the dark stairs would never end. + +"I believe the tower reaches clear to the sky!" said Take. + +"I don't believe it has any top at all!" said Taro. + +But just that minute they came out on an open platform, and what +a sight they saw! The whole city was spread out before them. +They could see gray roofs, and green trees, and roadways with +people on them. The people looked about as big as ants crawling +along. They could see rivers, and blue ponds, and canals. It +seemed to the Twins that they could see the whole world. + +In a minute the Father said, "Look! Look over there against the +sky!" + +The Twins looked. Far away they saw a great lonely mountain-peak. +It was very high, and very pale against the pale blue sky. The +top of it was rosy, as if the sun shone on it. The shadows were +blue. Below the top there were clouds and mists. The mountain +seemed to rise out of them and float in the air. + +The Twins clasped their hands. + +"It is Fuji!" they cried, both together. + +"Yes," said the Father. "It is Fuji, the most beautiful mountain +in the world." + +By and by Take said, "I don't feel a bit like a giant any more." + +And Taro said, "Neither do I." + +For a long time they stood looking at it. Then they turned and +crept quietly down the dark stairs, holding tight to their +Father's hands. + +They went back to Mother and Grandmother and Bot'Chan under the +cherry trees. + +"We must take the Baby home," said the Mother as soon as she saw +them. "It's growing late." + +"Oh, mayn't we stay just a little longer?" Take begged. + +"Please," said Taro. + +"If we go now, we can go home by boat," said the Father. + +"I didn't believe a single other nice thing could happen this +day," sighed Take. "But going home by boat will be nicer than +staying. Won't it, Taro?" + +But Taro was already on his way to the landing. + +There was a pleasure-boat tied to the wharf. The whole family +got on board; the boatman pushed off and away they went over the +blue waters and into the river, and down the river a long way, +through the city and beyond. They passed rice-fields, where men +and women in great round hats worked away, standing ankle deep +in water. There were fields where tea-plants were growing. There +were little brown thatched roofs peeping out from under green +trees. There were glimpses of little streets in tiny villages, +and of people riding in a queer sort of basket hung from a pole +and carried on the shoulders of two men. + +At last they came to a landing-pace near their home. They were +glad to see the familiar roofs again. + +Taro and Take raced ahead of the others to their own little +house in the garden. + +At the door they found ever so many clogs. There were sounds of +talking inside the house. + +"What do you suppose is going to happen now?" Take asked Taro. + +"I don't know--but something nice," Taro answered, as he slipped +tiff his clogs and sprang up on the porch. + +They slid open the door. + +"Ohayo!" came a chorus of voices. + +The room was full of their aunts and cousins! + +Taro and Take were very much surprised, but they remembered +their manners. They dropped on their knees and bowed their heads +to the floor. + +"Where are your Father and Mother, and Grannie and Bot'Chan?" +said all the aunts and cousins. "They are late." + +"We came back by the boat, and it stopped at ever so many +places," said Taro. "That's why we are late." + +Soon their Father and Mother and Grandmother came in. Then there +was great laughing and talking, and many polite bows. + +Bot'Chan was passed from one to another. Everybody said he was +the finest baby ever seen, and that he looked like his Father! +And his Mother! And his Grandmother! Some even said he looked +like the Twins! + +Everybody brought presents to the baby. There were toys, and +rice, and candied peas and beans, and little cakes, and silk for +dresses for him, and more silk for more dresses, and best of all +a beautiful puppy cat. Here is his picture! [The picture shows a +portly little toy animal with curly whiskers, large round ears, +and a fierce expression.] The Twins thought Bot'Chan could never +use all the things that were given him but they thought they +could help eat up the candied things. + +Bot'Chan seemed to like his party. He sucked his thumb and +looked solemnly at the aunts and cousins. He even tried to put +the puppy cat in his mouth. Natsu took him away at last and put +him to bed. Then everybody had tea and good things to eat until +it was time to go home. + +It took the Twins a long time to get to sleep that night. + +Just as she was cuddling down under her warm, soft mats, Take +popped her head out once more and looked across the room to +Taro's bed. + +"Taro!" she whispered. + +Taro stuck his head out, too. She could see him by the soft +light of the candle in the tall paper lamp beside his bed. + +"Don't you think it's about a week since morning?" she said. "So +many nice things have happened to-day!" + +"There never could be a nicer day than this," said Taro. + +"What was the nicest of all?" Take asked. "I'll tell you what I +liked the best if you'll tell me." + +Then Taro told which part of the day he liked the best, and Take +told which she liked the best. But I'm not going to tell whether +they said the little horse, or the tiny garden, or the cherry +trees, or the animals, or the boat-ride--or the party. You can +just guess for yourself! + + + + +A RAINY DAY + +A RAINY DAY + + +When the Twins woke up the next morning it was cold, and the rain +was beating on the roof. They couldn't look out of the window to +see it, because there were no glass windows in their house. There +were just the pretty screens covered with white paper. + +Taro slid one of the screens back and peeped out into the garden. +"It's all wet," he said to Take. "We can't play outdoors to-day." + +"We'll have a nice time in the house, then," said Take. "I can +think of lots of things to do." + +"So can I, if I try," Taro said. + +"Let's try, then," Take answered. + +They thought all the time they were dressing. They put on three +kimonos because it was cold. It made them look quite fat. + +"I've thought of one," Take called just as she was putting on the +last kimono. + +"I have, too," Taro said. + +"You tell me and I'll tell you," Take begged. + +"No, not until after breakfast," Taro answered. "Then first we'll +play one and then the other." + +After breakfast Mother was busy waiting upon Father and getting +him off to his work. Then she had to bathe the Baby. So the twins +went to Grandmother for help. + +"O Ba San" (that means "Honorable Grandmother"), Take said to +her, "it is rainy and cold, and Taro and I have thought of nice +games to play in the house. Will you get the colored sands for +us?" + +"I know what you're going to do!" cried Taro. + +Grandmother brought out four boxes. In one box was yellow sand. +In another was black sand. The other two were filled with blue +and red sand. Grandmother brought out some large pieces of paper. + +"Thank you, O Ba San," the Twins said. + +They spread the paper on the floor. Taro had one piece, and Take +had another. + +"I'm going to make a picture of a boat on the sea," said Taro. + +He took some of the blue sand in his right hand. He let it run +through his fingers until it made a blue sea clear across the +paper. + +"And now I'm going to make a yellow sky for a sunset." He let the +yellow sand run through the fingers of his left hand. + +"I'll put some red clouds in it," he said. Then he let red sand +run through his fingers. + +When that was done he took some black sand. He made a boat. + +This was the way his picture looked when it was done, only it was +in colors. The sail of the boat was blue. + +"Oh, Taro, how beautiful!" Take said. "Mine won't be half so +nice, I'm sure. I'm going to make--I'm going to make--let's see. +Oh, I know. I'll make the pine tree beside the pond." + +She took some blue sand and made the little lake. Then she took +the black sand and made the trunk of the tree and some branches. + +She spilled a little of the black sand. It made black specks. + +"Oh, dear!" she cried. "I've spilled." + +Taro looked at it. "Put the green leaves over the spilled place," he said. + +"It isn't the right place for leaves," Take said. + +She took some blue sand in one hand and some yellow in the other. +She let them fall on the paper together. They made the green part +of the tree. + +"I know what I'll do about the black that spilled," she said. +"I'll call it a swarm of bees!" + +This is Take's picture. You can see the bees! + +"I think your picture is just as good as mine," said Taro. + +"Oh, no, Honorable Brother! Yours is much better," Take answered +politely. + +They showed them to Grannie when they were all finished. Grannie +thought they were beautiful. + +"Now, Taro, what's your game?" Take said when the sand was all +put away. + +"I have to go out into the garden first for mine," Taro said. + +"Put on your clogs and take an umbrella, and don't stay but a +minute," Grannie said. + +Taro put on his clogs and opened his umbrella, and ran into the +garden. + +Take couldn't guess what he wanted. She watched him from the door. + +Taro ran from one tree or vine to another. He looked along the +stems and under the leaves. He looked on the ground, too. Soon he +jumped at something on the ground, and caught it in his hand. + +"I've got one," he called. + +"One what?" Take called back. + +"Beetle," Taro said. + +Then he found another. He brought them in very carefully, so as +not to hurt them. + +In the house he put them into a little cage which he made out of +a pasteboard box. Then he got more paper and a little knife. + +"Oh, Taro, what are you going to make?" Take asked. + +"If you and grannie will help me, I'll make some little wagons +and we'll harness the beetles," Taro said. + +"Won't it hurt them?" Take asked. + +"Not a bit; we'll be so careful," Taro answered. + +So Take ran for thread, and Taro got Grannie to help him. Grannie +would do almost anything in the world for the Twins. And pretty +soon there were two cunning little paper wagons with round paper +wheels! + +Taro tied some thread to the front of each little wagon. Then he +opened the cage to take out the beetles. + +One of the beetles didn't wait to be taken out. He flew out +himself. He was big and black, and he flew straight at Take! He +flew into her black hair! + +Maybe he just wanted to hide. But he had big black nippers, and +he took hold of Take's little fat neck with them. + +Take rolled right over on the floor and screamed. Her Mother +heard the scream. She came running in. The maids came running too +to see what was the matter. + +"Ow! Ow!! Ow!!!" squealed Take. She couldn't say a word. She just +clawed at her neck and screamed. + +Everybody tried to find out what was the matter. + +"I know--I know!" shouted Taro. + +He shook Take's hair. Out flew the beetle! + +Taro caught him. "He isn't hurt a bit," he said. + +"But I am," wailed Take. + +Mother and Grannie bathed Take's neck, and comforted her; and +soon she was happy again and ready to go on with the play. + +She and Taro harnessed the beetles with threads to the little +wagons. But Take let Taro do the harnessing. + +"You can have that one, and I'll have this," Taro said; "and +we'll have a race." + +He set the beetles on the floor. They began to crawl along, +pulling the little carriages after them. + +Taro's beetle won the race. + +They played with the beetles and wagons a long time until Grannie +said, "Let them go now, children. Dinner will soon be ready." + +The Twins were hungry. They unharnessed the beetles and carried +them to the porch. They put them on the porch railing. + +"Fly away home!" they said. Then they ran to the kitchen to see +what there was for dinner. They sniffed good things cooking. + +Take went to the stove and lifted the lid of a great kettle. It +was such a queer stove! + +Here is a picture of Take peeping into the kettle. It shows you +just how queer that stove was. + +"It's rice," Take said. + +"Of course," said Taro. "We always have rice in that kettle. +What's in this one?" + +He peeped into the next kettle. It was steaming hot. The steam +flew out when Taro opened the lid, and almost burned his nose! + +That kettle had fish in it. When it was ready, Grannie and Mother +and the Twins had their dinner all together. Bot'Chan was asleep. + +After dinner Grannie said, "I'm going for a little nap." + +"We shall keep very quiet so as not to disturb you and Bot'Chan," +Taro said. + +When the little tables were taken away, the Mother said, "Come, +my children, let us sit down beside the hibachi and get warm." + +The "hibachi" is the only stove, except the cook-stove, that they +have in Japanese houses. It is an open square box, made of metal, +with a charcoal fire burning in it. In very cold weather each +person has one to himself; but this day it was just cold enough +so the Twins loved to cuddle close up to their Mother beside the +big hibachi. + +The Mother put on a square framework of iron over the fire-box. +Then she brought a comforter--she called it a "futon"--from the +cupboard. She put it over the frame, like a tent. She placed one +large cushion on the floor and on each side of the big cushion +she put a little one. + +She sat down on the big cushion. Taro sat on one side and Take +sat on the other, on the little cushions. They drew the comforter +over their laps--and, oh, but they were cozy and warm! + +"Tell us a story, honored Mother," begged Taro. + +"Yes, please do!" said Take. + +"Let me see. What shall I tell you about?" said the Mother. She +put her finger on her brow and pretended to be thinking very +hard. + +"Tell us about 'The Wonderful Tea-Kettle,'" said Take. + +"Tell us about 'The Four and Twenty Paragons,'" said Taro. + +"What is a Paragon?" asked Take. + +"A Paragon is some one who is very good, indeed,--better than +anybody else," said the Mother. + +"Are you a Paragon?" Take asked her Mother. + +"Oh, no," cried the Mother. "I am a most unworthy creature as +compared with a Paragon." + +"Then there aren't any such things," said Take, "because nobody +could be better than you!" + +The Mother laughed. "Wait until I tell you about the Paragons. +Then you'll see how very, very good they were," she said. + +"Once there was a Paragon. He was only a little boy, but he was +so good to his parents! Oh, you can't think how good he was! He +was only six years old. He was a beautiful child, with a tender, +fine skin and bright eyes. He lived with his parents in a little +town among the rice-fields. The fields were so wet in the spring +that there were millions and millions of mosquitoes around their +home. Everybody was nearly bitten to death by them. The little +boy saw how miserable and unhappy his parents were from the +mosquito-bites. He could not bear to see his dear parents suffer; +so every night he lay naked on his mat so the mosquitoes would +find his tender skin and bite him first, and spare his father and +mother." + +"Oh, my!" said Take. "How brave that was! I don't like mosquito-bites +a bit!" + +"You don't like beetle-bites any better, do you?" Taro said. + +"Well," said Take, "I'd rather the beetle should bite me than +Mother." + +"Well, now, maybe you'll be a Paragon yourself sometime," the +Mother said. + +"There weren't any women paragons, were there?" asked Taro. + +"Oh, yes," said the Mother. "Once there was a young girl who +loved her father dearly, and honored him above everything in the +world, as a child should. Once she and her father were in a +jungle, and a tiger attacked them. The young girl threw herself +upon the tiger and clung to his jaws so that her father could +escape." + +"Did the tiger eat her up?" said Taro. + +"I suppose he did," the Mother answered. + +"Was it very noble of her to be eaten up so her father could get +away?" Take asked, + +"Oh, very noble!" said the Mother. + +"Well, then," said Take, "was it very noble of the father to run +away and let her stay and be eaten up?" + +"The lives of women are not worth so much as those of men," her +Mother answered. + +Take bounced on her cushion. "I don't see how she could honor a +man who was so mean," she said. + +Take's mother held up her hands. She was shocked. "Why, Take!" +she said. "The man was her father!" + +"Tell us another," said Taro. + +"Please, honored Mother, don't tell me about any more Paragons," +said Take. + +Her Mother was still more shocked. + +"Why, little daughter," she said, "don't you want to hear about +the Paragon that lay down on the cold, cold ice to warm a hole in +it with his body so he could catch some fish for his cruel +stepmother to eat?" + +"No, if you please, dear Mother," said Take, "because all the +Paragons had such horrid parents." + +"My dear little girl," the Mother said, "you must not say such +dreadful things! We must honor and obey our parents, no matter +what kind of persons they are." + +"Well," said Take, "we love and honor you and our Father--you +are so good and kind." She put her hands on the matting in front +of her, and bowed to the floor before her Mother. + +Taro saw Take do this, and he wanted to be just as polite as she +was; so he rolled over on his cushion and bowed to the floor, +too. + +"Now, tell us about the 'Lucky Tea-Kettle,'" begged Take. + +Their Mother began: "Once upon a time--" + +But just as she got as far as that they heard a little sound from +Bot'Chan's cushion in the corner, and the covers began to wiggle. + +"There's Bot'Chan awake," said the Mother. "I must take care of +him now. The 'Lucky Tea-Kettle' must wait until another time." + +And just at that minute bright spots of sunshine appeared on the +paper screen, and the shadows of leaves in pretty patterns +fluttered over it. + +"The sun is out! The sun is out!" cried the Twins. + +They ran to the door, put on their clogs, and were soon dancing +about in the bright sunshine. + + + + +TAKE'S BIRTHDAY + +TAKE'S BIRTHDAY + + +Taro and Take loved their birthdays the best of all the days in +the year. + +They had two of them. Most twins have only one birthday between +them, but Japanese twins have two. + +That is because all the boys in Japan celebrate their birthdays +together on one day, and all the girls celebrate theirs together +on another day. + +So, you see, though they were twins, Taro and Take didn't have +the same birthday at all. + +Take's birthday came first. She knew days beforehand that it was +coming, for every once in a while she would say to her Mother, +"How many days is it now?" and her Mother always knew she meant, +"How many days is it to my birthday?" + +One morning when she woke up, Take said, "Only six days more." +The next morning she said, "Only five days more." One morning she +jumped out of bed very early and said, "Oh, it's to-day! To-day! +It begins this very minute." + +Taro didn't get up early that day. When he heard Take singing, +"It's to-day," he just buried his nose under the bedclothes and +pretended to be asleep! + +He remembered Take's last birthday, and he remembered that boys +seemed to be in the way that day. They weren't asked to play with +the girls, and they wouldn't have done it anyway, because the +girls spent the whole day playing with dolls! Taro didn't think +much of dolls. + +Before breakfast, her Father took Take out to the Kura. He +reached up to the high shelf and brought down the big red box +that held the dolls. It was as big as a trunk. Then he reached +down another box and carried them both into the house. + +Although it was so early in the morning, the Mother had already +put fresh flowers in the vase, in honor of Take's birthday. + +The bedding had been put away, and on one side of the room there +were five shelves, like steps against the wall. Take knew what +they were for. + +"Oh," said Take, "everything is all ready to begin! May I open +the boxes right now?" + +Her Mother said, "Yes." She even got down on her knees beside the +boxes and helped Take open them. They opened the red box first. +It was full of dolls! A whole trunkful of dolls. Thirty-five of +them! + +The first doll Take took out was a very grand lady doll, dressed +in stiff silk robes, embroidered with chrysanthemums. + +"Here's the Empress," she cried; she set the Empress doll up +against the trunk. Then she ran to get her dear everyday doll. +She called her everyday doll "Morning Glory," and sometimes just +"Glory" for short. Glory was still asleep in Take's bed. + +"Why, you sleepy head!" Take said. "Don't you know you are going +to have company to-day? Where are your manners, child?" + +She took Glory to the trunk and put her down on her knees before +the Empress. "Make your bow," she said. Glory bowed so low that +she fell over on her nose! + +"Oh, my dear child!" said Take. "I must take more pains with you! +Your manners are frightful! You will wear out your nose if you +bow like that!" + +She reached into the box and carefully lifted out the Emperor +doll. He was dressed in stiff silk, too. He sat up very straight +against the trunk beside the Empress. + +Take made Morning Glory bow to the Emperor, too. This time Glory +didn't fall on her nose. + +These dolls had belonged to Take's Grandmother. She had played +with them on her birthdays, and then Take's Mother had played +with them on her birthdays, and still they were not broken or +torn; they had been so well cared for. + +They were taken out only once in the whole year, and that time +was called the "Feast of Dolls." + +Take's Mother had covered the five steps with a beautiful piece +of silk. Take placed the Emperor and Empress in the middle of the +top step. Then she ran back to the trunk to get more dolls. + +There were girl dolls and boy dolls and lady dolls in beautiful +dresses, and baby dolls in little kimonos, strapped to the backs +of bigger dolls. + +Take took each one to the steps. She made each one bow very low +before the Emperor and Empress before she put him in his own +place. All the shelves were filled so full that one baby doll +spilled over the edge and fell on the floor! Take picked her up +and strapped her on Glory's back. "I know you won't let her +fall," she said to Glory. Glory looked pleased and sat up very +straight and responsible. + +Then Take opened the other box. She took out a little stove and +some blue-and-white doll dishes and two tiny lacquered tables. + +While she was taking out these things, her Father brought in a +new box that she had never seen before. He put it down on the +floor before the steps. Take was so busy she didn't see it at +first. When she did, she shouted, "Oh, Father, is it for me?" + +"Yes, it is for you," the Father answered. + +"Oh, thank you, whatever it is!" said Take. + +She flew to the box and untied the string. She lifted the cover +and there was a beautiful big toy house, made almost like the +house the Twins lived in! It had a porch and sliding screens, and +a cunning cupboard with doll bedding in it. It even had an alcove +with a tiny kakemono, and a little vase in it! There was a flower +in the vase! There were little straw mats on the floor! + +Take lifted the mats and slid the screens back and forth. She put +her little stove in the kitchen. She was too happy for words. She +ran to her Father and threw herself on her knees before him and +hugged his feet. "Thank you, ten thousand times, dear honored +Father," she said. + +When her own breakfast-time came, Take was very busy getting +breakfast for the Emperor and Empress. She was so busy she +couldn't stop. "It wouldn't be polite for me to have my breakfast +before the Emperor and Empress have theirs," she explained. + +Her Mother smiled. "Very well," she said, "You may get their +breakfast first; we must be polite, whatever happens." + +So Take had Morning Glory place the tiny lacquered tables before +the Emperor and Empress. She put some rice in the little bowls on +the tables. She placed some toy chop-sticks on the tables, too. +Then she made Morning Glory bow and crawl away from the august +presence on her hands and knees! "It wouldn't be at all right to +stay to see them eat," she said. + +Just then Taro came in, rubbing his eyes. He was still sleepy. + +"Oh, Taro," cried Take, "look at my new house!" + +Taro didn't think much of dolls, but he liked that house just as +much as Take did. When he saw the little stove with its play +kettles, he said: "Why don't you have a real fire in it?" + +"Do you think we could?" Take said. + +Of course they were never, never allowed to play with fire, but +because it was Take's birthday the Mother said, "Just this once I will +sit here beside you and you may have three little charcoal-embers from +the tobacco-ban to put in the stove." + +The tobacco-ban is a little metal box with a place for a pipe and +tobacco. It always had a few pieces of burning charcoal in it so +that the Father could light his pipe any time he wanted to. The +Mother sat down beside the tobacco-ban. + +She let Taro take a pair of tongs, like sugar-tongs. He put three +pieces of charcoal in the tiny stove. Take put water in the +kettle. Soon the water began to boil! Real steam came out of the +spout. + +"I can make real tea!" cried Take. + +She got some tea leaves and put some in each tiny cup. Then she +poured the boiling water into the cups. She put the cups of tea +before the Emperor and Empress. + +"Now you'd better have your own breakfast," the Mother said. She +put the fire out in the little stove and the Twins sat down +before their tiny breakfast-tables. + +While they were eating, Taro had a splendid idea. "I know what +I'll do. I'll make you a little garden for your house!" he said. + +"Oh, that will be beautiful!" cried Take, + +The moment they had finished eating, they ran into the garden. +Out by the well the maids were drawing water. + +"I need some water, too," Taro said. + +They let Taro draw a pail of water himself. Here is a picture of +him doing it. + +Then he found a box-cover--not very deep--and filled it with +sand. He set a little bowl in the sand and filled it with the +water, for a pond. Then he broke off little bits of branches and +twigs and stuck them up in the sand for trees. He made a tiny +mountain like the one in their garden and put a little bridge +over the pond. He put bright pebbles around the pond. When it was +all done, they put the garden down beside the toy house. They put +Glory in the garden, beside the tiny pond. + +But a horrible accident happened! Glory fell over again, and this +time she fell into the pond! At least her head did. Her legs were +too long to go in. She might have been drowned if Take hadn't +picked her out in a hurry. + +Just as Take was wiping Morning Glory's face, her Mother came in +dressed for the street. She had Bot'Chan on her back. He was +awake and smiling. + +Take ran and squeezed his fat legs. "You are the best doll of +all," she said. + +"You take your doll, and I'll take mine," the Mother said, "and +let us go for a walk." + +Take had put on one of her very gayest 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 whispered back. "I've liked everything so +far, and I think going to school must be some fun, too. But of +course, if I don't like it, I shall not say a word. A son of the +Samurai should never complain, no matter how hard his lot." + +"No, of course not," Take answered. + +Before they were dressed, the Mother came into their room. "The +bath-tub is ready, Taro," she said. "Hop in and get your bath +early to-day, for you and Take are to begin school." + +The Twins had a hot bath every day, but they usually took it +before going to bed. The bath-tub was in a little room by itself. +It was shaped a little like a barrel, and it had a stove set +right in the side of it to heat the water. Taro went to the +bathroom and climbed over the edge of the tub. It was hard to get +up because the tub was high. He dropped into the water with a +great splash. Take and her Mother heard the splash. + +Then they heard something else. They heard screams! "Ow-ow-ow!" +shrieked Taro. "Take me out! take me out! I'm boiled!" + +The Mother and Take ran as fast as they could to the tub. Taro's +head just showed over the edge. His mouth was open, the tears +were streaming down his cheeks, and the air was full of "ows." +His Mother reached her arm down into the water. + +"It isn't so very hot, Taro," she said; "I can bear my hand in +it." + +"Ow--ow!" said Taro. He didn't even say, "Ow! ow! Honorable +Mother!" as one might have thought such a very polite boy would +do. + +And he tried to get both feet off the bottom of the tub at the +same time! + +The Mother put some cold water into the tub. Taro stopped +screaming. + +"Oh, Taro," Take called to him, "you aren't really and truly +boiled, are you?" + +"Almost," sniffed Taro; "I'm as red as a red dragon. I think my +skin will come off." + +"I know you are dreadfully hurt, poor Taro," Take said, "because +a son of the Samurai never complains, no matter how hard his +lot." + +The water was cooler now. Taro's head disappeared below the edge +of the tub. He splashed a minute, then he said:-- + +"I guess a real truly Samurai would scream a little if he were +boiled." His words made a big round sound coming out of the tub. + +Pretty soon it was Take's turn. She climbed into the tub. She +splashed, too, but she didn't scream. Then she stuck her head +over the edge of the tub. + +"I'm boiled, too," she called to Taro, "but I'm not going to +cry." + +"Then the water isn't hot," was all Taro said. + +When they had finished their baths, they were dressed in clean +kimonos. Then they had their breakfast and at seven o'clock they +were all ready for school. + +Their Mother gave them each a paper umbrella in case of rain. She +hung a little brocaded bag, with a jar of rice inside it, on the +left arm of each Twin. This was for their luncheon. Then she gave +them each a brand-new copy-book and a brand-new soroban. A +soroban is a counting-machine. + +It is a frame with wires stretched across it and beads hung on the +wires. The Twins felt very proud to have sorobans and copy-books. + +"Now trot along," the Mother said. + +The Twins knew the way. They marched down the street, feeling +more grown up than they ever had felt in all their lives. Their +Mother watched them from the garden-gate. + +When they turned the corner and were out of sight, she went back +into the house. She picked up Bot'Chan and hugged him. "Don't +grow up yet, dear Sir Baby Boy," she said. + +Taro and Take met other little boys and girls, all going to +school, too. They all had umbrellas and copy-books and sorobans. + +The children got to the school-house before the teacher. + +They waited until they heard the clumpty-clump of his wooden +clogs. Then all the children stood together in a row. Taro and +Take were at the end. The moment the teacher came in, the +children bowed very low. + +"Ohayo," they called. "Please make your honorable entrance." They +drew in their breath with a hissing sound. In Japan this is a +polite thing to do. The teacher bowed to the children. Then each +child ran to his little cushion on the floor and sat down on it. +Taro and Take did not know where to go, because they had not been +to school before. + +The teacher gave them each a cushion. Then he placed beside each +of them a cunning little set of drawers, like a doll's bureau. In +the little bureau were India ink and brushes. The teacher sat +down on his cushion before the school. + +He told the children where to open their books. Taro and Take +couldn't even find the place, but O Kiku San, who sat next, found +it for them. + +The teacher gave Taro and Take each a little stick. "Now I will +tell you the names of these letters," he said, "and when I call +the name of each one, you can point to it with the little stick. +That will help you to remember it." + +He began to read. Taro and Take punched each letter as he called +it. They tried so hard to remember that they punched a hole right +through the paper! But you might have punched something, too, if +you had thousands of letters to learn! That's what Taro and Take +have to do, while you have only twenty-six letters. They were +glad when the teacher said, "Now we will learn how to count." + +Taro and Take took out their new sorobans. The teacher showed +them how to count the beads. They thought it as much fun as a +game. + +Then they tried to make some letters in their copy-books with a +brush. That's the way they write in Japan. + +Taro's and Take's letters were very big and queer-looking, and +the paper got so wet that the teacher said, "Children, you may +all carry your copy-books outdoors and hang them up to dry, and +you may eat your rice out of doors." + +The children took their copy-books and their bags of rice and ran +out. The Twins found a nice shady place to eat their luncheon. + +O Kiku San ate her rice with Taro and Take. They had a real +picnic. + +At half-past three all their lessons were finished, and the Twins +ran home. Their Mother was waiting for them on the porch, with +Bot'Chan in her arms. + +"See what we made for you!" the Twins cried. They gave her the +letters they had made that morning. + +"You have made them beautifully, for the first time," she said. + +She put the blistered papers with the staggery letters away in +the cupboard to keep. "I will show them to Father when he comes +home," she said. + + + + +TARO'S BIRTHDAY + +TARO'S BIRTHDAY + + +I wish there was room in this book to tell you about all the good +times that Taro and Take have, but they have so many holidays and +such good times on every one of them that it would take two books +to tell about it all. + +They have cherry festivals and wistaria festivals and +chrysanthemum festivals when everybody goes to picnics and spends +the whole day with the flowers. + +On the day of the Lotus Festival they go very early in the +morning, before the sun is up, to a pond where the lotus flowers +bloom. They go with their teacher and all the children. + +When they get to the pond, the teacher says, "Listen!" Every one +is still as a mouse. Just as the sun comes up, the lotus flowers +open. Pop, pop, pop, they go, like fairy guns! The children love +to hear them pop. "The flowers salute the sun," they say. + +One of the best days of all is New Year's Day, when all the boys +and their fathers and grandfathers fly kites. And such wonderful +kites! The air is full of dragons and boxes and all sorts of +queer shapes. Sometimes the dragons have a battle in the air! + +But one day I must tell you about, anyway, and that is Taro's +birthday! + +It isn't only Taro's birthday, you know. All the boys celebrate +together. The girls--even if they are your very own twins--don't +have a thing to do with it. And it lasts five days! On the first +morning Taro woke very early. He was just as excited as Take was +on the day of the Festival of Dolls. But Take didn't stay in bed +on Taro's birthday. She flew out early, for she wanted to see all +the fun, even if she wasn't in it. + +First she went to the Kura with Taro and their Father to get out +the flags. The boys' birthday is called the Feast of Flags. + +They took Bot'Chan with them to the Kura. Take carried him on her +back. + +"It's Bot'Chan's birthday, too," she said, "so he must go." + +In the Kura was a long bamboo pole. The Twins' Father took the +pole and set it up in the street before their house. Then he +brought out two great paper fish. They were almost larger than +Taro. They had great round mouths and round eyes. A string was +fastened to their mouths. + +"There's one fish for Taro and one for Bot'Chan," said the +Father. "We have two boys in our house." + +He tied the fish to the pole. The wind filled the great round +mouths and soon away up in the air the two fish were bobbing and +blowing about just as if they were alive! + +There was a bamboo pole with one or two--and sometimes three or +four--fish on it before every house in the street! + +"My! how many boys there are in the world!" Take said; "more than +I can count!" + +The street was as gay as a great flower-garden. There were not +only fish flags; there was the flag of Japan, with a great round +red disk on it. And there was the flag of the navy, which was a +great round red sun like the other, only with red rays around it, +and there were banners of all colors waving in the breeze. + +"Why are the fish flags all made just like the carp in the pond +at the Temple?" asked Take. + +"Because the carp is such a plucky fish," the Father answered. +"He isn't a lazy fish that only wants to swim downstream, the +easy way. He swims up the rivers and jumps up the falls. That's +the way we want our Japanese boys to be. Their lives must be +brave and strong, like the carp." + +"And clean and bright like the sword, too?" Taro said. + +"Yes," said his Father. "I'm glad you remember about the sword." + +When the fish flags were bobbing about in the air, the Father and +children went back into the house. + +There were the steps in the side of the room again, just where +they were when Take had her birthday. And Taro had his dolls, +too. They were not like Take's. They were soldier dolls, enough +for a whole army. Taro set them up in rows, as if they were +marching! There were General dolls, and officers on horseback, +and bands. There were even two nurses, following after the +procession. There were toy guns, and ever and ever so many flags +all in a row. + +Taro was so excited he could hardly eat any breakfast! As soon as +he had finished, he sprang up from his cushion. He almost upset +his table, he was in such a hurry. He put on a play uniform like +a soldier. And he had a wooden sword! + +"There's going to be a war!" he said to Take. + +"Where?" asked Take; "can I see it?" + +"It's going to be in the street. I'm the General," said Taro. + +"Oh, how I wish I could be a General," cried Take. + +But Taro never even heard her. He was already on his way to join +his regiment. + +In a few minutes Take heard the "rap-a-tap, tap! rap-a-tap, +tap!" of a drum. "They're coming! They're coming!" she called to +her Mother and Father. The Mother rolled Bot'Chan on to her back. +Take took her Father's hand. They all ran to the gate to see the +procession. The servants came out, too, and last of all Grannie. +They gave Grannie the best place to see. Soon around the corner +came the procession. + +First marched a color-bearer with the big Japanese flag. Then +came Taro. He looked very proud and straight, walking all alone +at the head of the procession. He was the General because he had +a sword! + +All the boys carried flags. They kept step like little soldiers. + +"Oh, doesn't Taro look beautiful?" said Take. She climbed up on +the gate-post. She waved a little flag with all her might, but +Taro never looked round. He just marched straight along. + +Just then "rub-a-dub-dub" came the sound of another drum. Around +the next corner came another army of little boys. + +They carried flags, too. They marched straight toward Taro's +army. + +"Now the war is coming! Now the war is coming!" shouted Take. + +All at once Taro's soldiers began to run. The other soldiers ran, +too. They ran straight toward each other and tried to get each +others' flags. + +Take saw Taro wave his sword. "On, soldiers, on!" he shouted. + +Then there was a great mix-up of boys and flags. It seemed like a +bundle of waving arms and legs and banners. Every boy was +shouting at the top of his voice. + +Take climbed right on top of the gate-post, she was so excited. +She stood up on it and waved her arms! + +"Look at that child," cried the Mother. "She'll fall." + +Take was dancing for joy. + +"There they come! There they come!" she cried. + +Her Father reached up and held her still. "Be quiet, +grasshopper," he said. + +"But Taro is coming! They beat, they beat!" cried Take. + +Taro and his army were coming up the street on the run. Nearly +every little boy had two flags! The other army was running away +as fast as it could go. They had only two banners left. + +"Beat the drum!" shouted Taro. The drummer boy began, "rat-a-tat-tat," +and the whole victorious army marched down the street and right into +Taro's garden! + +As he passed his Father and Mother and Grannie and Bot'Chan, Taro +saluted. His Father saluted Taro, and every one of the family--Grannie +and all--cried "Banzai! Banzai!" That means the same as hurrah! + +Then Take tumbled off the gate-post and raced up to the porch +after the soldier. At the porch, the soldiers broke ranks. + +The General's Mother ran into the house and brought out sweet +rice-cakes and sugared beans. She fed the entire army. There were +six boys in it. + +"Fighting makes a soldier very hungry," Taro said. + +Then his Mother went into the house and brought out more cakes +and more beans. + +The boys ate them all. + +The army stayed at Taro's house and played with his soldiers and +drilled on his porch until lunch-time, when they all went to +their own homes. + +After luncheon Taro played with his tops. He had two beautiful +ones. One was a singing top. + +He was spinning the singing top when all of a sudden there was a +great noise in the street. He ran to see what was the matter. + +There, almost right in front of his own house, was a real show! +There was a man and a little boy and a monkey! The monkey had on +a kimono. The monkey and the little boy did tricks together. Then +the man and the boy did tricks. The man balanced a ladder on his +shoulder. The little boy climbed right up the ladder and hung +from the top of it by his toes. + +Every boy in the street came running to see them. Take came, too. +The little boy, hanging from the top of the ladder, opened a fan +and fanned himself! Then he climbed to his feet again and stood +on one foot on the top of the ladder. Then he made a bow! + +Taro and Take almost stopped breathing, they were so afraid the +little boy would fall. + +The little boy threw his fan to the monkey. The monkey caught it +and fanned himself, while the little boy came down the ladder to +the ground, all safe and sound. + +The Twins' Mother came out, too. She saw the little boy. She felt +sorry for him. She felt sorry for the monkey, too. "Come in and +have some rice-cakes," she said. + +The man, the boy, and the monkey all came into the garden of the +little house. All the other children came, too. + +The Mother brought out cakes and tea. Everybody had some. The man +and the boy thanked her. They made the monkey thank her, too. He +got down on his knees and bowed clear to the ground. + +When they had eaten the cakes and drank the tea, the man and the +boy said, "Sayonara, Sayonara." The monkey jumped on the man's +shoulder, and away they went down the street, with all the boys +following after. + +Taro and Take did not go with them, because their Mother said, +"It is almost time for supper." They watched the others from +their gate. Then they came back and sat down on the top step of +the porch. + +"I think you've had just as good a time on your birthday as I +had on mine," Take said. + +"Better," said Taro. + +"Taro, we are getting very old, aren't we?" Take went on. + +"Yes," said Taro, "we are six now." + +"What are you going to be when you are seven or eight years old +and grown up?" asked Take. + +"Well," said Taro, "I'm not sure, but I think I shall be either a +general or a juggler," Taro said. "What are you going to be?" + +"There's only one thing I can grow to be," said Take. "If I am +very, very good, maybe I'll grow to be a mother-in-law sometime." + +Just then they heard their Mother's voice calling them to supper. +It was very late for supper--it was really almost night. + +The shadows in the little garden were growing long. The birds +were chirping sleepily to each other in the wistaria vine. The +iris flowers were nodding their purple heads to the little +goldfish in the pond. Everything was quiet and still. + +The Twins stopped to look at the little garden before they went +in to their supper. + +"Good night, pretty world," they said, and waved their hands. + + +THE END + + + + +SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS + + +"The Japanese Twins" is a story which gives a correct picture of +the best phase of Japanese home life. + +Like its predecessor "The Dutch Twins," the aim of this reader is +to foster a just and discriminating respect for a foreign nation +in whose history America has a keen interest. + +Though the representatives of the Japanese race do not form an +integral part of our national life, as those of the Dutch and +many other nations do, yet the sympathy between the two countries +is strong, and there is much to be gained by a knowledge of their +manners, customs, and social ideals. + +To make the reading of this story most valuable as a school +exercise, it is suggested that children be allowed at the outset +to turn the pages of the book in order to get glimpses of "Taro" +and "Take" in the various scenes in which they are portrayed in +the illustrations, thus arousing their interest. On a globe, or a +map of the world, point out Japan, and tell the children +something about the unique character of the country. The teacher +will thus find no difficulty in relating this supplementary +reading material to the work in geography, and the art teacher +may find in it an opening for further illustration of Japanese +ideas of art and architecture. + +The text is so simply written that any third or fourth grade +child can read it without much preparation. In the third grade it +may be well to have the children read it first in the study +period in order to work out the pronunciation of the more +difficult words. In the fourth grade the children can usually +read it at sight, without the preparatory study. The story +appeals particularly to the dramatic tendencies in children, and +this can be made an opportunity for lessons in courtesy in which +social virtue the Japanese so excel. The use of the material for +language and constructive work is also immediately apparent. + +In connection with the reading of the book, have children read +selections from their readers and other books about Japan and its +people. Lafcadio Hearn's story "The Burning of the Rice Fields" +(in the Riverside Third Reader) is an illustration of this kind +of collateral reading. Let children also bring to class postcards +and other pictures illustrating scenes in Japan. + +The unique illustrations in the book should be much used, both in +the reading of the story and in other ways. Children will enjoy +sketching some of them; their simple treatment makes them +especially useful for this purpose. Children will enjoy, also, +making jinrikishas, fans, parasols, sand gardens, and sand +pictures (where possible) and in painting the Japanese flags. + +The book is printed on paper which will take water color well, +and where books are individually owned some of the sketches could +be used for coloring in flat washes. They also afford suggestions +for action sketching by the children. + +An excellent oral language exercise would be for the children, +after they have read the story, to take turns telling the story +from the illustrations; and a good composition exercise would be +for each child to select the illustration that he would like to +write upon, make a sketch of it, and write the story in his own +words. + +These are only a few of the many ways that will occur to +resourceful teachers for making the book a valuable as well as an +enjoyable exercise in reading. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext The Japanese Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins + diff --git a/3496.zip b/3496.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c218f3 --- /dev/null +++ b/3496.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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