The Dutch Twins | Page 9

and there were booths where meat and fish and wood and
peat were sold. But the Twins couldn't find anything they wanted that
cost exactly two cents.
At last, what should they see but Vrouw Van der Kloot's fat face
smiling at them from a stall just full of cakes and cookies and bread,
and chocolate, and honey cakes, and goodies of all kinds.
The Twins held up their money.
There on the counter was a whole row of St. Nicholas dolls with
currant eyes, and they knew at once that there was nothing else in all
the market they should like so much!
"Do these cost two cents apiece, dear Vrouw Van der Kloot?" asked
Kat.
"No," said Vrouw Van der Kloot; "they cost one cent apiece."
The Twins were discouraged.
"I don't believe there's a single thing in this whole market that costs just
two cents," said Kat.
"Keep still!" said Kit. "Let me think."
They sat down on the curb. Kat kept still, and Kit took hold of his head
with both hands and thought hard. He thought so hard that he scowled
all over his forehead!
"I tell you what it is, Kat," he said at last. "If those St. Nicholas dolls
cost one cent apiece, I think we could get two of them for two cents."
"O Kit," said Kat, "how splendidly you can think! Does it hurt you
much? Let's ask Vrouw Van der Kloot."
They went back to the good Vrouw, who was selling some coffee bread

to a woman with a basket.
"O Vrouw Van der Kloot," said Kat, "Kit says that if those St. Nicholas
dolls cost one cent apiece, he thinks we could get two for two cents. Do
you think so?"
"Of course you can," said Vrouw Van der Kloot; and she winked at the
lady with the bread.
"But you've got two cents, and I've got two," said Kat to Kit. "If you
should get two Nicholas dolls, why, I should have my two cents left;
shouldn't I? Oh! dear, it won't come out right anyway!"
"Let me think some more," said Kit; and when he had thought some
more, he said,
"I'll tell you what let's! You get two with your two cents, and I'll get
two with mine! And I'll give my other one to Mother and you can give
your other one to Father!"
"That's just what we'll do," said Kat.
They went back to Vrouw Van der Kloot.
"We'll take four dolls," said Kat.
"Well, well, well!" said the Vrouw. "So you've figured it all out, have
you?" And she counted out the dolls--"One for Kit, and one for Kat,
and one for Father, and one for Mother, and an extra one for good
measure!"
"O Kit, she's given us one more!" said Kat. "Let's eat it right now!
Thank you, dear Vrouw Van der Kloot."
So they ate up the one more then and there, beginning with the feet. Kit
bit one off, and Kat bit the other; and they took turns until the St.
Nicholas doll was all gone.
Then they took the four others, said goodbye to the good Vrouw, and

went back to Father's stall. They found that Father had sold all his
things and was ready to go home.
They carried their empty baskets back to the boat, and soon were on
their way home. The Twins sat on one seat, holding tight to their dolls,
which were growing rather sticky.
The boat was so light that they went home from market much more
quickly than they had come, and it did not seem long before they saw
their own house. There it was, with its mossy roof half hidden among
the trees, and Vrouw Vedder waiting for them at the gate.
Dinner was all ready, and the Twins set the four St. Nicholas dolls in a
row, in the middle of the table.
"There's one for Father, and one for Mother, and one for Kat, and one
for me," said Kit.
"O Mother," said Kat, "Kit can think! He thought just how many dolls
he could buy when they were one for one cent! Isn't it fine that he can
do that?"
"You've learned a great deal at the market," said Vrouw Vedder. But
Kit didn't say a word. He just looked proud and pleased and put his
hands in his pockets.
"By and by, when you are four and a half feet high and are called
Christopher, you can go with Father every time," said Vrouw Vedder.
"I can think a little bit, too," said Kat. "Can't I go?"
"No," said Vrouw Vedder. "Girls shouldn't think much. It isn't good for
them. Leave thinking to the men. You can stay at home and help me."

III
MOTHER'S DAY

"Yesterday