Kit remembered the peppermints and sat up like a soldier. So did
Kat.

Pretty soon the schoolmaster came in and went up into the pulpit.
He read a chapter from the Bible, and then the Dominic stood up
in the pulpit and began to preach. He preached a long time.

Kit and Kat tried very hard to sit still, just as Grandmother had
said; but pretty soon their heads began to nod.

Grandmother gave them each a peppermint.

They waked up for a minute. But the Dominic kept right on
preaching, until they were both sound asleep with their heads on
Grandmother's shoulders, one on each side; and if they had been
awake to see, they might have thought that Grandmother took a nap
too.

The sermon was so very long that a great many people went to
sleep. So, by and by, the Dominie said,

"We will all sing the Ninety-first Psalm."

Everybody woke up.

Grandmother opened the great golden clasps of her psalm book, and
stood up with all the rest of the people. She stood up quickly,
so that no one would think she had been asleep. She forgot that
the Twins were asleep too, with their heads on her shoulders.
That was why, when she got up, Kit and Kat fell against each
other and bumped their heads!

They forgot that they were in church. They said "Ow!" both
together, and Kat began to cry. But Grandmother said "Sh! sh!"
and gave them each a peppermint; and that made them feel much
better.

Pretty soon the schoolmaster came along with a little bag on the
end of along stick. He passed it to each person. Kit and Kat each
put in a penny, though Kit had a hard time to get his out of his
pocket. But Grandmother vas so upset about the Twins getting
bumped, that she forgot and put in a peppermint instead.

When church was over and they were out on the street again,
Grandmother said,

"Now you are coming home with me to stay all night."

"Really and truly?" said the Twins. "And may we go with
Grandfather to carry the milk in the morning?"

"Yes," said Grandfather, "and Kit may drive the dogs."

Kit jumped right up and down, he was so happy, even if it was
Sunday.

"May I too? May I too?" asked Kat.

"You are a girl," said Grandfather. "You may ride in the wagon."

"Oh, I wish to-morrow would come right away," said Kat.

Then Kit and Kat said good-bye to Father Vedder and went home
with Grandmother and Grandfather.

They lived on a little street in the town, where the houses stood
in a row close together. The houses were built of brick and had
wooden shutters at the windows, and they were so clean they shone
in the sun.

This is a picture of Grandmother's house and of Grandmother and
Kit and Kat going in. The door opened right into the kitchen.

Grandmother put away her shawl and psalm book and scent bottle as
soon as she was home. Then she put on a big apron and drew out
the round table.

She boiled the kettle and made coffee; and, when it was done, she
set the coffee pot on a pretty little porcelain stove on the
table to keep hot. She got out bread and cheese and smoked beef
and, best of all, a plate of little cakes.

Then they all four sat down to eat. I will not tell you how many
cakes Kit and Kat ate, but it was a good many.

After dinner, Grandmother put away the things, and Kat helped
her.

Kit sat beside Grandfather in the doorway while he smoked. Pretty
soon Grandfather said,

"Bring me my accordeon, Kit."

Kit ran to the press in the corner. He knew where the accordeon
was kept.

Then Grandfather took the accordeon, tipped his head back, shut
his eyes and began to play, beating time with one foot. Kat heard
the music and came out too.

She and Kit sat down on the doorstep, one on each side of
Grandfather, to listen.

Grandfather played six tunes.

Then Grandmother said,

"Why don't we go to the woods to hear the band play?"

"No reason at all," said Grandfather. So very soon they were on
their way to a grove on the edge of the town.

In the grove a band was playing; and just as the Twins and
Grandfather and Grandmother came up, it began to play the national
hymn of Holland. All the people began to sing. There were a great
many people in the grove, and they all sang as aloud as they
could; so there was a great sound. Grandfather and Grandmother
and Kit and Kat all sang too; for they all knew every word of the
hymn.

This is what they sang:

    Let him in whom old Dutch blood flows,
    Untainted, free and strong;
    Whose heart for Prince and Country glows,
    Now join us in our song;
    Let him with us lift up his voice,
    And sing in patriot band,
    The song at which all hearts rejoice,
    For Prince and Fatherland,
    For Prince and Fatherland.

    We brothers, true unto a man,
    Will sing the old song yet;
    Away with him who ever can
    His Prince or Land forget!
    A human heart glowed in him ne'er,
    We turn from him our hand,
    Who callous hears the song and prayer,
    For Prince and Fatherland,
    For Prince and Fatherland.

    Preserve, O God, the dear old ground
    Thou to our fathers gave;
    The land where we a cradle found,
    And where we'll find a grave!
    We call, O Lord, to Thee on high,
    As near death's door we stand,
    Oh! Safety, blessing to our cry
    For Prince and Fatherland,
    For Prince and Fatherland.

    Loud ring thro' all rejoicings here,
    Our prayer, O Lord, to Thee;
    Preserve our Prince, his house so dear
    To Holland great and free!
    From youth thro' life, be this our song,
    Till near to death we stand:
    O God, preserve our sov'reign long,
    Our Prince and Fatherland,
    Our Prince and Fatherland.

Now, while the people were singing with all their might, and the
band was playing, and Kit and Kat were having the most beautiful
time they had ever had in their whole lives, what do you think
happened?

Down the long drive through the trees came a great, splendid
carriage, drawn by a pair of beautiful white horses with wavy
white tails and manes. There were two soldiers on horseback
riding in front of the carriage, and the driver of the carriage
was dressed in blue and orange livery.

The carriage was open, and in it sat a beautiful, smiling young
lady. Beside her sat her husband; and a nurse, in the other seat,
held a baby in her arms.

When the people saw the carriage and the lady, they waved their
caps and shouted, "Long live the Queen!"

"Look! Look! Kit and Kat," said Grandfather. "It is your dear
Queen Wilhelmina, and Prince Henry and the little Princess! Wave
your hands!"

Kit and kat waved with all their might, but they were so short,
and the people crowded beside the driveway so, that neither of
them could see. Then Grandfather caught Kit and lifted him up
high, and Grandmother did the same with Kat.

It was fine to be up so high. Kit and Kat could see everything
better than anyone else there. And when the carriage came by, the
queen saw Kit and Kat! She smiled at them, and the nurse held the
little Princess up high for them to see! Kit and Kat threw kisses
to the little Princess; and the Princess waved her baby hand to
Kit and Kat; and then they were all gone, like a bright dream.

But the soldiers were better to see even than queens, Kit
thought. Kat thought the baby, any baby, was nicer than either.

When the carriage was out of sight, Grandfather and Grandmother
set the Twins down on the ground. Everyone began to talk about
the Queen, about how sweet she was, and how good; and the band
played, and everybody was as happy as they could possibly be.

By and by it was time to go home; for, Grandfather said, "Dutch
girls and boys must learn to get up early in the morning,
especially Twins that are going out with the milk cart."

So they went back to Grandfather Winkle's house; and Grandmother
put them to bed in a little cupboard like their own at home,
after they had had some supper. And the last thing Kat said that
night was,

"O Kit, just to think that to-day we saw the Queen and the
soldiers, and the Queen's baby, and to-morrow we are going to
drive in the milk cart! What a beautiful world it is!"

Just as they were dropping off to sleep, they heard a great noise
in the street.

"Clap, clap, clap," it sounded, eight times.

"There goes the Klapper man," said Grandmother Winkle. "Eight
o'clock, and time all honest folk were abed."



V

THE DAY THEY DROVE THE MILK CART

The next morning Kit and Kat woke up very early, without any
one's calling them. You see, they were afraid they would be too
late to go with the milk cart.

But Grandfather Winkle had only just gone out to get the milk
ready, and they had plenty of time to dress while Grandmother got
breakfast. Grandmother helped with the buttons and the hard
parts.

Grandmother Winkle's kitchen was quite like the kitchen at home,
only a little nicer. It had red tiles on the floor; and it had
ever so many blue plates hanging around on the walls, and
standing on edge in a row on the shelves. There was a warming-pan
with a bright brass cover, hanging on the wall; and I wish you
could have seen the pillows and the coverlet on the best bed!

Grandmother Winkle had embroidered those all herself, and she was
very proud of them. When she had company, she always drew the
curtains back so that her beautiful bed would be seen. She said
that Kit and Kat were company, and she always left the curtains
open when they came to visit her.

When the Twins were all dressed, Grandmother said,

"Mercy sakes! You have on your best clothes! Now that's just like
a man to promise to take you out in your best clothes in a milk
wagon! Whatever was Grandfather thinking about!"

Kit and Kat thought she was going to say that they couldn't go,
so they dug their knuckles in their eyes and began to cry. But
they hadn't got farther than the first whimper when Grandmother
said,

"Well, well, we must fix it somehow. Don't cry now, that's a good
Kit and Kat." So the Twins took their knuckles out of their eyes
and began to smile.

Grandmother went to the press and brought out two aprons. One was
a very small apron. It wouldn't reach to Kit's knees. But she put

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